On March 2-3, fifteen of FMHS’s finest competed in the North Texas District Debate Tournament. Out of the 42 schools that competed, FMHS ranked 1st overall.
Individually, seniors Sam Pietsch and Nikhil Nair placed first in Public Forum Debate, and Meredith Hiles placed 3rd in extemporaneous speaking. Sophomore Ayesha Karnik placed 1st in extemporaneous speaking.
However, as skilled as they are, winning the tournament was nowhere near easy. The preparation and practice required for this event was colossal.
“In addition to class time, we practice six hours a week,” Debate teacher Mr. Mears said.
“I practice a lot at home and make sure I understand the information, so that if someone asks me a question I don’t have to look up an answer.” senior Nikhil Nair said. “I’d know it off the top of my head.”
The competition was fierce, as every school was sending in their top students. When asked, Nair told that Parish Episcopal, a private school in Dallas, was his greatest competition. There are no grade-level boundaries, so sophomores can be pitted against seniors and so on.
The material in which they were given requires a good understanding of global events. The contestants had to be informed and knowledgeable about a vast number of international and domestic situations.
“The rules say that it’s supposed to be ripped from the headlines, so the next topic was South American nations should increase bilateral trading relations as opposed to unilateral trading relations.” Nair said. “We had topics like that, sometimes it’s domestic sometimes it’s international. It just depends.”
Despite the level of difficulty, the tournament turned out to be a challenging but rewarding experience for the participants.
“I’ve been doing this for four years and competing in tournaments is always fun,” Nair said. “You meet a lot of new people and you get to experience a lot of new things.”
The students who finished first and second are now qualified for Nationals which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama this June.
