Two Godley High School debate students are advancing to state competition after placing at the UIL Congress regional competition on November 11, 2024, at the Region 11 Education Service Center in White Settlement.

A.J. Garcia-Robles, a junior, was the Class 4A regional champion, while senior Cailtyn White placed fourth.  “They had to prepare 24 speeches and compete against 50 of the brightest and most motivated students in Region 11,” stated GHS debate coach Jeff Hughes.

Last year as a sophomore, Garcia qualified for state in both Congress and cross-examination debate.

Other GHS students competing at the regional contest were Kori Iglehart, Ava Jackson and Katie Ponce.

Sponsored by the University Interscholastic League, Congress is an individual contest in a large group setting. It models the legislative process of democracy, specifically the United States Congress. Within this mock legislative assembly competition, contestants draft legislation (proposed laws and position statements) submitted to the tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions dealing with real-world social and political policies prior to the contest to prepare their speeches. 

At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure forms structure for the discourse, and students extemporaneously respond to others’ arguments over the course of a session.

The state competition is set for January 7-8, 2025, on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Capitol.