Over the weekend of Dec. 1, the DHS debate team in went to a debate tournament at Michigan State University in East Lansing. This was their 22nd tournament at MSU. In total, there were 25 varsity teams and 60 JV teams that competed in the tournament.

The JV members of the debate team participated in the varsity level and the novice members participated in the JV level. This was because there was no novice division at the MSU debate tournament so the decision was made to allow them to compete in the JV division and therefore the JV members to compete at varsity level.

“Since the state competition is coming up, it’s good that the novices and JV members got to practice debating at a higher level,” senior Amanda Bishop said.

Varsity members Bishop and junior Vikram Shanker both advanced to the varsity Quarterfinals in the tournament. Bishop placed second overall and Shanker placed third overall in the speaker awards for varsity. In the JV division, freshmen Samuel Ungerleider and Nickolaus Hitsman-Gottler advanced to the JV octofinals. Ungerleider received third overall for the speaking awards for JV.

“It was pretty great being on JV and making it,” Hitsman-Gottler said.