Rushing through a hotel hallway with papers fluttering and laptop clutched tightly in hand, Panav Gogte (12) frantically reviews his thorough research and talking points. These are the final minutes before taking the stage for his Lincoln-Douglass event, a style of debate that involves fast-talking, heavy researching, and switching sides throughout the six rounds. 

Starting his debate career at Harker in sixth grade by taking the Speech and Debate elective, Panav unknowingly set off a chain reaction of events that changed the course of his life. Initially he merely viewed the Speech and Debate class as a fun elective, but everything changed during one pivotal and fateful tournament where he and his team advanced to the elimination rounds despite their status as novices.

“That sense of winning and making it to an elimination round was incredible, even though we were at a novice tournament and it only had a couple of entries,” Panav said. “We may have lost against an opponent that was much better than us, but it was such a special experience that made me fall in love with the activity. I knew that I wasn’t going to leave at that point.”

Now an avid debater, Panav’s love for the activity remains undiminished, especially after forming a strong community and close relationships with others through debate. These friends not only serve as company during tournaments, but they also motivate him to improve himself in debate as he maintains a friendly rivalry with them. 

“There’s been a few debaters, especially in my year, that I’ve constantly debated against and are really good friends of mine,” Panav said. “The thrill of debating against them and beating them is definitely what keeps me going. Though I like doing research, debating against some of my closest friends and people I’ve been debating against for years is what really motivates me.”

More than just rivalry, though, Panav finds success with his friends in debate. Last year, he and his friend both advanced to the final rounds at the National Debate Coaches Association. Since they were both Harker students, they did not have to debate against each other and instead got to celebrate their victory together. 

“NDCA culminates a year’s worth of hard work,” Panav said. “To be able to close it out not just by debating on my own but instead making finals with one of my teammates was pretty great.”  

The side-switching nature of Lincoln-Douglass debates immensely changed Panav’s perspective on life, beyond just providing a welcoming community. Thanks to the countless hours of practice for debates, Panav researches further into topics during his classes, pivoting him towards a more research-focused and augmented approach to the challenges he faces in life. 

“Before I did debate, I was more close-minded in the way I would approach activities or classes,” Panav said. “But ever since I started doing debate, I became much more open-minded, and I viewed situations from different perspectives. I was willing to hear other people’s opinions and create my thoughts based on that.”

As his interest in debate furthers, so does his maturity in both academic and social settings. Nathan Liu (12), Panav’s close friend since kindergarten, recounts the progression of his conversations with Panav over the years, transitioning from topics like TV series to current events. 

“The conversations we’ve had have matured over time,” Nathan said. “They used to center around things like TV shows and sports, but now we’re talking about politics and world events. It’s really nice to have someone who’s educated about these things to talk with. He actually inspired me to look more into world events.”

Debate teacher Greg Achten observes Panav’s growth throughout the years, from his time in middle school to his high school career. As Panav’s enjoyment for debate grows, so does his willingness to foster that same sort of appreciation in younger members of the community.

“One of the things that is meaningful for a lot of our seniors is that they reach a point where they’re already pretty comfortable knowing that a lot of their debates are going to be successful,” Achten said. “They might have some really challenging debates, but before a debate, Panav often goes and talks to his teammates to see if there’s anything they need. He acts as a peer coach to them. I’ve noticed him doing that quite a bit more this year. I think that is an excellent example of how he has really grown into a leadership role.”