Debating in the national final

Last weekend, the Lope de Vega School's public speaking and debate club participated in the final of the 1st CICAE Debate League at Camilo José Cela University in Madrid. Four teams from the school had qualified for the final in the preliminary rounds. While some students enjoyed their well-deserved Easter break, a group of 17 of our students were preparing with their coaches and teachers on the topic "Should surrogacy be legalized in Spain?"—a topic no one had previously explored, and one that could now be the subject of a doctoral degree. After many hours of preparation, they traveled to Madrid on April 20th. After resting at the hotel, they began debating in the first qualifying round on Friday, April 21st, for the round of 16, which was held on Saturday the 22nd. No fewer than 28 teams from across Spain participated in Friday's initial qualifying round, including teams from Galicia, Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid, and, of course, Alicante. They achieved great success, with three of the four participating teams advancing to the round of 16 in seventh, eighth, and eleventh place—a significant triumph for the club and, of course, for CILope de Vega. Finally, on Saturday, one team reached the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated, but all of them earned a prestigious place in the national oratory competition.
We cannot ignore the fact that many of them are third-year ESO students and were competing against high school students from schools with a long history in the world of debate and public speaking.
From the school, we would like to thank all the participants and teachers who sacrificed their free days so that they could experience the great adventure that a tournament of this nature entails.

These are some of his impressions after the tournament:

"The CICAE league has not only been an experience to improve our public speaking skills and debate a topic like surrogacy, it has also been a great opportunity from which I also take away the affection of my colleagues with whom I hope to share more times and more moments like this, because this trip and all of them have truly been worthwhile."

“There are experiences in life that we cannot describe, experiences that we can only feel. Because they are so intense, so unexpected, and so enjoyable. For me, the CICAE tournament is one of the most unforgettable.”

"Ultimately, what you take away from Cicae is not the outcome of the debates, but the experience itself, the people you meet, and the bonds you forge with your classmates and professors."

"Anyway, I still can't believe it's all over. We all invested so many hours in this project; so many hugs, tears, and endless laughter that turned into new bouts of nervous excitement, time after time. And yet, it's hard to find words to describe how much participating in this tournament has meant to me. I think I couldn't be prouder to have had the opportunity to wear that red scarf that was there, at any moment, to remind me that I'm part of a fantastic Lope de Vega team that I wouldn't trade for anything."

"Thank you. I think that's the most appropriate word to describe this unique experience."