The debate team competed online in the Golden Desert Tournament hosted by University of Nevada, Las Vegas Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, earning mixed results at one of the larger tournaments.  

The varsity competitors consisted of junior Aaron Kim, who debated without a partner, and sophomore partners Sara Kumar and Serena Thomas. Ninth graders Austin Kim, Mahi Shah, Cyrus Esmailzadeh, Celine Derroitte, Adam Cheema and Connor Booth competed in the novice division. 

In the varsity division, Aaron ranked 19th seed and earned a 4-2 record, and Sara and Serena ranked 69th seed and earned a 2-4 record. In the novice division, Adam and Connor ranked fifth seed and earned a 4-1 record, leading them to the elimination rounds, Austin and Mahi also earned a 4-1 record and Cyrus and Celine ranked the 27th seed and earned a 3-2 record.

“There are a lot of good teams, and the different style of argumentation made it a little more difficult to compete,” Aaron said, adding that the novices did well. “Every competition, there’s always differences in how the competitors debated and the kind of advice the judges gave.”