Categorized | Education

Parker School debaters sweep state championship

Parker School debate winners at the State Forensic Championship on Oahu (from left): Tyler McCullough, Kieran Najita, Parker debate coach and headmaster Carl Sturges, Lincoln-Douglas state champion Jesse Tarnas, Beginning Public Forum state champions Emilie Skladzien and Elliot Jacobson. (Photo courtesy of Parker School)

MEDIA RELEASE

Parker School’s debate team shone at the State Forensic Championship at Kamehameha and Punahou Schools on Oahu this past weekend where 18 schools competed. Twenty-one Parker debate students qualified for the state tournament.

Parker senior Jesse Tarnas earned first place and therefore is state champion in the Championship Lincoln-Douglas debate category.

Parker senior Kieran Najita came in second, and Parker junior Tyler McCullough earned third place in this same category.

Parker juniors Emilie Skladzien and Elliott Jacobson were the state champions in the Beginning Public Forum debate category.

Because Lincoln-Douglas is an advanced category, the top Lincoln-Douglas debaters go on to compete at the National Forensic League National Tournament June 10-16 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Due to a prior commitment, Najita will be unable to make the trip, so McCullough, also a finalist, will accompany Tarnas and compete in Najita’s place.

“Winning states was the absolute best way to cap this awesome year with my debate team,” Tarnas said. “The team this year was amazing. Debate has had such a great hand in shaping me as an individual. Doc (Dr. Carl Sturges, Parker debate coach and headmaster) has helped me become controlled in my communication and confident in my speaking skills, which will serve me well for the rest of my life.”

Tarnas and Najita are the first-ever national qualifiers (though not the first champions) for the school.

The school was also pleased that two Parker alumni living on Oahu – Rachel Soma and Sanford Loo – volunteered for the judging pool at the competition.

Parker School debate coach and headmaster Carl Sturges said, “State championships in two categories is a great finish to our debate season. I can’t wait to participate in the national tournament with our two Lincoln-Douglas debaters.”

— Find out more:
www.parkerschool.net

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

Quantcast