PORTSMOUTH — At 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, 29 Portsmouth and Oyster River High School students and five judges (two other judges drove separately) boarded a school bus heading to Newton-South High School for the Winter Festival Speech and Debate Tournament.
PHS and ORHS were the only New Hampshire teams and joined 34 other high schools with competing Public Forum Debate teams. Across Varsity (51) and Novice (49) divisions there were 200 hundred students competing in pairs debating the resolution “The African Union should grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.” In Public Forum Debate, the teams need to be prepared to argue for and against the resolution as their position is not determined until right before the debate starts. PHS Judge Steven Borne said “who knew I would learn so much about Somaliland”.
Portsmouth High School and Oyster River Debate Teams competed in Massachusetts on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
While the New Hampshire teams have previously worked on international issues, they have focused on topics involving the United States. This debate marked the first time the team engaged with African issues, addressing topics like terrorist organizations and the implications of sovereignty. While some members found the topic’s scope difficult, freshman Kirsten Dressler described it as “a good topic with unique arguments.” The debate highlighted the importance of meaningful and educated discussions. Co-captain Ian Franas reflected, “Debate allows the young minds of today to challenge their mindsets, grow, and broaden their horizons. Meaningful conversation ensures that the next generation of thinkers contributes positively to society.”
Two PHS and one ORHS varsity teams qualified for a fifth round: Ian Franas and Owen Coffey, and Isobel Horwitz and Charlie Anderson from PHS along with Shreya Joglekar and Stella Pilet-Shore from ORHS. In the novice league, PHS’s Freya Doshi and Kirsten Dressler advanced to the semifinals, remaining undefeated and ranking 3rd out of 49 novice teams. Additionally, PHS’s Norah Blakey earned 9th place in novice speaker awards against 98 debaters.
Portsmouth is proud to have such strong debaters representing the team in Massachusetts. Co-captain Charlie Anderson expressed his pride in the team’s efforts, noting how they excelled in tackling complex and unfamiliar topics. There is one more NHDL tournament before the top PHS teams travel to Harvard for an International Debate tournament.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth and Oyster River high school debate teams compete in Mass.