DEBATE

Growing DEBATE PROGRAM Enters Fourth Year at Sycamore

The 2019-2020 team celebrates following one of the competitions held in early 2020. Sycamore’s Debate Team started four years ago, in part because of what Sycamore teacher Beth Simpson saw in the aftermath of the Parkland School shootings that occurred in February 2018, where a shooter opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people. “I was watching coverage of the students as they declaimed the necessity of gun rights and was blown away by their articulation and content,” Simpson says. “I later read an article that those students were debaters.” Simpson did some research and discovered that there aren’t many middle school debate programs; it’s largely a high school activity. The one exception is a program called Middle School Public Debate Program (MSPDP). It was started by Kate Shuster Ph.D, an education researcher and author, who was the second woman to ever win the college national debate championship. “I emailed her about training, and she actually came to Indianapolis to train me and another local teacher who had also reached out to her,” Simpson says. After the training, Simpson helped Sycamore begin the Hoosier Debate League, which at the time consisted of Sycamore and Emma Donnan, an IPS charter school, where the other teacher worked.

“What I love most about this style of debating is that it combines elements from a few types of debate, like Public and

Parliamentary, to create a style that is best for middle schoolers,” Simpson says. “The teams of three and inclusion of things like points of information, where the other side can ask to interject while a debater has the floor, create a comfortable, low pressure environment for new debaters to learn and experience the activity. It also has clear and measurable markers of growth,” she adds. “Debaters continue to grow and add sophistication to their debating as they continue in the program.” At the very first tournament, Sycamore had just 13 students competing. Simpson says the numbers now fluctuate between 60-90 debaters. Last year, Sycamore teacher Jennifer Berger began assisting Simpson with the program. “Mrs. Berger and I try hard to make our practices a fun and safe environment, because debating involves taking risks, while also giving students tools to be effective communicators,” Simpson says. As Sycamore has become an innovator in Indianapolis for debate at the middle school level, Simpson says that she works to recruit additional schools. Sycamore now debates against teams from Orchard School, Creekside Middle School, and, recently added, Indiana Math and Science Academy. For each tournament, Simpson invites local schools to observe, with the hope that schools will continue to join the league. When a new school joins, Simpson helps train their coaches and parent judges. “We learn from each tournament. We have tweaked and constantly adapt so the debating fits with what our kids need. Last year, when after-school activities were suspended due to COVID, we pivoted to online debating via Zoom, which while testing my tech capabilities, was also a great experience.”

Debaters have to prepare for both sides of the topic at a tournament and only learn which side they will debate 20 minutes before a round begins. The benefits for students who participate in debate is multi-tiered, according to Simpson. There are researching skills that grow, and logical and effective communication traits that can be learned and will continue to grow as the students mature. “Debating really works so many intellectual muscles,” Simpson says. “Researching, active listening while teammates and opponents speak, effective argument and refutation construction, spotting logical fallacies, real-time problem solving, and effective articulation are all parts of the process.” For Simpson, who is in her tenth year of teaching Language Arts at Sycamore, it is a club and team that is important to her. “The growth I’ve witnessed in students has been phenomenal,” she says. “Last year’s 8th Graders were my first crew who had been debating for three years, and their progress blew me away. Many alumni who debated are now finding great success in their high school debate programs. Debating provides students with an avenue to find their voices and then tools they will use throughout their lives to fine-tune their communication. Debate is a powerhouse that enhances every content area and prepares kids for so much in life.” •

Sycamore 5th graders make last minute preparations for their debate after receiving their topic assignments before a contest.

Six members of the 2018-19 team take a photo break after an event