-Claire Schmaltz, SHS Media writier

For members of the debate club, every argument is an opportunity to speak up and think about an issue from different perspectives. Through competitions and meetings, students begin to learn that with finding the right words they can make a big difference. 

Debate Club is a structured academic competition where students are able to express their beliefs and argue for or against a chosen topic. Seniors Birkilee Cochrane and James Walker were able to bring this club to life at SHS. 

“The reason that we created Debate Club is because we wanted to give students the opportunity to discuss topics with one another that they may not have had the chance to do before,” said Cochrane. “We also wanted to leave another opportunity for future SHS students.”

  After getting the Debate Club running, the purpose of it interested a lot more students. 

“I joined the Debate Club to better understand broader perspectives and opinions,” said senior Micaiah Mather. 

This club, sponsored by Mr. Alexander, is not only a fun way to meet new people and have conversations you may not be able to have in your typical day at school; it can also be very helpful with students interested in attending college after graduating high school. Communication, research and critical thinking skills are developed through Debate Club which allows participants to be better prepared for college.

Mather would like to go into the astrophysics field when he graduates and stated that one of the reasons he joined this club is so he is more comfortable and prepared when public speaking and handling peer review. 

“I will have to take a speech class next year in college so debate is a useful class for me to take,” said Cochrane. “It will allow me to become a better public speaker and teach useful research and reasoning skills.”

At the beginning of this new school year the club had their first official meeting. They decided that each student would fill out a Google form with a topic they are interested in. Then during the debate they let students come to the front of the class and give their “hot take” on the discussion. 

“We attempt to split students into groups of two and then they research on the topic they have been given and must debate opposite sides during the next meeting,” said Cochrane. 

Debate Club is not only about expressing your side of the argument but also hearing and understanding everyone else’s sides. In the future, this will hopefully make these students be better listeners and understand all sides of a topic. 

“My favorite part of Debate Club is being able to hear and understand both sides of everyone’s opinions,” said Mather. 

With this being the first year of the Debate Club, the students in charge will have to work very hard to keep it running smoothly for the underclassmen in upcoming years. If this club continues in the future, the students will have the opportunity to leave high school with communication and listening skills that they may not get in their regular classes.

“I hope to have a complete and organized club that will carry on even after I graduate,” said Cochrane. “SHS is full of opportunities and I want to give one more to future students.”

Walker added, “I hope that when I graduate, the debate club actually sticks with the underclassmen.” 

As the Debate Club continues throughout the year, the members are learning that success is more than just winning the argument. They are building confidence and communication skills one debate at a time. With every meeting students are not only preparing for their next competition, but for challenges they will face beyond high school.