The Claremont High School speech and debate team was recently crowned Citrus Belt Speech Region league champion, qualifying several members to compete in the Southern California District Tournament.

“The amount of out-of-practice support and background work some captains do is truly inspiring,” said team captain Nina Wu of CHS’s achievement. “Novices know they can always ask anyone for help, and that open environment definitely shapes success.”

The Southern California District Tournament gets underway March 21, when CHS qualifiers will compete in student congress at Helix Charter High in La Mesa. Claremont High then hosts the IE/debate March 28-29.

Wu, who qualified for the state tournament in Lincoln-Douglas debate, said the achievement was especially rewarding because of the effort behind it. “It’s nice to see the fruits of your hard work pay off, like the late night case edits and endless practice drills,” she said. “I love LD so much because it forces you to think about policies like U.S. military intervention through the lens of philosophy, instead of just the cost-benefit analysis that other debate events use.”

As students prepare for state competition in their individual events, Wu said one of the most meaningful parts of debate is the opportunity to keep improving. “Finding joy in the process itself — no matter if it’s a win or loss — is the most important lesson debate has taught me,” she said. “There’s always room to grow, and I think that’s what makes debate so fun and rewarding.”