The Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society made a convincing argument for its excellence last weekend at the National Championships for the American Parliamentary Debate Association.

Fifteen members qualified for the championships, the most ever by a Harvard team, and the Harvard representatives took top honors at the competition, which was held from April 8 to 10.

Alexander J. Blenkinsopp ’05 and Alex Potapov ’05 made up the team that won the National Championship. David V. Kimel ’05 and Jason J. Wen ’05 received the Team of the Year award, which is given to the team that compiles the greatest cumulative success over the course of the year.

Although the championships were held in Middletown, Conn. at Wesleyan University, the topic for the final round was one very close to home for the Harvard team.

The debate focused on the recent controversy surrounding University President Lawrence H. Summers’ remarks on women in science.

Against a Cornell team of Robert Glunt and Justin Berkowitz, Potapov and Blenkinsopp, who is also a Crimson editor, argued that “Larry Summers’ comments did not warrant a faculty vote of no confidence.”

Potapov and Blenkinsopp proposed the topic, according to Alexander B. Schwab ’06, the president of the Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society.

Typically in final rounds students debate an important moral issue that affect students directly.

Schwab gave high praise to Blenkinsopp and Potapov for their performances in the final round.

According to Schwab, Blenkinsopp’s final speech was “particularly outstanding.” The argument crucial to victory in the final round was that a “chilling effect” on the issue of women in science would impede the solution to the problem, Schwab said.

Schwab also lauded Potapov’s performance, saying he “covered all possible topics.”

Potapov emphasized the team’s success as a whole. “It’s been an unprecedented year,” he said. “Winning the National Championship was a great end to it.”

Schwab said the competition is the equivalent in parliamentary debate to the NCAA Division I championship. The two awards that Harvard won are the most coveted that are given by the circuit.

The American Parliamentary Debate Association is a debate circuit of about 40 member schools from across the country.