It's not up for debate: Carroll Senior High's debate team is tops in the country.
The Dragons won first place at the 24th Annual Brewer Foundation and NYU International Public Policy Forum Finals (IPPF), held May 3 in New York. The debate title winners were awarded a $10,000 purse.
Carroll's winning team of Tanya Kuriakose, Amber Lin, Nethra Tummalapalli and Anushka Velala -- coached by Anthony Brown -- defeated DuPont Manual High School of Kentucky in the final round. Lin, a freshman, was awarded the John E. Sexton Award and a $1,000 prize for exceptional performance during the final round.
The debate topic was "Resolved: Equitable access to pharmaceuticals should be prioritized over protecting intellectual property rights."
"[Carroll] demonstrated a command of the topic and persuasive force that defines the art of advocacy," said William A. Brewer III, Brewer Foundation chairman and IPPF founder, in a release. "They earned their victory on a big stage, under the intense pressure of world-class intellectual competition."
It's been a journey for the Dragon debate team, one that began in October 2024. From the original pool of 283 teams, only 64 advanced to the single-elimination written debate tournament. From there, the top eight teams earned an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the final debate.
"The IPPF doesn't just build debaters -- it cultivates future leaders," Brewer III said in the release. "At a time when civil discourse among those with opposing views seems nonexistent, this tournament annually engages students around the world in rigorous research, writing and oral advocacy on a topic of international importance."
