 | | | Mollie Fiero with her trophy Photo provided | | | | | | Orinda resident and 2014 high school graduate of the College Preparatory School, Mollie Fiero finished as Fifth Speaker out of 404 competitors at the National Speech and Debate Association's National Championship Tournament in Kansas City in June. Fiero, who began debating in seventh grade under the tutelage of Orinda Intermediate School teacher Terry Eubanks, debated for The College Preparatory School in Oakland, which fields a team focused on policy debate. Policy is the style of debate practiced at the university level. It is research intensive, and features two-person teams that argue both sides of a single topic for the entire academic year, half the time for the affirmative; the other half for the negative. This year's topic was "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic engagement toward Cuba, Mexico or Venezuela." Last year as a junior, Fiero earned a Ninth Speaker award at the same year-end tournament. Fiero, an incoming freshman at Emory University in the fall, also placed fifth at this year's Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Ky., in April.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA