Victor "Victorius"

Victor Mezacapa, a sophomore at University School, today won the 2012 High School Debate Championship at the City Club of Cleveland.

Victor defeated Anirudh Dasarathy, a senior at Hawken School. The resolution of the debate was: Resolved: Targeted killing is a morally permissible foreign policy tool. Victor was on the affirmative side of the resolution.

This is the fifth consecutive year that a University School student has won the City Club Debate.

Click here to read The Plain Dealer's story on Victor's victory.

Victor is coached by University School's Lincoln-Douglas debate coach, James Lewis, US class of 2000, and head coach Peter Paik.

High school debaters from across the region vie for the opportunity to participate in this special event. The debaters 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.

Victor was selected to participate in the debate based on his top performance in the National Forensic League District tournament. He will be competing in the National Forensic League national tournament, June 10-15, in Indianapolis, along with five other University School students.

Victor has participated on the US Speech and Debate Team since his freshman year.