Hockaday Debate Wins Runner-Up at International Competition

Members of The Hockaday School’s debate team finished as runner-up in the 22nd-annual Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum on May 6.

The team members — Sanika Agarwalla, Diya Hegde, Sidney Murray, Aarnah Kurella, Ariana Wang, and Evita Nino — competed in New York City on an all-expenses-paid trip and earned a $3,500 prize.

“In a competition against many of the most accomplished debaters in the world, the students representing The Hockaday School excelled,” IPPF founder William A. Brewer said. “They exhibited strong written and oral debate skills.

Hockaday debater Sanika Agarwalla also won the inaugural John E. Sexton Award, recognizing the outstanding speaker during the finals debate.

The team, coached by Dr. Charles Walts, started in the contest in October by submitting qualifying round essays to the IPPF topic. Then, 64 teams proceeded to the next round. From November to March, it was narrowed from 64 to 32 to 16, and finally to the eight that competed in New York City.

First place went to Potomac Oak in Rockville, Maryland.