City Club Debate Champion!

3/13/2017

Andrew Gilmore ’17 won the 2017 High School Debate Championship at the City Club of Cleveland. This is the eighth time that a University School student has won the City Club Debate in the past 10 years.

Andrew defeated Zade Akras of Hawken School. The resolution of the debate was: Public colleges and universities in the United States ought not restrict constitutionally protected speech. Andrew argued the affirmative side.

The City Club of Cleveland has hosted the annual debate for more than 30 years. The top two high school debaters from the region square off in a Lincoln Douglas-style format. Affirmative construction, cross-examination, negative construction and rebuttal are all strictly timed, and the participants are judged on logical, creative and persuasive arguments.

A week earlier at The Ohio High School Speech League state finals, Andrew and teammate Omer Ashruf '17 were named state co-champions in Lincoln Douglas debate.

Andrew has been an active member of the University School Speech and Debate Team since his freshman year, and he is currently the overall head captain of the team. He is coached by Lincoln Douglas debate coach Mr. James Lewis '00 as well as Mr. Peter Paik, head coach of the team.

Congratulations to Andrew and his coaches!

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