Debaters Perform with Distinction in Fall Tournaments

Its players aren’t celebrated on St. Mark’s Day, and you won’t find them feted at an athletic banquet, but this team battled against tough opponents throughout the fall and tallied an impressive season.
Groton’s Debating Society participated in four debates this term, facing teams from between thirteen and seventeen schools each time. During the fall, seven individual students were commended for performing with distinction.
 
Debate at Groton is welcoming and encourages novices to plunge right in. “Debate is an extracurricular activity, not a sport,” said the advisor, Dr. Andy Reyes, “and so we tend to take a different set of boys and girls for each tournament.” Participants at all levels are dedicated: they typically practiced on Monday and Thursday nights throughout the fall term, but in the week before an interscholastic tournament also met on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
 
In its first outing, September 18, the Groton team placed seventh out of seventeen schools at the Roxbury Latin Tournament. On October 9, they fared better at St. Sebastian’s School, placing third out of thirteen schools. Eric Yang ’18 earned first place among ninety-two speakers at St. Sebastian’s, while Oliver Ye ’20 and Joshua Guo ’20 won third place competing as a pair.
 
At a tournament at Phillips Andover on October 23, Groton placed third out of sixteen schools, with four students commended with distinction: Lauren Kochis ’17, Candilla Park ’18, Kevin Xiao ‘18, and Michael Xiao ‘18. At the final fall tournament, at Phillips Exeter on November 6, Groton placed eighth out of thirteen schools.

Groton's debaters carry on an enduring tradition. Like football, debate dates back to the school's founding; in fact, it once was required of all students.
 
 
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