The National Speech and Debate Association recognizes each student with points based off of their accomplishments at each tournament. As students gain more experience, and therefore more points, they are recognized with “degrees.” Students who gain their first 25 points with the NSDA and receive the “Degree of Merit” become official team members of our National Forensic League chapter which is the Honor Society attached to Speech & Debate.
As a team, Durham Academy uses these degrees to measure the relative size, strength and health of our program.
In 2014, the team earned 60 degrees.
In 2015, the team earned 45 degrees.
In 2016, the team earned 107 degrees.
In 2017, the team earned 87 degrees.
In 2018, the team earned 105 degrees.
In 2019, the team earned 126 degrees.
In 2020, the team earned 121 degrees.
This year, our goal is to reach at least 100 degrees.
As of this moment, we have earned 36 new degrees:
- SACHIN AGGARWAL - DEGREE OF MERIT
- NETA ARIELY - DEGREE OF MERIT
- LULU BURNSIDE - DEGREE OF MERIT
- AVA CLAAR - DEGREE OF MERIT
- AMANI DIALLO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ANABEL GUTIERREZ - DEGREE OF HONOR
- MICHAEL HANSEN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- JACOB HORNSTEIN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ALEX HUANG - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ROBERT LIU - DEGREE OF MERIT
- KRISH MEHTA - DEGREE OF MERIT
- RACHEL PELLOM - DEGREE OF MERIT
- VERONICA QUIETT - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ANDRIA SHAFER - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- SARA SHAIKH - DEGREE OF SPECIAL DISTINCTION
- MATTHEW SUN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- BRIAN ZHOU - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ELIZABETH WONG - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- PAUL WANG - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ARYA KUMAR - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ABBEY KELLEY - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- FAITH HANSON - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ADRIAN ATWATER - DEGREE OF MERIT
- MARIAM ABDELBARR - DEGREE OF HONOR
- OMAR PASHA - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- DANIEL PARK - DEGREE OF SUPERIOR DISTINCTION
- MACKENNA MORRIS - DEGREE OF HONOR
- AAMER HUSAIN - DEGREE OF DISTINCTION
- PETE CROWLEY - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- MATTHEW CHANG - DEGREE OF SUPERIOR DISTINCTION
- CHRIS BURKHARD- DEGREE OF OUTSTANDING DISTINCTION
- OWEN BRENT-LEVENSTEIN - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- AADESH ANCHAILYA - DEGREE OF SPECIAL DISTINCTION
- BOHAN GAO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ZIHAN GAO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
As a team, Durham Academy uses these degrees to measure the relative size, strength and health of our program.
In 2014, the team earned 60 degrees.
In 2015, the team earned 45 degrees.
In 2016, the team earned 107 degrees.
In 2017, the team earned 87 degrees.
In 2018, the team earned 105 degrees.
In 2019, the team earned 126 degrees.
In 2020, the team earned 121 degrees.
This year, our goal is to reach at least 100 degrees.
As of this moment, we have earned 36 new degrees:
- SACHIN AGGARWAL - DEGREE OF MERIT
- NETA ARIELY - DEGREE OF MERIT
- LULU BURNSIDE - DEGREE OF MERIT
- AVA CLAAR - DEGREE OF MERIT
- AMANI DIALLO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ANABEL GUTIERREZ - DEGREE OF HONOR
- MICHAEL HANSEN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- JACOB HORNSTEIN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ALEX HUANG - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ROBERT LIU - DEGREE OF MERIT
- KRISH MEHTA - DEGREE OF MERIT
- RACHEL PELLOM - DEGREE OF MERIT
- VERONICA QUIETT - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ANDRIA SHAFER - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- SARA SHAIKH - DEGREE OF SPECIAL DISTINCTION
- MATTHEW SUN - DEGREE OF MERIT
- BRIAN ZHOU - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ELIZABETH WONG - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- PAUL WANG - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ARYA KUMAR - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ABBEY KELLEY - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- FAITH HANSON - DEGREE OF MERIT
- ADRIAN ATWATER - DEGREE OF MERIT
- MARIAM ABDELBARR - DEGREE OF HONOR
- OMAR PASHA - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- DANIEL PARK - DEGREE OF SUPERIOR DISTINCTION
- MACKENNA MORRIS - DEGREE OF HONOR
- AAMER HUSAIN - DEGREE OF DISTINCTION
- PETE CROWLEY - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- MATTHEW CHANG - DEGREE OF SUPERIOR DISTINCTION
- CHRIS BURKHARD- DEGREE OF OUTSTANDING DISTINCTION
- OWEN BRENT-LEVENSTEIN - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- AADESH ANCHAILYA - DEGREE OF SPECIAL DISTINCTION
- BOHAN GAO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE
- ZIHAN GAO - DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE