The HSAS debate team has had an amazing 2024-2025 season so far! To kick off the year, the team started strong at the Bronx Science Invitational on October 18th. Though we only traveled across the street, it was the first time HSAS debate ever competed within a national division. The team gained valuable experience, competing against debate teams from all over the country and practicing new debate styles such as non-topical critiques called “Ks” and spreading.
Since then, the team has competed in three tournaments in the NYC Urban Debate League. On November 16th juniors Clara Bonfili and Stella Kross went undefeated debating the merits of increasing surveillance on America’s southern border. On December 14th, debating American military presence in Taiwan, sophomore Zach Mendez took 5th place in Junior Varsity, and Senior Frances Grodsky took 6th in Varsity. On January 8th, the team took on the complexities of international recognition of Somaliland incredibly successfully once again. In the novice division freshmen Clyde Brittelle and Anthony Kolaj went undefeated as a team. Individually, Daniel Brindle-Khym took 3rd place, and Camille Dillon-Eirich 5th. In Junior Varsity, Freshmen Tesla Liu and Elsa Villagómez went undefeated as a team and individually took 4th and 7th place respectively.
We look forward to continuing to challenge ourselves and find success in February, debating yet another international topic: whether the United States should accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
These are the results from the November 16 debates.
JV NATIONAL
1. Ellery Sarig
4. Zachary Mendez
VARSITY NATIONAL
4. Clara Bonfili
JV WINNING RECORDS
4. Charlie Heeger and Kledy Pjetrani
5. Joyce Lee and Shabiha Nusrat
VARISTY WINNING RECORDS
1. Clara Bonfili and Stella Kross
6. Frances Grodsky and Adam Ripp
SPIRIT OF DEBATE
1. Jessi Zheng
(Big shout out to our amazing student judge Jessi who commuted two hours to get there!)
