PHS PERSPECTIVE: Debate team takes pride in reaching new heights

By Tiffany Wang
   Twice a week, long after most of the students of Princeton High School have headed for home, raised voices punctuated with bursts of laughter waft from underneath the door of Room 166. A particularly jaunty blue sign adorned with a wombat — the team mascot — and the words, “Debate Lounge,” stuck to the door is the only indication that this room, of all rooms, houses one of the most popular and successful clubs of Princeton High School: Speech and Debate.
   The PHS Speech and Debate team was founded in the 1980s by a small group of ambitious young students eager to take on the debate world. However, despite its long history, this club has only recently become well known, reaching unprecedented levels of acclaim amongst the student body.
   Having quadrupled in size in just the past year and a half, this particular team has since evolved in response to the influx of students, and was able to put together a packed and hectic tournament schedule for the upcoming months.
   ”We go to about 15 a year,” said co-captain William Meyer, ‘13. “Our main schedule [is] November through March. … [the] national tournaments we’re going to are held at universities across the country, and sometimes last the whole weekend.”
   Preparation sessions before big tournaments are a chance for all members to come together and try out their arguments in front of their peers. Each member, depending on which event he or she chooses, is allotted a certain amount of time to make a point. The amount of preparation needed to give such bracing performances is considerable, given the high expectations of the judges on tournament day.
   ”[At tournaments], there are the students competing and a judge who determines the winner. The criteria for who wins and who loses depend on the type of speech or debate event, but the goal of any round is to get the judge to choose you,” said William.
   ”At meetings we divide up into our events and work on speech drills. We spend time writing cases for tournaments, and do a bunch of practice debates,” co-captain Dana Barry ‘13 said.
   These debaters are well trained in the art of lightning-fast speech — after all, it isn’t easy to squeeze in as many points as possible within a three-minute time limit. The passion and ferocity with which these students speak are noticeable even during practice debates, where each member assumes a ‘go-for-broke’ attitude, holding nothing back.
   ”They all push each other so hard — it’s how they become better debaters. And these students are like a big family — they all support each other so much. Each win, even individual, is shared by the entire team,” said John Bathke, the team’s advisor.
   The team has enjoyed quite a bit of success in the past month especially — in November, it triumphed at the Randolph Invitational, placing first in the team sweepstakes competition.
   ”I couldn’t quite believe my ears … I kept looking around at all the people on the team and just thinking how lucky I was to know them. It was so much fun; we were all so proud,” said Sarah Spergel, ‘15.
   All members of this team share the same sentiment — a mixture of love for a good debate and the thrill of sharing those experiences with equally enthusiastic and driven high school students.
   ”I love debate. All of my best friends I either met through debate or did debate with me. [And] being with a group of kids from dawn ‘til dusk weekend after weekend is a real bonding experience,” added William.
   The debate team also gives students the chance to become better orators, and to become more familiar with current events and general philosophy.
   ”Debate has really helped everyone involved become stronger public speakers and more culturally aware, through research on different topics,” said Dana. “You learn some really important skills like how to hold your own in an argument and how to construct any argumentative paper. And in speech, you get a chance to show your creativity — it’s basically like doing a one-man play. But overall, [debate’s] a chance to make good friends and keep them for all of high school,” said Betsy Studholme, ‘13.
   The social aspect of the debate team is a large part of what defines the group — after a night of cheering themselves hoarse supporting their teammates, they relax in a contented huddle during a late-night team dinner back home in Princeton. Through all the trying nights of preparation, adrenaline-charged debates, triumphs and disappointments, all of the debate members stick together as one.
   And the team just keeps moving forward. Making progress in leaps and bounds, the debate team is once again hosting a PHS invitational tournament for local schools this December. These “wombats” are indeed a true force to be reckoned with, and will certainly continue to charge onwards.
Tiffany Wang is a Princeton High School senior.