Penn’s Liew, Shafer, Chen qualify for Debate Nationals second consecutive year

Three Penn High School Debate students will compete in the National Debate Tournament for a second consecutive year, and seven other Penn students have also qualified for Nationals.

The Nationals will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, this summer.

Stanley Liew, Noah Shafer and Chris Chen of Penn and the Northwest Indiana World Schools Gold Team will compete in the National Tournament as a result placing in the Final Four of last year’s National Tournament.

Five Penn High School students qualified in District competition for the National Debate Tournament.

The students qualified by placing first at the Northwest Indiana District. 

Penn’s National Qualifiers (through district competition):

• Public Forum – Alina Luck and Jaanavi Kaushi 1st place; Amina Spahic and Rebecca Wolter 2nd Place

• In Lincoln Douglas – Akul Bhamabani 1st place

Additionally, two Penn students qualified in the Northwest Indiana District Congress competition:

• House of Representatives – Grant Spadafore 1st place
• Senate – Ishita Masetty 1st

Penn’s Debate Team is coached by Jeremy Starkweather.