2 minute read
DEBATE: THE GAME
Varsity debaters explain skills, techniques
The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic and/ or diplomatic engagement with the People’s Republic of China.”
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Across the country this year, students on their schools’ debate teams are arguing this resolution with evidence and documents that they have gathered and ‘cut’ themselves. Juniors Hirsh Guha and Ting Ting Shi are taking on this resolution as the second varsity team at Free State. The two have both been part of the debate team since freshman year, but they agree that they didn’t initially enjoy the co-curricular. Guha remembers feeling intimidated by the whole idea of attending a debate tournament: waking up at 5 a.m. to go to a 12 hour long tournament with five rounds, to stand in an enclosed room with your partner, two debaters from another school and a single judge, and argue a claim that you previously couldn’t care less about. Shi doesn’t even remember why she took a debate class in the first place. Nonetheless, the duo are now some of the most experienced and skilled debaters on the team. One of the skills they focus on most in varsity level debate is speed.
“We’re pretty fast,” Guha said. “In the past, people spoke kind of slow and focused on eloquence. Now it’s ‘how many arguments can I get out in as little time as possible’. That’s what I mean when I say varsity is a lot more technical, you’re just focusing on shorthand, saying a lot of words that only a select number of judges can understand as fast as possible.”
The skill of speaking ridiculously fast can come in handy when you’re trying to throw off the other team. Most people can’t speak at the rate of varsity debaters, though. In fact, these speedy speakers had to spend a lot of time to get to the level that they’re at now.
“I went to camp this summer and they taught us how to spread,” Shi said. “We do a lot of speed drills KAYA SHAFER
so you just practice talking faster and faster.
It’s a lot of practice. We work on cutting evidence really fast, going through news sources fast.”
Camp can give some teams the upper hand that they need. Even within their
own school’s team, they will have more experience. Guha enjoys the feeling of finally knowing what he’s doing.
“It’s not my first year on varsity but it is my first year actually caring about it,” Guha said. “There’s something real exciting about being the big man on campus.”
There’s an idea that debate is a game. There are skills that you acquire, and then there are skills that just come naturally. Guha explained a few of these skills and their importance.
“Aside from your ability to speak, your eloquence, your strategy,” Guha said, “Your ability to bullshit yourself through any situation is definitely something that’s going to help you out in life.” Sophomore Malachi Starr and sophomore Jori Rudisell practice for their next meet. “A lot of [preparation] is cutting new evidence, a lot of formatting, practicing strategies”, junior Hirsh Guha said. Photo by CLAIRE PURCELL Above: “A lot of [preparation] is cutting new evidence, a lot of formatting, practicing strategies.” - JUNIOR HIRSH GUHA
