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West Orange High School Debate Team Takes Home First Place Win
WEST ORANGE, NJ - The West Orange High School Debate Team took home several trophies in Policy Debate from the Newark Debate Academy competition, held Oct. 3 at East Side High School.
Out of 37 teams entered in the High School Novice Division, the WOHS freshmen team of Colin Morgan and Morriel Kasher took First Place, and the freshmen team of Aaron Oshiro and Rebecca Dannemiller took Third. In addition, Morgan took First Place, Kasher took Third Place, Oshiro took Fourth Place, and Dannemiller took Sixth Place in the Individual Speaker award category. In all, 74 students from several high schools competed in the Novice Division.
West Orange parent and former debater Chris Oshiro and English Language Arts teacher Jennifer Studnicky are Debate Team co-advisors and are working with Morgan, Kasher, Oshiro and Dannemiller to train and educate new members in the art of policy debate. The four freshman are already award-winning debaters and the the team is setting the tone for a new chapter in WOHS debate competition. The team has quickly grown to 25 members and Oshiro is optimistic that that number will grow.
Student team members will learn about the research, process and skills of debate in addition to becoming confident in understanding government policies and legislation and its social impact on the world around them.
"We are expecting great things from our Mountaineer Debate Team," said WOHS Principal Hayden Moore. "As they build their skills locally, we are confident they will reach their goal to compete at the state and national level."
(L-R): Aaron Oshiro, Rebecca Dannemiller, Colin Morgan, Morriel Casher.
Cynthia Cumming