On March 8th, the Jesuit College Preparatory School Debate team, led by faculty members and coaches Mr. Lingel and Dr. McFarland, will fly to Corpus Christi TX to compete at the 50th annual Texas Forensics Association (TFA) debate tournament. Eight Jesuit debaters will compete at the tournament from March 10th to (hopefully) March 12th.
Four Jesuit teams (made up of two debaters each) qualified for the TFA tournament by earning these 10 points – Senior Aarin Jain and Junior Tejas Murugesh, Juniors Dominic Chacko and Lawrence Jin, Sophomores Kyle Ma and Caden Cutchall, and Sophmores Benjamin Brainard and Jackson Farragut.
Dr. McFarland noted Senior Aarin Jain has been instrumental in leading the team this season:
“His dedication and effort this season and other seasons demonstrated leadership even before his senior year. For those who know him, know that he has done this with a keen intellect and great sense of humor! We hope that work pays off and Aarin has a great State tournament! And whatever the outcome of state or nationals later this spring, we are glad to have been a part of his journey at Jesuit.”
The TFA State Tournament celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. The TFA State Tournament is a true state championship, not divided by class like the UIL and public and private schools compete together. The State Tournament rotates around the states, this year taking place at Gregory Portland High School in Portland, TX (just north of the warm beaches of near Corpus Christi). The first two days of preliminary round competition determines who advances to the elimination rounds. It will then be a single elimination bracket to determine the winner.
Jesuit has a history of success at TFA State, winning its first championship in 1979 [Jeff Tillotson and Greg Ackels]. During Mr. Lingel and Dr. McFarland’s tenure as directors of the program, Jesuit has qualified for state every year since 1995, Mr. LIngel’s first season at Jesuit. Jesuit holds the longest streak in the state of having at least one team in the elimination rounds, having a team in the eliminations rounds every year since 2000. Jesuit won in 2000; earned a closeout (where two teams of the same school close out the bracket) in 2010, repeating in 2011.
This year’s State Tournament marks the first in-person tournament in two years. We asked Dr. McFarland about the return to in-person and the importance of the State Tournament.
Since it’s been 2 years since the last in person TFA tournament, how do you feel
about the return of an in-person aspect of this years tournament?
We strangely are traveling 2 years to the day we returned from the 2020 TFA state tournament in El Paso, so it’s a mix of surreal excitement! Only a few debaters going on the trip have traveled with us and about half have never been to an in person tournament [even local]. So, I am excited for them to experience an in-person tournament in all of its chaotic glory.
How has the last two years of online debating shaped like the debater’s activities and skills, and how does this online experience contrast with the in person debating?
We have been lucky that a lot of the process and parts of a debate translated online – so we could continue pretty much uninterrupted our tournament schedule of local, regional and national tournaments – just virtual. So, arguments and strategy-wise, things have been similar. The biggest difference will be in judge adaptation – and building a rapport with judges. And rememberin g that voices carry! For tournaments this season, we have mostly debated online from classrooms at Jesuit. So, our teams have been in the same room. During speeches, then, our teams could verbally communicate about arguments and strategy – bc they were muted to everyone else in the virtual debate. Well, in person, other people can hear you when you talk during speeches – debaters will have to watch how loud they talk to each other so that the other team can’t hear them and adjust their own strategies! In person tournaments also just have a different energy to them – and the movement to rooms adds to that buzz of energy! So, I think that the debaters are going to be a bit surprised by the physical element.
What is the role of the Jesuit alumni in the preparation for and the competition in the tournament?
We are very lucky to have a lot of alum support throughout the season. Zach Watts ’17, Bennett Harrison ’15, Jack Moore ’19 will be going with us physically at State – but Jack Griffiths ’19, Jack Madden’19, Jake LaRocco ‘17, Boemhak Lee ‘17, Adam Hall ‘20, Garrett Nagorzanski ‘20, Gio Ferrer-Falto ‘19, Josh Ramos ’21 and probably some I am missing, have helped prepare for this moment through their support this season. And, we will have a whole host of alum rooting us on – TFA State is usually cited by our debaters as one of their fav tournaments – and so I know that there will be a lot of our alum following how we are doing.
In an in person setting, how much more team bonding occurs? What moments
during the tournament will foster connection between the team?
One of the things I have missed most about not traveling are team meals – it’s a great chance to talk about debate but also everything else under the sun! The immersive experience of a tournament -from airport gate time to hotel time to Warroom time to the actual tournament all add elements of bonding. And at the risk of sounding trite – kinda all the moments foster a connection – prepping before debates, debriefing after debates, losses you should have won, wins you should have lost, meals, travel ups and downs – all of that helps foster bonds that our alum we see frequently – now with their own kids – talk about.
Aside from winning the tournament, what does the coaching staff want to gain from the tournament?
Well, as strange as it might sounds, while we always strive to take it one debate at a time with a goal of winning a tournament, the thing we would like to gain the most from the tournament is for the debaters to have their work effort pay off in ways that help them feel a sense of accomplishment. Lingel reminds the debaters that they should strive to make personal, team and program history – and we want to do what we can to help facilitate that for debaters. So, really , we just hope to gain more stories with this group of debaters to add to the program’s rich history.
Student interviews
The following are the Jesuit debaters who will be competing at the TFA tournament responses to the following question: “What does competing at TFA State mean for you?”
Aarin Jain, class of 2022, and the only senior in the Jesuit debate team responded with:
“Going on a trip on a plane is going to be fun. I went last year virtually, so this is going to be new even though I kind of experienced it last year. TFA is where I get to face some of the best teams in the state and hopefully bring home the gold. My season has definitely been super fun with my partner and I have made several friends along the way. As a senior, this will be my last state tournament so it will definitely be a memorable one.”
Tejas Murugesh, class of 2023:
“TFA state to me at this time means the finale of my junior year debate career. Representing a culmination of the skills, in-depth research, constant meetings, late nights, practice speeches, and past debate rounds from this year, the multitude of this season’s aspects are utilized as a learning lesson to present the superlative version of myself against my rivals. With an in-person TFA, which also is my first in-person tournament as a varsity debater for Jesuit, this unique opportunity sheds excitement and joy unto myself. Meeting all of the judges and debaters I initially came to recognize as 2D, rectangular boxes now as 3D, physical human beings is a proffer for both friendship and motivation to beat them. I am also quite excited as I am able to employ the in-person tools of debate, such as reading the judge’s and opponent’s expression during the round and a lack of a virtual barrier, which allows me to immediately stand up and give my speech, causing the debate round to go much quicker as there is less downtime.”
Lawrence Jin, class of 2023 put it rather bluntly:
“Blood and Glory.”
Lawrence’s partner, Dominic Chacko class of 2023, had this to say:
“It’s exciting cause its all the teams we’ve been hitting this year, and everyone is using all the info they have to try and leverage it. But also – there’s lots of people I’ve only ever met online who I’m excited to see in person.”
Kyle Ma, class of 2024:
“It really means a lot. This opportunity shows how much that I have improved over the year and that all my hard work from camp and this school year has come to fruition. The teams will definitely be really good, and the competition tough, but I look forward to it. I’m also really happy with how many teams qualified because it really shows the success from this season!”
Caden Cutchall, Class of 2024:
“Going to the TFA State Tournament feels amazing; it is the culmination of all of the effort I have put into becoming a better debater this season. I really hope to do well at the tournament and, most of all, I hope to enjoy this amazing experience with the rest of my teammates.”
Jackson Farragut, Class of 2024:
“For me, it means that all the work Ben (Jackson’s Partner) and I have put in over the school year has paid off, and it’s another opportunity to learn. It shows how much I’ve improved since freshman year, and it feels really good to get to see our hard work pay off.”
Ben Brainard, class of 2024:
“Me qualifying for state is such a sense of relief and joy because it’s like my way of proving I actually accomplished something and made my time worth it. Even though I didn’t win a tournament, it’s nice to know that I can go in as the underdog and still make an impact – I used to be sad that we were the team without the tournament win and we weren’t the favorites but TFA is making me realize that I’ve been consistent, I’ve worked hard, and it’s made me realize that my hard work paid off, and that’s really all that matters in the long run.”
