Debate Team Second at State

The Niles West Debate Team has continued to garner accolades in just its first year of competition. Last weekend, 50 teams from schools across Illinois competed in the Illinois Speech and Theatre Association’s (ISTA) Novice/Junior Varsity State Debate Championships at Evanston Township High School. Novice team debaters Theo Noparstak and Vinay Patel took second place in the state competition, ending in the final round on a 3-2 decision to the #6 seed from Glenbrook North.

Niles West sent six teams in the novice division and five teams in the Junior Varsity division to state and four of its teams advanced to the elimination rounds. Art Siriwatt and Jerry Varghese advanced to the quarterfinals, losing to the #1 seed. Sarika Malani and Emma Lazar, along with Jonass Placitis and Kris Trivedi, were eliminated in the round of 16. Malani was voted the sixth best speaker and Siriwatt was voted the eighth best speaker out of 100 debaters in the novice division.

Other debaters who competed:  Jessie Amgalanjargal and Lia Isono, Breana Brill and Alyssa Guzman, Rimsha Baig and Justin Kang, Hirrah Khatri and Amanda Muir, Ari Hoffman and Sana Khan, Nashiha Alam and Connie Dang and Sebastian Chirayil and Nate Lee.

The Niles West Debate Team is preparing for the Illinois High School Association Varsity State Competition next weekend and the Novice Nationals in Atlanta, GA on April 1 to 3.

The Head Debate Coach is Eric Oddo and Assistant Coach is Matt Fahrenbacher.