Jagadeesan and Tang Awarded Selective Prizes
Upper Eric Tang and senior Meena Jagadeesan both received prestigious awards this year for their success in debate and science competitions, respectively. Tang participated in the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championship (WIDPSC) where he placed first in Debate, fourth in Impromptu and 17th overall, while Jagadeesan placed second in Basic Research at the Intel Science Talent Search competition.
Jagadeesan was one of 40 finalists, selected from the original 1,800 participants, in the Intel Science Talent Search competition, which is among the longest-standing and most distinguished science competitions in the nation. Thousands of students apply each year and only 300 are named semifinalists. These semifinalists receive $1000 in prize money, and finalists receive an additional $7,500 as well as an all-expenses-paid weeklong trip to Washington D.C. First, second and third place are awarded in the categories of Basic Research, Innovation and Global Good. By placing second in Basic Research, Jagadeesan won $75,000 plus the prize money she received as a semifinalist.
She conducted her research, entitled “The Exchange Graphs of Weakly Separated Collections,” in the field of Algebraic Combinatorics, a branch of mathematics that employs counting techniques to examine objects of algebraic interest. Jagadeesan performed her research through the MIT-PRIMES, a research program for high-school students in the Boston area. She met weekly with a graduate student mentor, Miriam Farber, at MIT while conducting her research during the second half of her upper year and the first half of her senior year. She was selected as a finalist on Jan. 20, when she had already done most of her work, and she then prepared a poster presentation of her written paper and project-related questions for question-and-answer sessions with a panel of judges.
During the competition, Jagadeesan answered questions from a panel of three judges during a 15-minute interview block that tested overall scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills. This high-pressure situation presented various challenges for Jagadeesan, who admitted that she “often found myself struggling to answer these random questions in the stressful environment with the judges staring at me.”
Jagadeesan also had the opportunity to present her research during the black-tie gala at which awards were presented. She said that around 1,300 distinguished alumni of the program and scientists, including several Nobel prize laureates, were present at the award showcase.
In addition to receiving recognition at the award ceremony, Jagadeesan’s work was also highly praised on campus. Listing her curiosity and eagerness to explore new ideas as crucial factors of her success, senior Alex Wei said, “she gets tangibly excited when she stumbles across an elegant or unexpected result.”
He further explained that she “definitely deserves” her win because “this is something that she’s worked really hard for—both before through her research and at Intel with her judging interviews and presentation.”
Senior Darius Shi recognized Jagadeesan’s mathematical talent in particular. “As a scholar, [Jagadeesan] thinks very deeply ... [she] tries to dissect the theorems and understand why the proofs work, beyond its mechanical procedures,” he said. He also commended her ability to simultaneously balance the demanding Exeter workload with the research she was conducting for her project, a feat that many Exonians would struggle to achieve.
According to Jagadeesan, the Intel Science Talent Search finals gave her the chance to meet an “amazing community of current finalists and alums who are really passionate about research.” In addition to presenting her research, she visited tourist attractions in Washington D.C., met with Congressional representatives, ate dinner with Intel scientists and socialized with other scientists and students. Describing the trip as “one of the best weeks of [her] life,” Jagadeesan said, “my Intel STS experience really reinforced my passion for research, and I feel a surge of new energy and passion after having the wonderful opportunity to meet so many brilliant minds.”
Tang, who serves as a co-captain of Curriculum Committee in the Daniel Webster Debate Society at Exeter, was one of 15 Americans selected to represent the United States in the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championship. Tang qualified for Worlds at the Exeter Invitational Policy Tournament in November, where he placed third behind two debaters who had already qualified for the tournament. The competition took place in Pittsburgh, Pa. from Wednesday, March 31 to Tuesday, April 5 and 120 debaters attended, hailing from 11 different countries such as Australia, Great Britain, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Pakistan, South Africa and South Korea. During the six-day tournament, attendees participated in four events—Impromptu, Parliamentary Debate, Interpretive Reading and Persuasive. The first three days were devoted to preliminary rounds after which the top 10 to 12 students in each event continued on to finals. The top two in Impromptu, Interpretive Reading and Persuasive, as well as the top four in Parliamentary Debate, qualified for Grand Finals. Of the four Grand Finalists in Debate, Tang emerged the winner.
“He delivers such eloquent and beautifully recited speeches.”
In Parliamentary Debate, participants are given 35 minutes to prepare with a randomly assigned partner on a topic, while in Impromptu, they receive two minutes to prepare a five-minute speech. The Interpretive Reading event requires students to recite a five- to 10-minute passage from a book of their choosing and in Persuasive, they have seven to 13 minutes in which to persuade someone of an existing problem in the world and a potential solution. Tang read a passage from “The Book Thief” for Interpretive Reading and wrote about segregation in the current school system for Persuasive. He was unable to advance in these events, however, because he went overtime in his persuasive speech. According to senior and former debate captain Peter Luff, Tang excels in all aspects of debate, particularly public speaking.
“He delivers such eloquent and beautifully recited speeches,” Luff said, adding that Tang is able to “synthesize all of the points we had been contending into a stunning conclusion.”
Senior Michael Shao, who debated with Tang at the tournament where he qualified for worlds, echoed this praise, explaining that “his inflection of voice is superb, but most importantly, he is neither too calm to the point where he is lackadaisical, nor is he too passionate to the point where he sounds like a fascist.”
Upper Carissa Chen, who has also been a debate partner of Tang’s in the past, pointed out that not only is Tang “really talented at what he does and puts his all into it,” but he is also “always cheerful and supportive.”
“I really respect his work ethic and character,” she said. Likewise, upper Aivant Goyal, another former debate partner, said that “his seemingly infinite arsenal of examples and stories is simply impressive. ... Working with him is genuinely enjoyable as, just like any one of us, he can get excited and giddy over the same things we all do.”
For Tang, the tournament was not just an opportunity to demonstrate his impressive debating skills but a place to meet other debaters and develop new friendships. He listed one of his goals as talking to as many students as he could from every country, describing it as “a phenomenal experience.”
Tang explained that he talked to kids from all over the world about real world events affecting their countries. “I talked to the Lithuanians about how they view Putin’s actions in Ukraine, and the Hong Kong kids about the recent protests in Hong Kong,” he said.
History instructor and debate adviser Betty Luther-Hillman noted that Tang’s “friendliness and non-sibi attitude” made him very well-liked by other students at the tournament.
“When it was announced that he qualified for finals, even better than hearing his name announced was hearing the number of students who cheered when they heard his name,” she commented, going on to say that “when he was announced as champion, all of the other debaters from the U.S. delegation crowded around him” cheering as if it were “the end of a football game.”