The Westglades Middle School Speech and Debate Team. {courtesy}
The Westglades Middle School Speech and Debate Team shone brightly at the highly competitive Sunvite Invitational Tournament, held January 10-12 on the Nova Southeastern University campus.
The three-day event brought together 909 participants from 89 schools across 13 states, creating a competitive student environment.
According to Brooke Pappas, the school’s speech and debate team coach, 17 seventh and eighth-grade students from Westglades represented their school, facing formidable opponents, many of whom were seasoned high school debaters.
Despite the challenging environment, seven students earned rankings high enough to secure plaques or trophies, a testament to their hard work and determination.
The tournament kicked off on Friday afternoon and continued late into Sunday evening, with days stretching from 8 a.m. to well past 8 p.m. According to Pappas, the grueling schedule pushed students to their limits, but they rose to the occasion with resilience and poise.
The following students achieved notable success:
- Andrea Win and Ivanshi Gadani: Quarter Finalists in Public Forum, earning five wins during the tournament.
- Shane Johnson and Ashton Shah: Semi-Finalists in Public Forum, earning five wins during the tournament.
- Aariv Chawla and Kevin Ventura: Semi-Finalists in Public Forum, earning five wins during the tournament.
- Ira Kumar: First Place in Middle School Congressional Debate.
“In the end, every student made me immensely proud,” said Pappas. “This tournament served as a pivotal moment in their speech and debate journey—a confidence boost for some and an opportunity to learn from masters of the craft for others. It also offered them a glimpse into the challenges and rewards of high school debate.”
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