Uniondale Union Free School District’s Lawrence Road Middle School and Uniondale High School debate teams recently participated in the American Debate League Fall Classic—the first in-person tournament of the school year. The event was held at In-Tech Academy in the Bronx.
The Lawrence Road debate team was challenged with defending the position that social media is beneficial for democratic values. After a much spirited and influential debate, the Lawrence Road scholars were awarded an overall second-place trophy. The team composed of Giselle Espinoza and Ramon Jarrett was also awarded fourth place in the rankings.
The Uniondale High School scholars also won big at the tournament. In the category of best speaker, the Uniondale scholars took the top three places in their division. 11th grader Savannah Hope placed 1st, 10th grader Liyah Fearrington placed second and 12th grader Esther Rene placed third. In addition to these stellar achievements, the high schoolers also took the top two places in their division in the best team category. Savannah Hope and Liyah Fearrington placed 1st, and Sabely Chavez and Esther Rene placed 2nd.
“Congratulations to the Lawrence Road and Uniondale High School debate teams on their outstanding achievements,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil. “These wins are a testament to our scholars’ hard work and dedication to improving their public speaking, debate and leadership skills. Congratulations, and good luck in the next tournament.”
