T.C. Williams High School Titans Debate Team Dominates VHSL Patriot District, Continues Success

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On February 28, 2009, the T.C. Williams High School Titans Debate Team competed in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Patriot District Tournament. The debate tournament, hosted by Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia is the first of three VHSL tournaments this season.

The Patriot District is comprised of schools in Northern Virginia including West Potomac, Thomas Jefferson, Hayfield, Lee, Lake Braddock, Annandale, South County, and West Springfield. All but Lake Braddock, Annandale, and Lee competed in the Patriot District Debate Tournament.

Titan debaters Yasmin Faruki and Saif Chames-Eddine qualified for VHSL Regionals when both won their elimination round. Elimination rounds featured the top eight debaters at the tournament and were judged by three-judge panels. Ms. Faruki won her round with a 3-0 decision and Mr. Chames-Eddine won on a 2-1 decision.

This tournament marks an important turn in T.C. Williams Debate Team history. The team has worked harder, attended more tournaments, and realized more success than ever before.

This year the team competed at invitational tournaments at George Mason University and Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, PA. At the George Mason University Tournament in January Titan debaters Yi Ping Caitlin Roberts qualified to octofinals and Yasmin Faruki qualified to quarterfinals—the best run at an invitational tournament in recent memory.

The Titans debate team also competes in the Northern Virginia Forensic League, a part of the Virginia Forensic League, which is in turn a part of the National Forensic League. At the four NoVaFL tournaments, T.C. qualified debaters (Yi Ping Caitlin Roberts, Yasmin Faruki, Sam Wascowicz, Saif Chames-Eddine, Kyle Stevenson, and Tiroune Oates) to the Tor Johnson Distinct Championship.

The debate team is lead by Head Coach Nick J. Sciullo, a VHSL State Champion in Debate, former college debater at the University of Richmond, former head policy debate coach at Midlothian High School in Midlothian, Virginia, and assistant debate coach at West Virginia University. Dr. Mary Downs, a speech pathologist with the Alexandria City Public School system, also coaches and helps the team.

For more information please visit http://tcdebatesociety.org.

The T.C. Williams Debate Society is a non-profit organization located in Alexandria, Virginia. The T.C. Williams Debate Society provides monetary and planning support to the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s T.C. Williams High School Debate Team. T.C. Williams High School is the home of the Titans.

The T.C. Williams Debate Society believes in the educational, civic, and societal benefits of competitive debate. The Society believes that interscholastic debate can develop advocacy skills, confidence, creativity, and research skills, which are applicable across a wide variety of academic, work, and personal situations.