By Kenna McMurray

Moapa Valley Progress

MVHS Senior Richard Glaubitz was one of several local participating at a debate tournament at Spring Valley High School on Saturday. The competition was ended abruptly, and all competitors held, because of incidents of vandalism at the school.

The Spring Valley High School debate tournament was interrupted on Saturday after unknown vandals ransacked teachers’ desks in some of the classrooms at the school. Students from Moapa Valley High School were participating in the two day tournament which was just concluding its final rounds when the vandalism was discovered.

Tournament officials brought an abrupt end to the tournament. All student contestants were then ushered into the school’s cafeteria and were not allowed to leave until some time after school district police arrived to investigate.

Due to this incident, placings for the tournament were not announced and no award ceremony was held.

Many students expressed anger and shock at the series of events. “I can’t believe someone could be so disrespectful!” said MVHS freshman Bella Wahl. “What they did was wrong, but there was no reason to cancel the tournament. It was extremely frightening the way that the adults handled the situation. I was so confused and disturbed when I was told I could not leave the cafeteria and that the police were on their way.”

This was the first tournament at which many debaters had ever competed and the new participants were frightened at the sudden turn of events.

“We all prepared so hard for this tournament and everyone was nervous to experience debating,” said freshman Jordyn Ramos. “All of a sudden our hard work was flushed down the drain and we shifted from being nervous about debating to being nervous about ever being able to go home. It was alarming and I hope there will never be a repeat of this incident.”

The vandals’ identities had not been discovered prior to the students’ release. Other events were taking place at the school that day and it was left unclear if the vandalism was connected with the debate participants at all.

Moapa Valley students participating in a wrestling tournament at the same school were not affected and completed their tournament without interruption.