Fall 2020 ModernBrain Awards (Congress/Debate)

Fall 2020 ModernBrain Awards (Congress/Debate)

• When people think of Speech and Debate, many imagine Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters: serious people stand at podiums, speak slowly, and use the art of rhetoric to strike blows for their side. In actuality, Debate events are far more versatile. Lincoln-Douglas challenges students to argue both sides of a philosophical question. Public Forum and Policy ask them to partner up and argue if a heavily researched  resolution is true or not. Parliamentary Debate asks them to work in teams, only giving them 20 minutes to research questions of value, policy, and fact before they launch into an extemporaneous debate.  Student Congress asks them to embody representatives and senators as they argue whether or not bills and resolutions should be passed into law.
• During Fall of 2020, our ModernBrain students have done exceptionally well across all formats of debate.
• Student Congress:
• Dylan was the novice CHAMPION of the Seattle Academy invitational, a novice finalist at Claremont, and a semifinalist at the CSU Long Beach competition! 
• Kalen was a finalist at the Seattle Academy invitational, a finalist at the Claremont competition, and a semifinalist at the CSU Long Beach competition! 
• Dea was the novice Presiding Officer CHAMPION of the Seattle Academy invitational and a novice finalist at Claremont!
• Eitan was the novice CHAMPION of the second Tri-County Forensics League Congress tournament and took 4th Place at the first!
• Anmol was the runner-up at the second AND third Illinois Congress competitions!
• Lincoln was a finalist at the Claremont competition AND a finalist at the CSU Long Beach competition! 
• Benjamin was a finalist at the Seattle Academy invitational and semifinalist at the CSU Long Beach competition! 
• Emily was the novice runner-up at the Claremont competition!
• Grace was a finalist at the CSU Long Beach competition! 
• Kerry was a finalist at the Seattle Academy invitational!
• Shirley was a finalist at the Claremont competition!
• Dylan H. earned GOLD at our first “Friendly” competition and  SILVER at our second!
• Sanskriti earned BRONZE at our first AND second “Friendly” competitions!
• Jayden earned BRONZE at our first AND second “Friendly” competitions!
• Jeremy earned GOLD at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Mira earned GOLD at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Sarah earned SILVER at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Dora earned SILVER at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Titiksha earned SILVER at our second “Friendly” competition!
• Kayla earned SILVER at our second “Friendly” competition!
• David earned SILVER at our second “Friendly” competition!
• Luca earned BRONZE at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Jerry earned BRONZE at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Alexis earned BRONZE at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Natalia earned BRONZE at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Tiffany earned BRONZE at our first “Friendly” competition!
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate:
• Casey was the novice CHAMPION at the Claremont competition, CHAMPION at the Richfield Run competition, CHAMPION at the Auburn competition, TOP SPEAKER/3rd Place at the Raymond B. Furlong competition, UNDEFEATED at the Princeton High School competition, top 16 at the CSU Long Beach competition, and the 5th Place speaker at the Seattle Academy invitational!
• Joy made the top four as both a speaker and novice competitor at the Seattle Academy Invitational!
• At the Irvine Valley Debate competition,  we had half of the top 10 Middle School Lincoln-Douglas speakers: Cailyn was 8th, Joseph was 7th, Simran was 3rd, Isabella was 2nd, and Liz was 1st! We also had half of the top 10 competitors: Gavin was 9th, Joseph was 6th, Simran was 4th, Isabella was 3rd, and Liz was 2nd!
• Policy Debate: 
• Matthew/Avery were runners-up at the Tradition Cypress Bay tournament, were top 16 at the CSU Long Beach competition, and reached elimination rounds at the Bronx Science competition!
• The team of Hexun and Li was 2nd Place at the September Middle School Policy Debate competition, made finals at the Hebron Standard tournament, and had a winning record at the October competition!
• The team of Roh and Kang made novice finals at the Hebron Standard tournament, had a winning record at the Westminster tournament, and had a winning record at the October competition!
• The team of Lu and Yan was 3rd Place at the September Middle School Policy Debate competition and had a winning record at the October competition!
• The team of Huang and Tran was 4th Place at the September Middle School Policy Debate competition and had a winning record at the October competition!
• The team of Li and Zheng was UNDEFEATED at the October Middle School Policy Debate competition!
• The team of Chen and Chen was UNDEFEATED at the October Middle School Policy Debate competition!
• The team of Lin and Nam was CHAMPIONS of the September Middle School Policy Debate competition!
• The team of Stobo and Yang had a winning record at the October competition!
• The team of Hsu and Qian had a winning record at the October competition!
• At the October competition, we closed out the speaker awards with  Angelynne (10th), Brandon (9th), Mike (4th), Miles (3rd), Zoe (2nd), and Audrey (the CHAMPION)!
• Public Forum Debate:
• The team of Patro and Patro earned GOLD at our first “Friendly” competition!
• The team of Chen and Sun earned SILVER at our first “Friendly” competition!
• The team of Shao and Zhao earned SILVER at our first “Friendly” competition!
• The team of Kim and Liu earned SILVER at our first “Friendly” competition!
• The team of Yan and Hu earned BRONZE  at our first “Friendly” competition!
• The team of Jin and Shao earned BRONZE at our second “Friendly” competition!
• At the Irvine Valley College Debate tournament, we had four of the top 10 Elementary speakers! Lexie was 10th, Zhuochen was 9th, Matthew was 6th, and Braden was 5th! In Middle School Public Forum, Hannah was the 5th-best speaker, and the team of Annie/Hannah took 6th overall!
• Parliamentary Debate:
• The team of Gao and Weng earned SILVER at our second “Friendly” competition!
• There is so much for these debaters to be proud of! Congratulations to all of them--win or lose, it’s how you play the game, and these debaters perform with integrity and fidelity.