Greenhills debaters make points across the country

This year marked Greenhills’ return to competitive debate after many years. It’s been a very successful return—and it’s not over yet.

The school fielded two-person teams in Public Forum Debate in three different circuits: the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association (MIFA), the Detroit Catholic Forensic League, and select national-circuit tournaments.  Sixteen Upper School debaters attended one or more tournaments, at schools across the state and extending to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Topics included whether the government should subsidize sports stadiums, whether the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms, whether UN peacekeepers should have the authority to engage in offensive operations, and whether economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.

In the school’s first year back, Greenhills established itself as a force to be reckoned with in Michigan. Greenhills teams took second place at the West Bloomfield High School Tournament in September and third place at the Michigan State University Tournament in December, and secured a semi-finalist slot at the Birmingham Groves Tournament in November.At the MIFA Varsity State Tournament in January, freshman Harry Bagenstos was named the top speaker in Public Forum.

The team of Bagenstos and fellow freshman Bonnie Liu scored one of the two top regular-season records in Detroit Catholic Forensic League competition this year.  Bagenstos and Liu also secured a measure of national success by going undefeated in preliminary rounds, and breaking to elimination rounds, in the junior varsity division at the annual Harvard University Tournament in February.

Next up, Greenhills will compete for places at the two end-of-year national championships.  The qualifying tournament for the National Catholic Forensic League’s Grand National Tournament, which will be held this year in Ft. Lauderdale, will take place on March 4.  And the qualifying tournament for the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Tournament, which will be held this year in Dallas, will take place on April 18.