More Than 200 Students Competed In Citywide Middle School Debate

More than 200 students from over 25 different schools competed over the weekend in the Chicago Middle School Debate Championship.

Saturday’s competition was hosted by Chicago Vocational School. Students from grades fifth through eighth competed in four debates. The top students advanced to the championship rounds to decide who the city champions in three divisions would be: Novice, Junior Varsity and Varsity.

Students debated about education policy, expressing how their school can be better, as well as what schools across the nation need.

Of the 29 schools that have made up the Chicago Middle School Debate League this year, nearly half are brand-new schools in their first year of debate, thanks to an expansion in the investment in debate by CPS and Academic Competitions.

Here’s how they ranked:

Novice champions: Thorp Elementary’s Konrad Radecki and Owen Alexander

JV champions (fifth and sixth-graders): Bell Elementary’s Sedona Kessler and Connor Nielsen

Varsity champions (seventh and eighth-graders): Skinner West’s McKenna McMurrary and Christi Babayeju

Top Varsity Speakers (individual awards):

1st Place: Janah Richardson, Lincoln Elementary

2nd Place: Etta Weese, Lincoln Elementary

3rd Place: Rachel Nguyen, Peirce Elementary