2025 McGill

Last week, three VDA teams along with several individual debaters took part in the 2025 online debate tournament hosted by McGill University.

As one of the most prestigious debate competitions in Canada, the McGill Debate Tournament attracts top schools and elite debaters from across the country. To stand out on such a highly competitive and meaningful stage is the best proof of our students’ skill and hard work!

Although VDA’s three team entries did not break this time, VDA 1 and VDA 3 came very close to the break line. Meanwhile, Dennis Shen, Victor Zhang, Nikki Zheng, Lily Chen & Lisa Tang received Open Division Best Speaker awards, and Karissa Lin, Alyssa Yu, Luella Zhang, Justin Chen, and Darren Zhou received Junior Division Best Speaker awards, showcasing both progress and strength.

In addition, Karissa Lin and Dennis Shen, competing as independent debaters, achieved outstanding results by advancing to the Finals and Semifinals, respectively.