Stony Point sophomore heading to national debate tournament

When Arnav Hiray found out he was going to the National Speech and Debate Tournament, he thought it was an April Fools’ joke.

The sophomore at Stony Point High School had recently placed third in the district qualifier tournament, so if one of the top two finishers could not attend the national tournament for some reason, Hiray would take their spot.

On Monday, April 1, Hiray got an email from his debate coach, Richard Colling, informing the student that he was no longer an alternate — he would participate in the national tournament being held in Dallas June 18-21.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Hiray said on Thursday. “Nationals is such a big event and I’ve always wanted to go.”

Hiray’s journey into debate has been a long one. He started public speaking at an early age, while he and his family were living in California. There, he competed in public speaking competitions starting in kindergarten.

Later as a middle school student, Hiray attended a debate boot camp at Round Rock High School, where he discovered his passion for competitive debate.

“They taught us how to talk really fast, which can be challenging for people,” Hiray recalled. “But I found it really exciting. And I loved the ideas we were talking about, so I knew I wanted to join the Stony Point debate team right away.”

Hiray said it’s not just the competitive argumentation that drew him to debate, but the emphasis on exploring philosophical and ethical ideas. In a recent debate, he debated the topic of whether or not a society should treat drug abuse as a criminal problem or a public health concern.

“I wouldn’t be talking about criminal justice and public health if I weren’t in debate,” Hiray said.

Unlike many of his debate teammates, Hiray doesn’t envision a legal career in his future. Although the skills honed in competitive debate lend themselves naturally to a legal profession, Hiray said the public speaking experience he has gained — coupled with the ethical principles he has studied for debate topics — will be just as valuable in other careers.

For instance, Hiray said he hopes to become an engineer or researcher working in the artificial intelligence field. He pointed out that ethical decision-making is critical to the future of that field, so he would be well suited to making those decisions with his experience in competitive debate.

But for now, Hiray is focused on the national tournament in June. At his most recent tournament, he faced off against an opponent from Lake Travis High, a school that has earned a reputation as having one of the best debate teams in the state. While he didn’t prevail in that match, Hiray said he learned a lot, and was looking forward to taking his experience into the national tournament.

Even if Hiray doesn’t take home the national title, he said “debate is a learning experience” and that, for him, the competition is a “stress reliever.” Win or lose, he said, he’ll come back with a meaningful experience.

“As an underclassman, I’m not considered one of the best debaters,” Hiray said. “But I’m looking forward to representing Stony Point, because we’ve been there eight times and have done well.”