Christopher Columbus High School
A Catholic School for Young Men in the Marist Tradition since 1958
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Debate Team Caps Miami-Dade AST Circuit
The Columbus Debate Team competed at G. Holmes Braddock in the fifth and final Miami-Dade After School Tournament (AST) of the 2018-2019 season.
The team consisted mostly of novice students from the Debate I class. We had 18 Explorers competing across five events and we finished with two first place finishes!
In Lincoln Douglas debate, sophomore Daniel Montoto finished undefeated and was ranked the top speaker of the tournament. Daniel was debating the topic that the illegal use of drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not criminal justice.
In the very competitive Public Forum Debate division, we had three teams finish in the top 5 of the tournament. The team of Matthew Monroy & Zakk Gilley finished undefeated and were crowned the tournament champions. Closely behind them the teams of Pius Arquillo & Luis Padron and Gabriel Coleman & William Duval finished in 4th and 5th place respectively. The students were debating the topic that the United Nations should grant India permanent membership on the Security Council.
In Student Congress, we had two students rank in the top 10. sophomores Eddie Leon (6th place) and Emmanuel Cartelle (4th place) had a great tournament. The entire student congress squad was made up of Max Blair, Alexander La Roz, Sammie Lindner, and Christopher Peterson. The students debated a packed slate of topics including the creation of President Trump's proposed Space Force, aid to Venezuela, Yemeni intervention, and GMO research.
In Original Oratory, sophomore Luis Cordova finished in 6th place. And lastly, in the newest event, World Schools Debate the team of Kyle Cominsky, Tadeo Cespedes Sendin, and Andrew Hernandez finished in 2nd place. The team debated whether college admissions should adopt a blind merit-based acceptance policy.
The team travels to Washington D.C. next week for the final travel tournament of the year at Georgetown University.
Christopher Columbus High School | 3000 SW 87 Avenue | Miami, FL 33165 | (305) 223-5650
Brotherhood, Faith, and Scholarship define the Marist Brothers Catholic education at Christopher Columbus High School. By making Jesus Christ known and loved and creating an inspiring academic and extracurricular environment, we prepare young men for higher learning and a life-long commitment to leadership and service through Gospel and Marist values.
Columbus is fully accredited by Cognia and is a member of the Marist Association of Secondary schools, the National Catholic Education Association and the Independent Schools of South Florida.
