Middle School students compete in 3rd Tournament at West Side High School

By Margarita Morales

Debating at West Side HS. Click here fore more pictures!

January 25, 2010 - The third middle grades tournament of the season was held at West Side High School on Jan. 23. Despite one coach getting into a car accident and thankfully be okay, and a bus breaking down, the tournament ran smoothly and sixty-nine teams competed in three rounds. This tournament was also the last under the winter resolution of increasing social service for persons living in poverty in the U.S. Director Brent Farrand officially announced that the next two tournaments students will compete under the resolution to provide universal broadband service in the U.S. Farrand also reminded students about the value of debate.

“This activity is turning you into a leader and showing you how to solve conflicts instead of causing them.”

He said that Supreme Court justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor publicly credit their career in high school debate as helping launch them toward success. He also mentioned that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were debaters and that those who debate “travel an important road.”

Additionally, Farrand gave his respect to the Miller Street coach, parents, and team for waiting an hour and a half in the cold for the bus to arrive. “We respect you for your great perseverance,” he said.

Science Park High School policy coach, Randy Mitchell, presented awards and congratulations to all the debaters for their preparation and involvement with debate. The top 30 speakers in the beginner division and the top 10 speakers in the experienced division were recognized for winning records. The top 29 teams in the beginner division and the top 10 teams in the experienced division were awarded trophies.

Congratulations to Khadija Bhatti from Mount Vernon in the beginner division for a near perfect score with 74 out of 75 speaker points. The top 10 beginner teams had undefeated records. In a rare case, there were no undefeated teams in the experienced division. The top 10 experienced teams won two rounds.

Top 10 Beginner Speakers:

1. Khadija Bhatti (Mount Vernon BR)
2. Adriana DeResende (Wilson Ave DV)
3. Thamilvili Sivanesan (Mount Vernon SW)
4. Aniyah Fuentes (13th Avenue FW)
5. Saher Khan (Mount Vernon UK)
6. Quandra Milton (Miller Street MW)
7. Kennia Vasquez (Wilson Ave DV)
8. Barbara Batista (Wilson Ave AB)
9. Marco Barahona (Wilson Ave BU)
10. Ashlay Benjamin (13th Avenue BW-MAV)

Top 10 Beginner Teams:

1. Wilson Ave DV (Adriana DeResende & Kennia Vasquez)
2. Mount Vernon BR (Khadija Bhatti & Hifza Rathore)
3. Wilson Ave DF (Brian Druciak & Bruno Fernandes)
4. Wilson Ave MR (Soraya Mota & Henry Rodrigues)
5. Wilson Ave MT (Daniel Mendes & Jolarys Torres)
6. Alexander Street BC (Aleia Brown & Ameer Copper)
7. Wilson Ave BU (Marco Barahona & Joshua Upshaw)
8. Wilson Ave LC (Erik Lijo & Nicole Cruz)
9. Mount Vernon CJ (Chaline Chatelier & Tishawna Jones)
10. 13th Avenue BW-MAV (Ashlay Benjamin)

Top 10 Experienced Speakers:

1. Katherine Bonsu (Mount Vernon AB)
2. Shantell Hawthorne (Maple Avenue HH)
3. Danny Caicedo (Hernandez/Sussex DGEF)
4. Nyasia Sanchez (FIRST AVENUE AS)
5. Luis Cruz (Rafael Hernandez CC)
6. Joshua Azcona (FIRST AVENUE AS)
7. Mahalia Bazile (13th Avenue BR)
8. Jaye Ross (13th Avenue RR)
9. Carsell Hawthorne (Maple Avenue HH)
10. Timothy Carter (Rafael Hernandez CC)

Top 10 Experienced Teams:

1. Mount Vernon AB (Gloria Aturamu & Katherine Bonsu)
2. FIRST AVENUE AS (Joshua Azcona & Nyasia Sanchez)
3. Maple Avenue HH (Shantell Hawthorne & Carsell Hawthorne)
4. Rafael Hernandez CC (Timothy Carter & Luis Cruz)
5. 13th Avenue BR (Mahalia Bazile & Alana Rodriquez)
6. Wilson Ave PT (Rita Perez & Estephanie Torres)
7. 13th Avenue RR (Jaye Ross & Javon Ross)
8. Peshine Avenue BJ (Jaquay Brown & Nybiah Jones)
9. FIRST AVENUE FM (Vanessa Fonseca & Katherine Mandoza)
10. Rafael Hernandez JV (Maloni Jones & Josue Vargas)