First published in the Jan. 6 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The Crestview Preparatory School Debate Team recently placed third in the Golden West Debate League Tournament, where the students competed against 200 5th- and 6th-graders from eight Southern California institutions.
Each team, made up of three students each, engaged in four rounds of debate over a period of eight hours, while following strict middle school public debate rules. The debates covered topics such as gas-powered cars, the use of standardized testing for school admissions and drone warfare.
Along with the club winning an all-around third place, four Crestview students earned individual awards — only given to the top 25 debaters in the region — for their performance, including Feliciano Serrano in first place, Camille Paek in second place, Narayan Neti in third place and Pan Ye in fourth place.
Crestview Prep’s Debate Club started competing in 2016, when they hosted the Golden West Debate League Tournament for the first time. The club is spearheaded by debate coach Madison Hamby and the school’s Principal Baudelia Taylor.
