Andy Lee (12) recalls his proudest moment in his high school debate career. He and his debate teammate had been losing to the same strategy repeatedly throughout the year, an easily discouraging situation. Yet, Andy persevered, spending 10 to 20 hours a week in the month leading up to the tournament preparing specific evidence and research targeted toward that strategy. Finally, in the elimination round, Andy’s team emerged victorious.

Having been a part of the Harker debate team since sixth grade, Andy enjoys debate as a hobby as well as a way to further his knowledge and adapt his approach to thinking about certain topics. Andy also appreciates the soft skills that can be applied to any field which debate has taught him.

“Debate has taught me to break down ideas into smaller, consumable parts [and] to think in a very analytical way,” Andy said, “It’s taught me to be less dogmatic [because debate] really forces you to understand your opponent’s argument if you want to answer it. It’s really rewarding to prepare a strategy for a long time and execute it well in front of a judge.”

The competitive atmosphere of debate is a large part of what excites and attracts Andy to the art of debate and is also something that has kept him pursuing it. Andy finds joy in seeing all the hard work and preparation done alone at home come to fruition in the competitive atmosphere of a debate tournament, but he also revels in discovering the unique angles of the world that debate opens his eyes to.

“[In debate] you have to debate things from both sides, and it’s really forced me to look at things from both perspectives, think about things from different angles … I want to be remembered for providing a unique perspective on things, giving some thoughts that make people things or adding some perspective on things that make people think about something in a different way,” Andy said.

Andy’s distinctive approach to debate incorporates several complex strategies, a skill that Jenny Achten, middle and high school speech and debate department chair, says is quite difficult to gain.

“He’s not just caught up in preparing his own speeches, but he really sees ahead to what the judge might be thinking or what the opponent might say, and how that will play out. [That] is a really difficult skill to develop, but has served him very well,” Achten said.

Both Andy and close friend Akshay Manglik (12) mention that one of their fondest recollections from debate is preparing content together and making it to the elimination stages of the competition. Akshay cherishes the positive energy and passion that Andy brings to everything he does.

“[Andy’s] energy can definitely be infectious when you’re around him. You also get super excited,” Akshay said.

Much of Andy’s personality is suited for his various interests. His intelligence and knowledge have propelled much of his path in debate, but Andy’s true gift is his ability to keep his attention span for a lasting amount of time and analytically explore a topic.

“For a short period of time, I’ll spend every waking hour thinking about it, and I think that’s one of the things that drew me to debate. You have to really get into the nuances of different issues, and it forces you to rethink how you know everything. You can get really hyper-focused on this one topic and learn everything about it,” Andy said.

Some people might lead their lives with their hearts, but Andy has always been one to use his mind in any situation. His unique approach to life has unquestionably attracted the attention of others and assisted him through his journey in debate.

“I try to think about life in a realistic way. I think it’s reassuring or more calming to think of things less emotionally, so I try to do that. My friends might say I am weird. They’d probably describe me as strangely hyperactive at times and idiosyncratic,” Andy said, laughing.

While many people know Andy for his distinctive personality and debate skills, Andy also enjoys participating in many recreational activities. Whether it be playing League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or table tennis with his friends, Andy’s forms of relaxation revolve around spending time by himself or with others.

Though a table tennis match after school may be uninteresting to some, Andy finds that one of his most special memories throughout high school have been centered around down time with close friends.

To bring some quiet to his hectic school life, Andy discovers new trails often and goes hiking. He appreciates the solitary hours that hiking allots to him and relishes in using that time to analyze thoughts that are buzzing around in his mind.

“I like hiking because it’s a time to be with my thoughts. Whether I’m thinking about a debate argument that I’ve been sitting on for a bit of time or thinking about anything, hiking gives me time to be in a really peaceful space,” Andy said.