2025 Yale Invitational

VDA was back in action last weekend at the prestigious Yale Invitational Tournament, winning top honours across multiple days of competitive debate. The Varsity Worlds team of Dennis Shen, Karissa Lin, Maggie Lu, and Yuki Song advanced all the way to semifinals, finishing in the top four of an impressive field of the best debaters from around the world. 

Additionally, Varsity Worlds debaters Anthony Fuliu, Alyssa Yu, and Ema Sun had an impressive run to quarterfinals, making VDA the only program with multiple teams in the top eight of the tournament. Their quarterfinal finish was especially impressive given that it was Anthony, Alyssa, and Ema’s first time competing together as a team.

The team also turned in a dominant performance in the individual awards category, with Dennis Shen winning Sixth Speaker and Maggie Lu earning Eighth Speaker honors. 

Every debater demonstrated remarkable dedication to uplifting and challenging one another, staying positive through their few defeats and focused through their many victories. Even with win after win, VDA students reflected on their performances, showing a determination to constantly better themselves that carried them far. We’re so proud of every VDA student who competed; each effort contributed to a weekend of remarkable team success and is a testament to their hard work and passion for debate.