AHS Debaters are IDeA Grand Champions for 2013-2014; Six of Ten Best Speakers are Ateneans

The IDeA Grand Championship is back home.
 
Last 29 March 2014, the Ateneo Debaters won the Interscholastic Debaters Association Grand Championship (IDeA Grands), which was hosted at St. Paul’s College, Pasig. IDeA Grands is the culminating activity of the largest regional conglomeration of high school debate teams in the country, comprised of over twenty high schools in Metro Manila. In order to qualify for IDeA Grands, which only has slots for 16 teams, point totals are accumulated from three invitational tournaments (IDeA 1,2, and 3).
 
Ateneo de Manila High School performed stellarly all school year, with teams A,B, D, and C being ranked as 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th best teams after three invitational tournaments. The maximum number of teams that can qualify from one school is four. The sixteen teams then proceed to a series of knockout rounds until an overall champion is determined for the year.
 
Team AHS A, comprised of Miguel Ventura (4A) and Isaac Lee (4D) won the Grand Final against Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA) on a narrow 4-3 split. They opposed the motion, “That accelerated capitalism is the best way to fight global inequality.” Team AHS D, comprised of Poch Kalagayan and Miguel Guerrero, both from 3A, reached the finals as well, and won a trophy for winning second runner-up. Martin Abis (4B) and Rafa Lapira (3A), and Tres Yap (3B) and Adrian Padilla (3J) debated the Quarterfinal round.
 
Ventura and Lee have made history by putting Ateneo in the solo lead for high school with most IDeA Grand championships. AHS has won IDeA Grands six times (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014). ICA comes in second with five IDeA Grand Championships. Ventura and Lee have also effectively become the only high school students in IDeA’s entire history to win the three types of IDeA tournaments together. They won IDeA Lite (a tournament for neophytes and newcomers) in July 2011, a regular IDeA Invitational (IDeA 2) in December 2012, and now IDeA Grands in March 2014.
 
Individual debaters have also performed remarkably well throughout the year. Among the ten best speakers of the year named, six were from the AHS. Adrian Padilla was ranked 4^th, Jim Bulan (4N) as 5^th, Rafa Lapira and Martin Abis tied as 6^th, while Poch Kalagayan and Miguel Ventura tied as 10^th. This also sets a new record for highest number of individuals in the Ten Best Speakers of the Year coming from one high school.
 
 
Ateneo Debaters Show Solid Performance At LSGH Invitational (IDeA 3)
 
Last 22-23 March 2014, the Ateneo Debaters competed at IDeA 3, hosted by La Salle Greenhills. This was the third and final regular IDeA Invitational of the year.
 
Team AHS A, comprised of Miguel Ventura and Jim Bulan reached the Grand Final and was named runner up to Immaculate Conception Academy. Ventura and Bulan opposed the motion, “That former colonial masters should be obliged to let citizens from former colonies to migrate to their country,” (paraphrased). AHS B, consisting of Isaac Lee and Martin Abis reached the Semifinals, while AHS C and D, comprised of Juniors Rafa Lapira and Adrian Padilla, and Poch Kalagayan and Miguel Guerrero, all reached the quarterfinals of the tournament.
 
Bulan and Padilla tied as the 2^nd Best Speakers of the tournament, Abis and Ventura tied as 4^th, while Kalagayan and Guerrero tied as 7^th Best Speakers. Both Lee and Lapira missed the Top Ten list by 1 point only.
 
The team is coached by Mahar Abrera Mangahas, Henry Fernando, Nick Fortuna, and Daryl Isla. The moderator is Mrs. Fe U. De Jesus of the English Department. The team would like to thank the entire Ateneo High School Community for its support and prayers throughout the year. The Ateneo Debaters have begun their summer training in preparation for the upcoming school year.