FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--2 PIC FILES ARE ATTACED
SPRING VARSITY DEBATE LEAGUE CONGRESS TOURNAMENT
On January 9, 2010, Mark Keppel High School’s Debate team traveled to Arroyo
High School for the annual Southern California Debate League (SCDL) Spring Varsity
Congressional debate tournament. The tournament hosted 54 novice congress competitors and 51
varsity congress competitors from 9 schools throughout the league. Congressional debate is an
event with ongoing debate and cross-examination on bills and resolutions centering on
contemporary social, political and economic issues.
The Aztecs sent 23 competitors in novice division and 25 competitors in varsity division.
They were competing against other Congress competitors from various schools in the SCDL.
After an intense four rounds of competition, three preliminaries and one final, the results were
tallied and favorable for Mark Keppel. Winning trophies in varsity division were, David Sun in
second place, Sean Hamamoto in third place, Alvin Huang in fourth place, and Hannah Song in
seventh place. Also in the finals was Tiffany Luong in ninth place and Derek Ing, a freshman, in
twelfth place. Because David Sun placed first in the Fall Congress competition and second in
this tournament, he automatically qualified for the California State Congress Championships to
be held in Bakersfield in late April. Completing the varsity category, Mark Keppel placed first
and second in the Presiding Officer category with John Jia winning the top spot, followed by
Connie Lam in second.
In Novice division, the trophy spots went to Connor Bahng in third place, Audrey
Kishishita in fifth, and Ashley Lam in sixth. Rounding out the final round in novice division
were Edward Lopez in eighth, Charlie Chao in eleventh, Irvin Chung in fourteenth, and Wilson
Leung in fifteenth.
The next major Congressional debate tournament for the team will be the nationally
ranked UC Berkeley Invitational in February 2010. Mr. Reis commented: "David Sun's
qualification for the State Championships as the SCDL's first qualifier of the year follows Mark
Keppel's long Congress tradition of winning or placing second in all of our league varsity
tournaments. He and the others that will qualify for State should do well in Bakersfield."
SEE ATTACHED PIC NAMED
VARSITYPIC FILE: (left to right) ALVIN HUANG; SEAN HAMAMOTO; DAVID SUN;
HANNAH SONG; TIFFANY LUONG; DEREK ING
NOVICEPIC FILE: (left to right) WILSON LEUNG; CONNOR BAHNG; ASHLEY LAM;
CHARLIE CHAO; AUDREY KISHISHITA; IRVIN CHUNG