After being named district champion in Lincoln Douglas debate at the National Forensics League national qualifying tournament this weekend, senior Jujhaar Singh will represent the California Coast District at the national debate championships in June.
Singh is the first Paly debater to earn the district champion title.
“Of all the tournaments and debate awards Jujhaar has won over the years, this is definitely the most significant not only to him personally, but to our squad and to our school,” debate coach Jennie Savage said.
Singh sees his district champion title as a team effort.
“It’s not just my victory,” Singh said. “It’s a victory for the team, and a testament to the program and the people in it. Nationals is a big deal, and I am really honored to be the first in a line of many to win.”
According to Savage, the top debaters from each Bay Area school were invited to compete at this tournament for a shot at one of three district spots at the NFL national championship tournament.
“Our debate district, the Coast Forensic League, is reputedly the strongest in the country and debaters from it win the national tournament on a regular basis,” Savage said. “Because of the size and strength of Paly’s squad, we earned four slots at the qualifying tournament.”
The tournament was a double-elimination tournament, meaning that once a debater lost two rounds, he or she was out of the qualifying tournament. At the end of five rounds, Paly still had all four debaters, including Singh, seniors Avi Arfin and Nikhil Bhargava and junior Lucas Chan, a feat matched only by Bellarmine College Preparatory High School. At the end of all the rounds, Singh was named the tournament champion by an overwhelming margin.
“Our district is one of the toughest in the nation, so I’m very proud with how I did individually,” Bhargava said. “The team, however, did incredibly well, exceeding all prior expectations. I’m looking forward to having the last tournament of my career be one of the most memorable, and in the end I hope to have fun with all the other kids competing there as well.”
Singh also qualified for this year’s state tournament for the third year in a row and continues to look forward to the future of Paly debate.
“I’m looking forward to watching Nikhil Bhargava and Avi Arfin destroy the competition at the Tournament of Champions in May, and watch the rising varsity become debate legends,” Singh said. “I am judging at a tournament next week where Paly is going to destroy the competition so that will be fun to watch. I’m looking forward to my last two tournaments of my career. I hope I can make them good ones.”
Editor’s Note: Chan is a member of The Paly Voice.