The Atlantic High School debate team competed at the IHSSA State Debate Tournament at the DMACC campus in Ankeny on Jan. 9-10. Four members of the team participated in the congressional debate contest where students debated potential legislation. About 95 students from across the state went head to head in four rounds of debate. Debaters Bailey Grieshaber and John McCurdy both won places in the Awards House with Grieshaber placing ninth and McCurdy placing 13th. “It was very fulfilling,” said Grieshaber. Debaters will continue to compete in NSDA and NFL tournaments for the rest of the season.
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Atlantic Debate Team Participates in State Tournament
NEWS BRIEF
January 20, 2026
The AHS Debate team stands outside the DMACC campus where the tournament was held.
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About the Contributors
John McCurdy, Staff Writer
John McCurdy is a freshman in journalism for his first year. He joined journalism because he’s always been interested in the field. He said, “In fourth grade I made my own newspaper and I work at a radio station.” McCurdy finds his favorite part of journalism “Hard to narrow…down.” Since joining journalism, he has been able to expand his writing skills.
McCurdy is also involved in Civil Air Patrol, speech and debate, drama, tennis, cross country, and 4-H as an officer. Furthermore, he volunteers at local organizations. In his free time, or as he says “what’s left of it,” he enjoys short wave radio science, reading, writing, building model airplanes, and Bible study. In the future, he plans to go to a service academy and receive a commission in the US Military.
Story by Gabrielle Engler
Bailey Grieshaber, JP Student
Sophomore Bailey Grieshaber is a first-year Journalism student. In her free time, Grieshaber is usually studying and working on homework. When she is not, she is usually hanging out with friends or she is spending time practicing for speech and debate that Grieshaber is involved in. “Congress is the event that I do, speech is always memorizing things so that takes up a lot of my free time,” said Grieshaber. Some of Grieshaber’s hobbies include reading, occasionally painting or drawing, and volleyball which Grishaber did her freshman year. She has also participated in swim team since middle school, this year was the first time a girls’ swim team was organized. Grieshaber’s favorite part of journalism was working with a partner and writing stories. She said, “I really like that in journalism you know there’s always someone who is willing to help you.” Grieshaber’s favorite work in journalism is her opinion story Where Do We Draw the Line, questioning when an opinion becomes hate speech, days following the election. A major accomplishment of hers was attending nationals last year for speech and debate. “I love speech and debate and nationals was such a good opportunity,” said Grieshaber. In the future, Grieshaber plans to attend college in hopes of becoming a lawyer.