 | | | From left, Don Read, Sharon Yuan, Audrey Moore and Cassidy McAlpin. Photo provided | | | | | | After placing second in the East Bay Debate League, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School debate students Cassidy McAlpin (eighth grade), Audrey Moore (eighth grade) and Sharon Yuan (seventh grade), qualified to attend the Middle School Public Debate Program's National Championship held on Saturday, April 26 at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. The teams participated in a series of five debates covering current topics such as banning tipping in the service industry, whether or not the war on poverty is a success or failure, whether "stand your ground" laws are more helpful or hurtful, the value of massive open online education courses and whether or not universities should divest from their fossil fuel company holdings. In a typical debate teams are prepared to argue for or against the topics and have only 20 minutes to prepare prior to the actual debate. The team is judged on timing, preparation, accuracy, presentation, quality and persuasiveness of their respective arguments. Accompanied by their debate teacher and coach, Don Read, the team won three of their five debates which placed them 32nd out of the top 88 teams in the nation.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA