Ateneo High School debate team bags 140 medals from int’l tilt

Eighteen junior and senior high school students from Ateneo de Manila University bagged 140 medals in their debut at the 10th World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions (WSC TOC).

Organized and hosted by Yale University, the AHS debaters competed against 2,200 students from 50 countries from November 10 to 14 to take home 58 gold medals and 82 silvers.

AHS Junior High students who competed were:

• Simon Angoluan (five golds, seven silvers);
• David Bejarin (two golds, eight silvers);
• Josh Caluya (three golds, four silvers);
• Gareth de Leon (one gold, five silvers);
• Rap del Valle (one gold, five silvers);
• Andrei Gelbolingo (seven golds, four silvers);
• Michael Ocampo (two golds, four silvers);
• AC Saulong (one gold, three silvers);
• Christian Tiamzon (one gold, two silvers);
• Shawn Tongson (two golds, six silvers);
• and Xavi Tuazon (two golds, three silvers)

The AHS Senior High delegates were:

• Paco Blanco (eight golds, four silvers);
• Raphael Estacio (six golds, three silvers);
• Matthew Mercado (five golds, five silvers);
• Riane Oquiza (four golds, three silvers);
• Yuan Ordenes (two golds, nine silvers);
• Carlos Pastoral (three golds, four silvers);
• and Javy Pineda (three golds, three silvers)

Gelbolingo and Blanco won an additional gold medal for being the most bemedalled students in the junior and senior division.

Students competed in the Scholar's Challenge, a written exam on Science, Literature, History, Social Studies, Arts & Music, and Special Area/Modern Mythologies; the Scholar's Bowl or a quiz bee on the six subjects; an on-the-spot Collaborative Essay Writing challenge; and three rounds of Team Debates.

The WSC TOC aims to "celebrate "the joy of learning" and create "an enrichment opportunity that motivated students not just to demonstrate their existing strengths but to discover new ones." —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News