![Incoming Student Union President junior Aki Bejamin and other SU candidates sitting on stage while waiting to give their speeches during the May 18 SU Debate. Aki said he plans to “burn [the SU] all down and start anew.”](https://thhsclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_9600-e1782439128607-1200x1131.jpg)
Since the formation of the Public Forum Debate (PFD) club, students have been competing in several debate tournaments against other high schools on the national circuit. This year, co-president juniors Methulia Medage and Mirabelle Miketa-Garcia led members of the PFD team to participate in competitions across Ivy League colleges.
In 2024, Methulia and Mirabelle partnered to establish PFD. When they first began attending THHS, they said they saw a lack of debate extracurriculars accessible to students. This pushed them to found a club that would support those interested in debate. “It’s always been a goal of mine to spread debate and pursue it throughout high school,” Methulia said.
Despite being sophomores when it was founded, they were able to manage and grow their club.
“These two young ladies just took everything on,” Social Studies teacher and PFD advisor Joseph Seidel said. “They started training and bringing in underclassmen when they were underclassmen themselves. Leadership is upperclassmen-heavy, so I thought that was really amazing.”
By promoting their club in various contexts, Methulia and Mirabelle have been able to increase club membership each year. Now, they have led groups of students to debate in tournaments at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and many other prestigious colleges.
According to Mirabelle, the PFD team has performed well at each tournament.
“Our team has done phenomenally this year. We’ve improved a lot since last year, especially since there’s a culture within our team of everyone helping each other,” Mirabelle said. “We’ve won a lot of impressive awards this year, including first place speaker awards and multiple teams placing within the top eight out of 500 students.”
Freshman Nora Elsaway, a member of PFD who has debated through her elementary and middle school years, said that while PFD challenges students to push past their comfort zone, it offers a welcoming atmosphere.
“The captains of our team are the most welcoming people I’ve met in this school by far. They encourage us to go to tournaments and go outside of our comfort zones. The rest of the board is the same. They’re extremely kind and supportive, and I see them as friends,” Nora said.
Sophomore Eunbe Choe, a recurring member of PFD, also noted how the club has helped her grow.
“Public Forum Debate has pushed me toward my goals by helping me find my voice in a world full of turmoil,” Eunbe said. “I was able to become more comfortable with my public speaking, which allowed me to become more vocal and [reach] my fullest potential.”
When asked about the success of PFD, Mr. Seidel said, “There’s two reasons why this club has been able to do what it does: the leadership of this club and what they’ve been able to build. And beyond that, our newest members and how they support each other. It’s really amazing.”
Methulia and Mirabelle said they hope to expand club membership as they continue leading the club. They said they also hope to keep PFD active after their presidency.
“Overall, we want the team to become a cultural institution within THHS. We want to expand it as much as possible,” Mirabelle said. “When I graduate, I look forward to passing the torch to some of our most devoted team members to continue our progress and build our legacy.”
