High schools all across Missouri came together to compete in the Grandview High School’s 8-Round Novice Debate Tournament from Friday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 5. Sanjay Elangovan, freshman, won first place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, a division comprising more than 105 competitors.

Assistant debate coach Daniel Glossenger, history teacher, traveled with twelve members of the debate team to the area, which is close to Kansas City.

“We drove about four hours to Grandview,” Glossenger said. “We left early on Friday and got home at midnight on Saturday.”

In addition to Elangovan’s win, students from MHS also won third and seventeenth place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

“Everyone had a winning record, and this is the second consecutive year we took home the first place trophy,” Glossenger said. “I’m proud of Sanjay and the entire debate team. I have high expectations for upcoming tournaments, and I think we’ll do well.

Elangovan had the rare perfect tournament—an 8-0 record and the maximum number of speaker points.

“He’s a really hard worker,” senior Ashley Kuykendall, debate president, said. “He’s persistent, motivated, intelligent, and logical.”

Kuykendall said Elangovan’s win will positively affect the team.

“It gives everybody else a goal to work towards,” Kuykendall said. “It shows you can achieve a lot if you strive towards something.”

At this tournament, Elangovan debated the topic of animal rights.

“Personally, I’m for animal rights,” Elangovan said. “However, because of the way the resolution is phrased, it’s easier to debate against it.”

Elangovan said he enjoyed the tournament and the experience.

“I’m honestly surprised that I won,” Elangovan said. “But I’m happy that I went to the tournament because I bonded with some varsity debaters and met many interesting people.”

Elangovan said he can apply debate to many other areas of life.

“Debate has helped me with time management, word economy and understanding logic,” Elangovan said.