NICEVILLE, Fla. — Five students from Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College are among the dozen students from the panhandle who will compete in a national debate competition in April, Incubate Debate has announced.
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According to the announcement, students from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Washington counties competed on January 13 at Incubate Debate’s third regional competition of the 2023-2024 school year and the qualifier for Incubate’s national championship.
In addition to Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College, winning students represented Fort Walton Beach High School, Pensacola High School, and Pensacola State College Charter Academy.
At the competition, middle and high school students debated the merits of Daylight Saving Time, the International Monetary Fund, and the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.
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Students were evaluated by members of the US Army and Navy; professors from Northwest Florida State College, Pensacola State College, and Gulf Coast State College; judges of Florida’s First Judicial Circuit; and elected officials from the cities of Crestview, Valparaiso, Niceville, and Mary Esther.
Incubate’s program manager, Madison Rabens, described Saturday’s debate as a showcase of what it means to care about a topic.
“I haven’t seen as much passion or heart put into a debate as I did Saturday. These students are not only incredibly intelligent but incredibly invested in this country and their community,” said Rabens.
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The top students at Saturday’s debate will represent the panhandle in Incubate’s national championship. They are:
- Christian Bailey, Fort Walton Beach High School
- William Kiker, Fort Walton Beach High School
- Alliyah Knochenmus, Fort Walton Beach High School
- Jonathan Watters, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College
- Kaylynn Sirney, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College
- Genesis Jimenez-Chavez, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College
- Eliora Miller, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College
- Nyeli Reyes, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College
- Tristan Martinez, Pensacola High School
- Maverick Marley, Pensacola High School
- Riley Perantoni, Pensacola State College Charter Academy
- Larken Hayek, Gulf Breeze Homeschooler
The 12 students will compete with the top Incubate students from across Florida and South Carolina on April 5–6 in Jacksonville, where $15,000 worth of scholarships will be available.
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Incubate Debate was founded in 2019 to bring no-cost, free-speech debate tournaments to students across Florida. Since its founding, the organization has served thousands of students at no-cost tournaments, workshops, and camps, according to Incubate Debate’s website.
Students and schools interested in participating in Incubate Debate’s summer activities or next school year’s tournaments can learn more at IncubateDebate.org.
