AHS Debaters Are Back-To-Back KAPP Cup Debate Tournament Champions

Team AHS A, comprised of Manuel Ng (12-O), Vinz Ferrer (12-O), and Red Nadela (11-A) defeated De La Salle Integrated School on a 5-0 unanimous decision in the Grand Finals of the KAPP Cup Debate Championship which was concluded on January 25, 2016 in the UP Diliman Campus. The win is a back to back feat for AHS, which won the debate championship of the inaugural KAPP Cup in 2015. AHS A successfully opposed the motion, “This house believes that celebrities (actors, singers, etc.) should not participate in political campaigns.” They successfully argued that the participation of high profile celebrities was better for democracy, since they could level the playing field of politics by representing different sectors and ideologies as influential figures.
 
Manuel Ng was voted Best Speaker of the Finals on a 4-1 split, and also ranked  Overall Best Speaker of the tournament.
 
Edrick Santos (11-B), a member of the AHS org Samahan Sa Filipino, won a bronze medal as he placed third in the Essay Writing Contest, Filipino Category. Meanwhile, Miggy Arnonobal (12-H), a member of Hilites, also represented Ateneo High School in the Essay Writing Contest, English Category. Miguel Carnecer (11-C) of the Ateneo Debaters also performed very well as the representative in the Extemporaneous Speaking Competition.
 
The Quiz Bee Team of Ateneo High School was comprised of Phil Javellana (11-L), Gabe Apostol (9-A), and Ryan Oquiza (9-D). They performed very well, making it past the written and oral elimination rounds, and reached the Final Buzzer Round.
 
With the points that Ateneo High School earned from all of the events, the school was announced as the Third Place Overall Winner out of all participating schools and were awarded certificates of recognition for the team achievement.

 
The KAPP Cup is an annual event hosted by the UP Diliman Buklod Isip student organization. It is a multi-disciplinary competition comprised of lectures and contests centered on the Social Sciences. All the events dealt with themes from the fields of Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Pop Culture, and more. This year, 15 schools from all over Metro Manila attended, with over 200 delegates present throughout the competition. It was held in the UP Diliman Campus on January 23 and 25, 2016.
 
The Ateneo Debaters are moderated by Mrs. Fe U. De Jesus of the English Department, and are coached by Miguel Ventura, Isaac Lee, and Rafa Lapira. The Ateneo Debaters extend their heartfelt thanks to Hilites and Samahan Sa Filipino for generously allowing their members to share their time and talents to complete the contingent. The team also extends its heartfelt thanks to the Office of Student Activities, headed by Ms. Kristine Valdellon, for its enduring support for the team in all its endeavors.