As the time ran out, Armaanuddin Mohammed stood at the podium, undeterred by any form of pressure, delivering every point with precision. His concentration level is high, his eyes fixed upon the judges.
Moments later, he sat calmly as he was declared the winner, already reflecting on the next challenge.
Since the start of his sophomore year at CVHS, Mohammed has been taking high school debate circles by storm. His demeanor and reasoning lead him to carry home trophies in numerous tournaments. Behind each trophy is a story of hard work, family encouragement, and love for the art of argumentation.
“Surreal,” Mohammed said, describing the feeling of having won a state tournament on April 1, 2022.
For him, interest in debate had begun at home, where his parents nurtured his curiosity, turning family discussions into exercises in critical thinking.
Even with the many losses he faced along his path to success, his support system stayed consistent.
“My parents had originally told me to start doing debate and they have always been behind me the whole way,” Mohammed said.
In joining the CVHS Debate Team, Mohammed found another supportive community of people who share similar experiences with his art.
“At other schools, debate is often on a larger scale, but at Carnegie, we focus on individual attention, which helps each member improve,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed’s partner Vir Sanghavi has taken note about Mohammed’s dedication: “He puts in extra time into perfecting his arguments to make sure it’s close to perfection.”
In Sanghavi’s eyes Mohammed perfectly shows the traits of determination, kindness, vigor, caring, consideration and patience.
Debate preparation is very challenging on Mohammed’s part. He spends hours researching, conducting mock debates and gathering feedback from his partners. More than anything else, he sees debate prep as an opportunity to learn in depth about the topics and to change his argument against whatever counter arguments may be put forward.
“Staying informed helps in debates, and I find myself drawn to understanding what’s happening around the world,” Mohammed stated.
The CVHS Debate Team’s win at the Elkins High School’s 22nd annual debate tournament was one example of the success achieved with Mohammed’s contributions. The team’s performance at HUDL and TFA also reflect Mohammed’s role in securing wins. TFA being a Texas statewide tournament, while HUDL being a Houston wide tournament for debate, according to Mohammed.
In the near future, Mohammed wants to achieve even bigger things in the debate arena. He plans to further his skills that debate has given him which which include critical thinking and effective communication.
For Mohammed, his recent wins mark the beginning of his promising journey, wherein every debate which he engages, brings him closer to his goal of eventually competing nationally.