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Moravian Academy in Action
Humanities Teacher Josh Sanville Wins International Speech & Debate Tournament
This May, Josh Sanville, a Humanities teacher on our Merle-Smith Campus, earned first place in the Online Spring Classic Tournament, part of the Professional Speech & Debate Association’s (PSDA) regular season. Hosted virtually via Zoom, the PSDA tournament series includes four events each year and welcomes participants from around the world, including the United States, India, and Brazil.
Competing in the Developmental Division, Josh entered the tournament as a first-time participant in Spontaneous Debate—a format he had never tried before—and as an individual competitor for the first time since graduating high school. This fast-paced event challenges participants to respond to prompts they have never seen before. Competitors are randomly assigned to argue either the pro or con side and are given just two minutes to prepare. The debate includes opening statements, cross-examination, and closing arguments, all within a brisk twelve-minute timeframe.
In each of his three rounds, Josh was assigned the pro side of the resolution. His first topic, “Countries should have mandatory voting,” earned him second place out of four competitors, with a score of 23 out of 25. In the second round, he debated the resolution “Cryptocurrency will eventually replace paper currency,” ranking first out of three and earning 24 out of 25 points. These strong performances advanced him to the finals, where he debated “Schools should eliminate homework.” He again scored 24 out of 25, winning the round and earning the title of Tournament Champion.
Reflecting on the experience, Josh shared, “I cannot think of a better reentry into the Speech & Debate world as a competitor: To not just chat with fellow adults who are invested and interested in Speech & Debate but to actively compete against them and pit our wits against each other.”
We are proud to celebrate Josh’s achievement, which reflects the intellectual vitality, curiosity, and commitment to lifelong learning that define our community.
