ICN News

The Great Debaters, an IPTV Transitions session offered on October 9, connected session participants with current and past members of the award-winning Roosevelt High School debate team to discuss the benefits and rewards of participating in school debate teams. Roosevelt High School’s debate team was named among the nation’s top ten programs in the country following a strong performance at the Desert Lights National Tournament in Las Vegas. Roosevelt earned the Schwann School of Excellence Award as one of the nation’s top debate programs. This is quite an accomplishment considering 860 schools competed in the tournament in 16 different events. Roosevelt became the third central Iowa school to win the award in the past six years. In addition to this team honor, the National Forensic League recently named 2008 Roosevelt graduate Billy Strong an NFL All-American debater. The title of NFL All-American is the highest honor possible for a high school debate student.

The session, designed for students interested in debate or already involved in debate, focused on the role and benefits of debate for students in their lives after high school. Roosevelt High School debate team members Amelia Martin, Chris Oman and Taylor Young, Roosevelt graduate and current Grinnell College student Sam Fairfield discussed the skills they have honed through involvement in debate. Roosevelt debate team coach Harry Strong also talked about the benefits of debate with session participants.

All current debate team members felt that debate is preparing them in many varied and beneficial ways for their lives beyond high school. Martin felt that debate improved her schoolwork, provided development of her verbal skills and raised her confidence. She felt that although you have to work hard, it is “work well spent” and helps her to think “outside the box.”

Oman felt that debate helps him to write quality essays and shape his thinking about the world. Through debate participation, he has met people around the world and now, as a result of his experiences, wants to pursue international relations, global politics and economics as he furthers his education.

Young spent time studying, researching and participating in Lincoln-Douglas style debates. This experience taught him time management skills and he feels that debate is “the greatest activity I have done.” All of the students spoke highly of their experience and feel strongly that it will benefit them in the future.

Coach Strong and Fairfield presented a perspective from beyond high school. Yale college administrators informed Coach Strong during discussions that debate students are highly sought after for overall academics. Debate students learn to impact arguments, present an argument and explain why the argument matters.

Fairfield, a sophomore at Grinnell named Honorable Mention NFL All-American in 2007, felt that debate has benefited him in numerous ways. His high school experience in debate programs helped him develop critical thinking, essay writing and time management skills that prepared him well for college. In addition, participation in debate gave him focus in high school that helped him academically get into college. He has learned that college counselors highly consider qualities found in debate students in scholarship applications. He feels that competitive debate has helped him learn how to work in groups, develop his skills in critical argumentation and mature as an individual.

Another interesting note about this team and its success—the Roosevelt High School debate team almost became extinct a few years ago due to budget cuts. To read more about how Fairfield, Strong and other students saved the debate program and helped bring it to its current level of success, see the Global Debate Blog at http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/students-save-iowa-high-school-debate.html.

If you or your students would like to share a successful academic and/or extracurricular opportunity offered in your school or classroom, please contact Lyneé Casper at lcasper@aea11.k12.ia.us. Sharing success stories is a great way to get more schools and students involved in worthwhile activities that can enhance their education. Through this ICN session, these students were able to connect with students throughout Iowa to share their passion for debate and inspire others to participate in this worthwhile experience.