Debate Team’s Recent Win
Photo provided by the H-F Debate Team
Debate champions from 2019 (From left to right): 2020 graduate Alexandria Porter, senior Evelyn Middleton, and senior Nandi Smith.
The H-F debate team is taking their competitions by storm, they have had a lot of big wins recently.
Lincoln-Douglas debates is a form that has two debaters arguing for and against a topic. Our H-F team did particularly well here.
The captain of the team, senior Alexandria Porter, participated in the varsity Lincoln-Douglas. She went five and zero, making her undefeated in the tournament.
Even though they debate virtually the team makes the best of it and treats it as if they were in person.
Freshman Kevin Gibek made his debut this year in the Lincoln-Douglas category. He placed fourth amongst speakers and seventh amongst records.
There were ups and downs during the debate, but nothing stopped Kevin.
“Overall though the experience was pretty nice for it being my first tournament,with most of the contestants being very pleasant, personally speaking I feel that doing it in person would’ve made it a whole lot easier or better”, Gibek said.
Sophomore Sofia Searcy is also in her first year on the team and she participated in Lincoln-Douglas and placed eight in speaking and team.
“I don’t have a frame of reference for how it would’ve been at school but I think the coaches are doing very well incorporating everyone”, Searcy said.
As for Public Form fellow freshman Alyssa Daley participated here.
“I placed fourth for best speaker and fourth for best team debater with my partner Undra Pillows,”Daley said
The team can’t travel due to the pandemic but they’re adapting to the new normal for debates. “I don’t mind virtual debates. I feel that I have to be more persuasive”, said Porter.
Debating virtually is something the team will get better over time. “It’s definitely a learning curve and that everything they have implemented is pretty smooth,”Daley said.
As far as traveling here is how the debate team feels.
“I am definitely looking forward to traveling. It may not be able to happen before I graduate but I hope the next group of kids will be able to.” Senior and captain of the team Porter said.
Their next big tournament was held Nov. 14.