Debate team competes in first tournament of year

Kaitlin Clark, Blue M Managing Editor

Last week, the Manhattan High debate team started their tournament season with all wins and ties in the Open Division and a 2-4 loss in the DCI Varsity Division. The Friday-Saturday tournament was held at Washburn Rural High School, with four pairs of debate partners coming from Manhattan.

“I felt like we increasingly got better over getting used to the environment of DCI Varsity,” Trinity Brockman, sophomore, said. “It just seemed like we were making arguments against people, and we were just more comfortable with it.”

The Washburn Rural tournament also served as an opportunity for debate team members to get back into a competition setting and learn from their competitors.

“I know as I compete in [DCI Varsity] more, I’ll get used to it more and be able to win more rounds, and I know I can be able to use that experience when I go into other tournaments in the coming years,” Brockman said.

While the team did well, members believe that there is still work to be done.

“We need to do more work on our affirmative case,” Megan Keenan, sophomore, said. “But we’ll have time to do that before the next tournament.”

Overall, team members felt that the tournament was a good start to their 2017 season.

“Everyone on the team did a really good job, and we’re thankful for our coach, Ms. Kleiner, and our assistant coach, Nathan McClendon,” Will Bannister, sophomore, said.

Although team members enjoy the competition, there is more than one reason why they continue to be on the MHS debate team.

“I think the team atmosphere in debate is probably my favorite part,” Bannister said. “Everyone is really funny and laid back.”

A sense of community and belonging has allowed students to have a memorable experience on the team as debate members.

“The debate team is not necessarily always about winning,” Brockman said. “It’s just more about having a bonding experience, and being able to come more closer together, and just having fun, which is definitely what our past tournament was about.”