As we come into the new year, it’s time yet again for Jesuit to host its annual debate tournament alongside Vines High School. Last weekend on February 7-8 Jesuit hosted this tournament  as an act of charity for the other schools, and because of this, Jesuit didn’t compete.
This tournament is a fairly large one, and as of this year, a whopping twenty-five schools and a total of over 200 people competed for victory. This is a fairly large jump from last year when only seventeen schools competed.
In recent years, Jesuit has experienced a resurgence, hosting more and more tournaments. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Jesuit was a host for many tournaments and turnouts such as this one, and this weekend reminded us that Jesuit is back in the game and stronger than ever. This tournament lasted two days, and there were two different types of events: the novice and varsity Policy debate as well as the novice and varsity Lincoln-Douglas debates. For the non-debaters out there, policy debate is essentially done in teams of two whereas Lincoln-Douglas debates are done in a one on one type of setting.
This is an important tournament because it enables teams to qualify for the TFA (Texas Forensic Association) state tournament. A particularly popular attraction are the unique trophies awarded, this year to teams from Westwood in Austin, Hockaday, and Greenhill. The trophies received for winning the Jesuit tournament are very similar to contemporary art pieces. Debate coach Mr. Dan Lingel commented that “we give really swanky trophies.”
Besides the awesome trophies, Jesuit takes pride in the fact that after a long day of debating and being pitted against one another, everybody can come together as friends and eat the dinner that Jesuit provides in the cafeteria. Not only do high school students get involved in the ordeal, but at least Jesuit alumni returned to judge the tournament [Eddie and Sam Ackels, Derek Liles, Ian Holmes, John Hill, Gerardo Benavides, Jonathan Powell], serving their Jesuit community once more. The whole experience together as a community was a great thing to experience, and the debaters enjoyed it.
Emilio Lopez ’15 remarked at how the whole debating experience helps him to become open to growth because “without a willingness to change…you won’t ever proceed as a debater.” The debate tournament this past weekend, was more than just a competition; it was an event that challenged participants to embody the profiles of a Jesuit graduate, regardless of the school attended.
