Granada Hills Charter’s (GHC) Speech and Debate has recently competed across the county, participating in tournaments that challenge students in politics, public speaking, and multiple styles of debate.
On Saturday January 17, the debate team competed at the Tri-County Forensics League (TCFL) tournament at Hart High School. Students participated in four different debate formats, such as Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, Parliamentary, and World Schools Debate. Depending on the format, competitors debated either individually or in pairs against students from other schools.
GHC left the tournament with several top finishers. Sophomore Sarah Hilo and junior Katrin Manukyan earned awards in Lincoln-Douglas debate after winning three out of four rounds. Juniors McKinley Park and Kiya Patel received Superior awards in Public Forum for the same achievement. In Parliamentary debate, junior Thy Tran and senior Ivy Pham also earned Superior awards after winning three of their four rounds.
“I have always done Lincoln-Douglas debating and this was my first time doing Parliamentary debate with junior Harper Lucido,” senior Hansika Nalubolu said. “As a senior, it was a really rewarding and memorable experience.”
The Congress team also saw success this season, competing at the TCFL Open Congress tournament at Valencia High School on November 22, 2025. Junior Sameer Sanwari and senior Anne Langford won championships in the two novice chambers, while junior and Congress captain Sasha Lester earned first place in the varsity chamber.
“Throughout the competition, we focus on persuasive speaking, on-the-spot thinking, and adapting our arguments based on the flow of the debate,” junior and Congress captain Sophia Grasu said.
Debaters typically practice twice a week. In the weeks leading up to a tournament, students often practice daily, staying until around 6:00 p.m. to participate in mock debates, conduct research, and receive lessons tailored to their specific topics.
In addition to debate events, the speech team competed on campus on January 13, with ten students qualifying for finals across 15 events. Junior Jazzleen Escobar placed first in Original Prose and Poetry, and junior Audrey Choi placed first in Program Oral Presentation. The entire speech team won the Sweepstakes award as well.
“To see ten kids in the final was beyond impressive, and our sweepstakes trophy is a clear sign of the amount of hard work we’ve put in throughout the semester, and we will continue to put in throughout this semester for state and national qualifiers,” senior and speech caption Taimur Khokhar said.
As the GHC speech and debate team continues to grow, students gain more than medals and trophies, they build confidence, and critical thinking skills.