Junior Kaylee Quick was proud of how her teammates performed after the JV debate team went to State Dec 6.

“My team overall did very well, especially the novices,” Quick said. “However, I didn’t do my best because state is a really traditional tournament.” 

Debate tournaments consist of a series of rounds. After each round the student has the opportunity to earn a point for their team. The team with the most amount of points at the end wins, Quick explained. 

According to Quick, the debate team researches their cases and topics to make sure they are doing their best. 

“As a club, we do research together and we find evidence. We also do speaking drills,” Quick said.

Despite not doing her best, Quick said going to State motivated her to put in more time into her studies.

“(State) motivated me to do more of my own research,” Quick said.

According to freshman Julian Rohweder, participants dedicated their time to ensure they did their best.

“Debate takes up all of my time, but it’s so worth it,” Rohweder said.

Rohweder said the team members care for each other, and the community they have built together is strong.

“Debate is all about the team. That means checking in and seeing how everyone is doing,” Rohweder said. 

The time members spend outside of school allows for them to make close bonds, according to freshman Nathanial Sternberg. 

“We generally just hang out, it’s like a family,” Sternberg said. “The tournaments are outside of school so we spend a lot of time together.”