Imagine being in a class where you get to discuss an important topic and try to convince others that  your side is stronger than the opposing side, but this time it’s against another school. On Jan.16, Daniel Butler, the debate coach, took his team to the Wall Street area of Manhattan to compete in a debate about mass surveillance, a type of security observation that police use to track people.

Destiny Soriano, a 10th grader, liked hearing what other people thought about the topic. Although she was nervous at first, she quickly got over that feeling. “It was fun to argue and learn about mass surveillance,’’ she said. “The trip took an entire school day, which was fun to get out of school.”

Ariana Gonzalez, a 10th grade student, was nervous but gained more confidence as she got used to the experience. “Something I would like to improve on and if I would go again to bring better notes,’’ she said. “My first round wasn’t that good because my notes were all over the place and I would go again.”

Layla Batista, a 10th grade student, also participated in her first debate. “Talking to other students was very tense due to debating back and forth between sides,’’ she said.

The debate team won 2nd, 3rd and 5th place.

“The students had fun,’’ said Mr. Butler. “It was a great experience.’’