Dominican students secure first place in National Speech and Debate Tournament at Harvard

Massachusetts, US.- High school students José Lebron Vicini and Alejandro Thomas Lomba, representing Saint Michael’s College, secured the top spot in the National Speech and Debate Tournament at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

The prestigious award, achieved in the “Junior Varsity International” category, attests to the international academic excellence and preparedness of the students from Saint Michael’s College.

This year’s debate focused on the resolution that the United States should ban single-use plastic. The students, participating in the tournament alongside over 6,000 students from various global schools, passionately presented arguments either in favor of or against the resolution to persuade the judges.

Saint Michael’s School, with a representation of 20 high school students, demonstrated exceptional performance at the tournament. The institution’s management emphasized the significance of debate as a crucial tool for instilling values such as resilience, critical analysis, competitiveness, self-control, and focus in students. The first-place achievement in such a prestigious speech and debate tournament is a source of pride for both the school and the country.

The Harvard National High School Speech Tournament, held annually during Presidents’ Day weekend in Cambridge, is renowned as one of the largest and most prestigious speech and debate events in the United States. It offers opportunities for students to engage in various debate formats, including Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Student Congress, as well as solo and duo events.