Debate

webbtodayDEBATE

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

Webb Debate Competes Around the Clock

Webb debaters took part in five league tournaments via Zoom in 2020-21.

Led by captains Carly Granda, Jenny Han, Yiyi Ouyang and Elena Tiedens, all Class of 2021, the team welcomed and prepared 17 new debaters from the classes of 2023 and 2024. Seven returning debaters also competed in tournaments this year in addition to the captains.

Webb competes in a form of parliamentary debate in the High School Public Debate Program based at Claremont McKenna College. Each league tournament draws 10 to 16 public and private schools – most from the L.A. County area, but some from the East Coast.

Competing on Zoom provided human connection and conversation for teenagers enduring the isolation of this pandemic, and the format allowed students in multiple time zones to join. With many returning Webb debaters living overseas this year – including Captain Jenny Han – the team faced challenges with the timing of some debates. A few students altered their personal schedules so they could join in from China, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

To limit the impact of asynchronous schedules, the team also hosted three All Webb Debate Tournaments on Friday evenings so students in all time zones could compete together and play trivia games.

“ With so much time to reflect while in quarantine, debate became more than just the tournaments we were preparing for,” Granda said. “Even after I had finished debating a certain topic, the subject would continue to present itself in classroom discussions and even family dinner conversations.”

Webb collected a slew of awards for teams and individual speakers. But fundamentally, the Webb Debate team is focused on providing students a place to have fun, find community and build their skills in argumentation.

“ I have enjoyed this year’s debate season because debate forces me to think critically and analytically about the world around me, furthering my understanding of the pandemic, its broader implications and societal trends as a whole when otherwise, COVID may feel overwhelming or all-encompassing,” Tiedens said.

Students spent countless hours doing research and strategizing with each other on more than 20 debate topics, in addition to staying current on world events so they were ready for whatever “impromptu” topics could come up at tournaments. Just a few of the topics debated this year were: U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan does more good than harm; viruses are alive; public colleges should be free; divest from fossil fuels; and police should be required to live in the communities they serve.