Debate argues their way to state competition
On Saturday, Feb. 26, the debate team of NPHS competed in a tournament where 2 of our own students qualified for states. After many rounds of debating, it was announced that Adi Chattopadhyay, junior, and Adalia Luo, senior, would be moving on to the next level. Chattopadhyay has been involved in debate since middle school, “[Being in debate] gives you the opportunity to do in depth research on topics and then also research to the point where you can have arguments,” Chattopadhyay said.
For the debaters, preparation for the tournament began before Saturday came around. David Yi, freshman, explained the level of planning required before a tournament. “You look at all the relevant news about the topic, read news articles. The morning of you make sure you go through pieces of evidence, try and find the best one,” Yi said.
Debate practice is every Friday after school, though their meetings are still held online, NPHS debaters have still found a way to create close bonds. For Neil Saji, freshman, the debate team has become like a second family, even providing him with the opportunity to become closer to existing friends. ”[As we] started to meet each other more and more and you know, we’ve become great friends through debate,” Saji said.
