Maryland teenagers win national Winter Cup Debate Tournament

c/o Eloquence Academy

Eloquence Academy is pleased to announce the results of is pleased to announce the results of its 3rd Annual Winter Cup Debate Tournament.

The tournament was open to any student, in any country, enrolled in an accredited primary school, secondary school, or debate club. From December 14, 2024 through December 15, 2024, the tournament welcomed over 80 impressive competitors from more than eight states and two countries. With middle and high school divisions, students competed in teams of two on the timely topic of whether the United States should reduce its military support of Taiwan, considering economic interdependence, national security interests, and rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Each partnership competed in up to eight debate rounds with eight speeches and three cross-examinations per round. Students utilized their previous research and vast knowledge of the topic to craft articulate, powerful ideas. Each and every speech reflected excellence in public speaking, rhetorical skills, critical thinking, and social awareness.

“We are incredibly proud of our participants and the thoughtful yet eager responses they brought to the tournament,” said Spencer Chaisanguanthum, Chief Executive Officer of Eloquence Academy. “We are equally grateful for our volunteers, implementation partners, and donors who helped bring this idea to life. By empowering students to research, understand, and advocate, we are developing the next generation of dynamic leaders and changemakers who can tackle society’s most complex problems head-on.”

Participants were judged by some of the foremost leaders in the field of public speaking and public policy on a range of criteria including creativity, the clarity and relevance of their message, ability to incorporate research, and delivery. We extend congratulations to Maahi Patmidi and Gabriel Salganick from the Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, Maryland for placing first, emerging out of a competitive pool. Rishi Golla, Adam Glassman, Rishaan Kumar, and Dhruv Vij from the Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, Maryland won first place in the middle school division.

In addition to Golla, Kumar, Patmidi, and Salganick, we recognize the following students:

High School Public Forum
Runners-up Sebastian Eisler and Andrew Ma (Skyline North High School in Sammamish, WA)
Semifinalists Grace Luo and Samuel Shi (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)
Semifinalists Aaron Zacharia and Colin Zhang (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)
Quarterfinalists Claire Gao and Ethan Zhang (Livingston High School in Livingston, NJ)
Top Speaker Samuel Shi (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)
2nd Speaker Grace Luo (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)
3rd Speaker Gabriel Salganick (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)

Middle School Public Forum
Semifinalists Rishaan Chowdhury and David Yatskar (Beaver Country Day School in Newton, MA)
Semifinalists Saoirse Li and Siqi Yuan (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Quarterfinalists Valdus Cheng and Shrinika Kalbhavi (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Quarterfinalists Sara Lekhwani and Paavani Vyasamudri (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Quarterfinalists Rowan Lee and Keven Ye (Stratagem Learning Academy in Fremont, CA)
Quarterfinalists Suvedh Nambiar and Aaron Yang (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Octafinalists River Lin and Aravind Manuguri (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Octafinalists Elsa Zhang and Enya Zhu (Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA)
Top Speaker Rishaan Kumar (Potomac Debate Academy in Rockville, MD)
2nd Speaker Rishaan Chowdhury (Beaver Country Day School in Newton, MA)
3rd Speaker Adit Waria (Golden State Academy in Fremont, CA)

For more information about the tournament, or to inquire about the 2025 edition and future competition(s), please visit eloquenceacademy.org or contact finance@eloquenceacademy.org.

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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy offers debate classes, summer camps, workshops, tournaments, in-school programs, and online resources for 2,200+ students across 35 states and 15 countries. Ultimately, EA aims to prepare youth for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact through the transferable skills gained from debate.