The Palo Alto High School Debate team will compete this weekend in the Stanford National Invitational. Debaters who get to the quarterfinals will receive a bid to the Tournament of Champions, held from Saturday, Apr. 30 to Monday, May 2.
The team has performed well in past years and usually wins or advances into the late rounds of competition in both varsity and junior varsity divisions, according to Director of Forensics Jennie Savage.
The Stanford Invitational is a selective tournament, and allots a limited number of spots per team. Even though Paly was given additional competitor spots because of its recent success at the tournament, the additional spots are not enough to allow everyone on the team to compete.
“It is indeed selective because we have limited slots available to us through the tournament,” Savage said. “Paly was given more slots than other teams because we’ve historically done very well there, but still not enough for everyone who wanted to compete there.”
The team has various goals for the tournament, ranging from having a good showing for the new Speech team, which is competing for the first time, to fully qualifying junior Alex Carter, freshman Travis Chen and senior Lucas Chan to the TOC, according to Savage. Each will qualify if each he does well enough to advance to the quarterfinal round of the tournament, which will earn him the second bid needed to attend the TOC tournament.
Twelve JV debaters have the chance to compete at the tournament in Lincoln Douglas Debate. According to Savage, the tournament is a great chance for them to gain experience.
Freshman Parker Devine, who started debating at the end of eighth grade, will compete in varsity LD debate this weekend.
“I’m hoping just to become a better debater,” Devine said.
Devine explained that as a freshman, every tournament offers an opportunity to improve. But, like any competitor, he hopes to win awards as well.
“Every tournament I’ve gotten better and better, and this is what freshmen year is for: getting better for the years to come,” Devine said.
After the Stanford Invitational, the team will prepare for the California Invitational held from Saturday, Feb. 19 to Monday, Feb. 21 at the University of California, Berkeley.