Last Friday, November 9, 2012, Jesuit sent its three novice and six Varsity debate teams to Hockaday for the first tournament of the season.
In general, the tournament went well according to Dr. Tracy McFarland, one of the coaches of the debate team. She was especially pleased with the performance of the first year debaters because they performed despite the pressure and mystique associated with their first tournament.
The highlight of the novices’ performance was the partnership Bennett Harrison ’15 and Julian Gutierrez ’16 receiving 5th place at the tournament. Unfortunately, none of the Varsity teams could get to the direct elimination rounds, but they still performed well throughout the preliminary rounds.
The topic for Cross-Examination policy debates, the sole style Jesuit’s debate coaches teach, this year was whether or not U.S. should increase its transportation infrastructure budget. Originally thought as a boring topic, the arguments about trains, bridges, and canals proves to be interesting as it spreads to formulate conversations about the economy, jobs, and national security.
The star rookie, Harrison, said that he was, “surprised about how long the tournaments were” and “how the debate tournaments functioned.” When he arrived at 4 p.m. on Friday, he did not expect to be staying until midnight at Hockaday; he also did not expect to debate nonstop for eight hours, as he and Gutierrez travelled from each of their one and a half hour long debates to the next.
During the debates, the debaters spoke at astonishingly fast rates, gasping and wheezing for breath as they continued on with the “spreading” (or speed reading) of their arguments and analyses. Amongst the anxiety, the Harrison and Gutierrez partnership did well because they knew the points and aspects of their argument.
They argued that the U.S. should implement a high-speed railroad system, like the bullet trains in many countries around the world. Furthermore, they pointed out that without an increase in transportation infrastructure, the environment would suffer from global warming. In support of their argument, they said that an increase in funding for this proposed railroad would create more jobs and decrease foreign oil dependence.
All in all, Dr. McFarland was pleased with the performance of everyone on the debate team. They prepared very much for this nerve-racking tournament and tried their best during the debates. Besides being ecstatic about Harrison and Gutierrez’s performance, Dr. McFarland looks forward to having a good year with all the new and returning debaters. As the season is heating up, everyone on the debate squad is reviewing their evidence and getting ready for Round Two of the debating season.
The next tournament for the Varsity teams is a national tournament in Chicago this weekend. Feel free to come and watch the debates when they are in town!
From all the guys at the Roundup, good luck at the tournament to Dr. McFarland and the rest of the debate team!
