ACS Athens is proud to celebrate the achievements of its debaters at this Fall’s Deree Debate Tournament, at Pierce College  November 14 &  15. Our students represented the school with poise, professionalism, and strong performance, demonstrating both skill and sportsmanship as they engaged with teams from across the region.

The Deree Invitational—a well-established British Parliamentary debate competition hosted twice a year by the Deree Debating Society—offered our students a valuable opportunity to sharpen their debating skills and connect with peers from other schools who share their passion for critical thinking, public speaking, and collaborative argumentation.

This year’s tournament brought notable distinctions for ACS Athens. Kai Yuet Zhang advanced to the Grand Final and earned the title of Top Speaker of the tournament. In the Novice category, E.N. and Yasmin Baaklini secured spots in the Novice Final, demonstrating exceptional growth and confidence. Additional recognition came through strong placements in the Novice Speaker Tab, with Apostolos Adamopoulos (8th), Lily Komseli (7th), Themis Christou (5th), and Natalia Papadoglou (4th) all earning distinctions.

These accomplishments reflect the dedication, discipline, and teamwork that define the ACS Athens Debate Team.

Congratulations to all participating ACS Athens debaters: Apostolos Adamopoulos, Ramzi Amarin, Yasmin Baaklini, Evgenia Bakamitsos, Pavlos Broustas Maceira, Karl Cui, Efthymios Christodoulou, Themis Christou, Lily Komseli, Danai Markouli, Harry Mikropoulos, E.N., Yassin Solyman, Natalia Papadoglou, Kai Yuet Zhang

Special thanks go to ACS Athens faculty members Despina Antoniadou, Adamantia Koliza, Anna Makris, and Lia Sinouris, who volunteered as judges on behalf of the school, and of course to ACS Athens debate coaches Philippos Saccopoulos and Amalia Zavacopoulou for the exceptional guidance, encouragement, and leadership they brought to the team.

With each tournament, they set the bar higher, and we can’t wait to see where their passion and hard work take them next.