If You Ask Me

When a student applies to attend ASMSA, much of the early discussion centers on whether a student will be able to adjust to the rigorous curriculum offered by the school.

Members of ASMSA’s Debate Club learn that research and preparation are key components to presenting a good argument

More than likely when you hear someone speak about a debate, the thoughts of an event featuring politicians seeking a specific office come to mind.

You may envision candidates speaking over one another, bursting through time limits or asking the helpless moderator for one more chance at rebutting what their opponent just said, which more than likely was far off topic from the original question.

Maybe you envision a television screen full of talking or screaming people, each trying to be heard over the din of the other yelling analysts and experts that leaves you questioning whether you learned anything about the topic.

You won’t find that in ASMSA’s Debate Club. Instead, you’ll encounter a group of dedicated students, many of them in their first year of participating in an organized debate, excited to learn how to research, organize and prepare for competition.

This was the first year that ASMSA sponsored a full team as well as a class for credit. The class was two years in the making thanks to student interest.

Claire Green (’22) was a member of the first cohort of sophomores admitted to ASMSA in the 2019-20 academic year. Her brother, Max (’21), was admitted the same year as a junior. Claire began participating in debate competitions as early as sixth or seventh grade, she said. Both she and Max participated in an online homeschool debate league prior to coming to ASMSA.

During her sophomore year, both she and Max participated in a debate club, but it didn’t meet much, Green said. During her junior year, Max took over the club and they competed in Paladin, an online debate league. She and Max won their first tournament in Fall 2020. Green and Talana Small (’23) won second place in another tournament.

Green, Small and Jessica Williams (’22) presented a proposal to Director Corey Alderdice encouraging the school to start a debate class. They weren’t sure how

receptive he would be to the idea at first.

“I went through and put all of our thoughts in a PowerPoint presentation,” Green said. “We had originally suggested the idea of Director Alderdice teaching a class or leading a club because of his experience,” though Alderdice’s background in forensics focused on oral interpretation and public address events.

“But he was really open to our successes and the idea that we could do this well. That really opened the door. He suggested possibly getting an adjunct once a week. It was like we’re going to try it out and see how it goes, and I think it’s turned out pretty well.”

Green said that while the group was excited after the meeting, they were still hesitant about what kind of response they would get. Then when there was a delay in hiring a teacher before the Fall 2021 semester, they weren’t sure it would happen.

“I had faith that it was going to happen,” Green said.

Their request led to ASMSA hiring Tonya Reck as an adjunct debate teacher in August 2021. Reck had eight years of experience teaching junior and senior high school in Arkansas and Texas. She previously coached speech and debate teams in Texas as well as serving as a high school theatre director. She has a bachelor of education in speech and theatre from Henderson State University and a master’s in communication from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Reck said having students who were excited about the opportunity to learn to debate made it an easier situation to step into.

“This team was started by students wanting to debate,” Reck said. “This is their team, and that’s what I came here to do. To serve these students by giving them a deeply rewarding experience in academic debate.

“I’m so honored to be part of their team. I’m proud of each student. I know a student is having that rewarding experience when they come out of a debate round and they are lit up like a thousand watts. I can see the fire in their eyes. The energy is all over them. I know they gave it all they had. Win or lose: they want more.”

Reck said initially she was going to treat it as a class as well as a team

meeting where the students could prepare for tournaments and competitions, including focusing on National Speech and Debate Association events. She said they started as if no one had any experience, but the students learned the formats quickly. They showed they already had the ability to research and understand complex issues as well. That led Reck to change the format ‘By the time a student arrives in a of the class a bit. They began discussdebate round, they have a broad and deep understanding of complex ing debate strategies — including how to approach various issues. By the time they emerge from topics — and holding practice debates the round, that understanding has grown even larger because of the against each other. “Debate is an experience class,” Reck clash of ideas and information.’ said. “The best way to learn to debate is to start debating. That is Tonya Reck, what we’ve done. We ASMSA Debate Club Adviser rolled up our sleeves, dug down deep into the research, and had some heavy duty discussions about all sorts of big topics.” The results from tournaments throughout the year proved that the approach worked. ASMSA students earned recognition throughout the year in the various competitions including: • Green winning second place at the Varsity International Public Debate Association (IPDA) tournament at Bentonville in October and first place in Public Forum at the Cabot tournament in January; • Arindam Deb (’22) winning third place in the Big Questions or Big Questions Speaker category at three separate tournaments: Cabot in January and two separate Bentonville tourneys; and • Madison Arenaz (’23) winning first place in the Lincoln-Douglas

category at the Bentonville Wild West tournament in February and third place in the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association Arkansas State Championship held in April in Fayetteville.

Deb also qualifi ed for the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament held in Louisville, Ky., in June by winning fi rst place at the National Speech and Debate Association Arkansas District Tournament. He was unable to attend the national competition, however, because of a confl ict. He also won fi rst place in the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association Arkansas State Championship held in April in Fayetteville.

What is even more impressive about Deb’s accomplishments is that it was his fi rst year to participate in debate. His win in the district tournament was also at the fi rst event that was held in person as all of the previous tournaments were conducted virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Debate, honestly, was all that I hoped it would be, and the success wasn’t the only aspect,” Deb said. “I had an amazing time in tournaments and spending time preparing, critiquing and fi nding new arguments with my peers that was outstanding. I always really liked the idea and premise of debate, but this was the fi rst time I had a formal avenue to learn to debate.”

There are fi ve common debate formats: Lincoln-Douglas, named after the famous Abraham LincolnStephan A. Douglas debates for the 1858 U.S. Senate election; Public Forum; World Schools, which has three students from each team using the British Parliamentary style of debating; Big Questions; and IPDA.

Each one provides a diff erent style of debate, allowing students to fi nd a format that they are most comfortable with — whether it’s a one-on-one competition or a team approach. Students must be prepared to argue both sides of a topic, as the sides are randomly drawn before the beginning of a round.

“Students have to prepare two cases for a topic — one for and one against a resolution,” Reck said. “In a given tournament, a student will debate either side of the argument multiple times. So they have to learn to see issues from both directions. No matter how much research has been done, preparing for debates leads students to one certain conclusion: more research is needed.

“By the time a student arrives in a debate round, they have a broad and deep understanding of complex issues. By the time they emerge from the round, that understanding has grown even larger because of the clash of ideas and information.”

Green, who served as captain of the team this year, said that is one of the benefi ts of debate for any student involved in the competitions — they are exposed to diff erent arguments not only from their competitors, but also from their peers and their teachers or coaches. It includes being able to convey their arguments in a clear, understandable way that isn’t too complex for judges to understand.

“It was really good because I think often times especially at ASMSA we are in a bubble,” Green said. “Then we talk to other ASMSA students who are on a level everyone doesn’t necessarily understand super well. So our coach this year, ‘OK, yeah that’s right. You have this complex thing down, but how do you make it understandable?’

“That’s probably been the best thing about having a coach is further refi ning not the argument aspect but the communication aspect in how to get the argument across.” Reck’s ultimate goal for her students was not just about winning competitions.

“My hope for each student is more than just a trophy made of wood and plastic. Those are great, and we are so thrilled with each success we have made. But my hope is that these students will use their debate skills to advocate and make a real diff erence for others,” Reck said.

Dempster said that continuing to be in the classroom and having student engagement will be integral to the position.

“It will help with student success and retention and to continually refi ne aspects of the educational experience for our students,” Dempster said. “We’re at a juncture, too, where we are seeing a time where it’s more necessary than ever to understand the world around you; to critically think about the world’s past, present and future; to know what it means to grapple with a subject from multiple perspectives.

“Less globally, particularly with the arts, I’ll be better able to step back, take stock and continue to steer the directions for growth and adaptation in the visual and performing arts at ASMSA. I’m also looking forward to how we can better integrate interdisciplinary approaches into the arts, humanities and STEM fi elds across the board.”

Flynn said the institutional knowledge both educators already have about ASMSA will be benefi cial as well. ASMSA’s unique mission, structure and position within the University of Arkansas System requires thorough knowledge of both ASMSA operations and the system’s expectations and policies.

“Dr. Monson and Dr. Dempster each have that knowledge, and because they are familiar faces to everyone on campus, they bring continuity to these new positions,” Flynn said.

“Both are incisive, even wise. There is little that Dr. Monson has not seen during his time at ASMSA, and in all situations, no matter how diffi cult, he is calm, thorough and precise in his decision-making, always the scientist.

“Dr. Dempster is a bandleader, so he understands how to bring together disparate personalities for a collective purpose, and I believe that experience and skill will translate well to his new role.”