The Debate team competed at their second competition virtually at the Congress meet on November 11. This was the first official year that the Debate team has competed at the Congress meet. Sophomore Samuel Graeber placed 7th at prelims and junior Adam Barnes placed 8th at prelims. Sophomore Diana Garcia placed 6th in prelims and placed 9th in finals.

The Debate team is an organization that has been around for three years and allows students to compete in many different events. Those events include LD Debate, Prose and Poetry, Congress, and Extemporaneous Speaking. The advisor for the Debate Team is CTE teacher and volleyball coach Megan Wait.

“Debate team is actually going very well, we have gained 4 new members of the team, with more people joining our debate club this year than ever before,” Wait said.

Due to COVID and social distancing, the way the Debate Team is having to compete this year is different from the way that they have had to compete in the previous years.

“Competitions have been a little different this year since they are all online,” Wait said. “We are adjusting every time we compete. Although we miss the opportunity to face our opponents and judges face to face, the online platform is getting easier and easier each time we compete.”

The team has only competed in two debate tournaments this year so far and with every new tournament the team members seem to be doing better.

“This is my first year competing in Congress and I have placed very well in both of those competitions,” Garcia said. “I placed 2nd at my first attempt at student congress and I placed 6th at the Congress meet which meant I qualified for finals.”

The Debate team opens up students with many opportunities and also helps them build up skills.

“I joined the Debate team because I saw it as an opportunity to have a place where I can express my opinions and learn more about the world around us,” Garcia said. “Debate also teaches discipline, determination, and responsibility.”

The Debate team is hoping to improve this year as the year progresses and they cannot wait to see how far they go.

“The team is made up of exceptionally smart and active members of the school. We just started competition season but I’m more than confident that this year will be great for all members.” officer Lanie Arnold said.