Bonneville Debate: Not Always From A Podium

Maggie Arave
Staff Writer
  The debate team is finishing the season, heading toward district and state tournaments. As the season comes to an end, the team’s varsity speakers will graduate, allowing room for new leadership and incoming novices. Students may wonder if they can join the team; yes, debate invites students looking for a unique experience to join the debate team or improve communication skills. Debate is a chance to discover new skills and knowledge that allows students to find a new version of themselves. There are multiple speaking events that allow all students to find a fun event that helps them uncover who they are.
  Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate are two similar events in Debate where teams defend their side of the argument. Adrian Kim, a novice debater who specializes in PF shares how PF includes speeches defending your side followed by questioning periods. LD Debaters deliver the same speeches as PF debaters. Speeches repeat until a summary where debaters state why their arguments are resolute. When preparing speeches, Xaiver Tuttle, an LD debater, suggests “finding a strong idea,” as well as challenging questions to attack the opponents' arguments. The debaters will expand their present argument with sourced evidence that rounds out both sides of the argument. Tuttle suggests LD “for people who are good at talking.” Both debaters recommend PF to people who find comfort in “relying on a partner.” Tuttle and Kim offer insight for future debaters; “it is best to gather as much evidence as possible.” Kim recommends sharing cases with a partner to boost team work.
  Congressional Debate or Congress is a larger type of Debate that has rooms of up to 20 debaters. It works like, “a mock congressional session where a bunch of schools submit different bills that are debated.” Addison Brown, a congress debater, suggests a hook to “set the stage for your arguments,” as well as collecting vast evidence. Brown suggests congress for the “analytically minded.” She shared that she feels, “like a lot of Congress is a performance.” She suggests congress to those who enjoy a performance-like speech. When asked for tips, Addison Brown states, “Do not let yourself fall into this trap of only going in with pre-prepared stuff.” She advises novices to not let scripts confine the speech.
  All debaters from the team advise joining the Debate team, as debate helps with skills such as discovering new, introverse ideas on topics. Tuttle shares how speech specifically has given him the ability to recall memories and ideas. Brown shares how debate can lift up the sense of self in students, giving insights into who they are as a person. Debate can help students discover their passions. Brown states that debate “really can change who you are as a person and really bring out parts of yourself that wouldn't have seen the light of day otherwise.”

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