At the end of a long hallway lies the class where students can be heard yelling words and phrases like ‘Topicality’, ‘Link Turn’, and ‘Perm do both.’ It’s a place where politics actually matter to those who can’t vote and contradicting opinions are welcomed. This is the world of debate.
Debate requires time. Students stay late after school researching articles and cutting them into cards. Friday nights and Saturdays are spent at tournaments. It’s frustrating and difficult and at times seems impossible. Yet, it is one of the best classes someone can take in high school and one everyone should try to fit in, even if it’s just once.
While debate may just seem like a class full of yelling, it’s way more than that. Taking debate has many long term benefits. It helps with critical thinking skills and helps students to connect different ideas outside of debate. When students turn on the TV, they can understand what’s going on and why. Things that they never cared about before are now important arguments to their case. According to MPS Southwest HS, debate greatly improves comprehension skills, sometimes 25% better than their peers. Students learn how history impacts what’s going on now and are able to connect current events with those of the past.
The class is rewarding and competitive and gives students a class where one can feel like they belong. Like sports, it is something that people can get very involved with, but unlike sports, most don’t need much natural ability to be good. Anyone can be a good debater. If students are willing to put in the extra and really work for it, it can be very rewarding.
One of the most obvious benefits of debate is its help with public speaking skills. In debate rounds each student gives one 8 minute speech, one 5 minute speech, and 6 minutes worth of asking and answering questions. All in front of their partner, two opponents and 1-3 judges. Debate creates confidence in public speaking, a very important skill to have later in life.
Looking at the site Hopkins Debate, they have found that the average debate team has a GPA of 3.75 and most debaters are in the top 10% of their class. While the high school graduating average across the country is 69.2%, high schoolers involved in debate have a 98.5% chance. In other classrooms debate can help students give presentations in front of the class and gives students a strong advantage when researching assignments.
There are few other classes in high school that can be so beneficial. Giving students an advantage in other classes in high school and later in college. Debate is not just for students into politics and wannabe lawyers. It’s a rewarding, competitive class that can give people a true feeling of accomplishment. This is why it is my opinion that all students should try debate.