For over a decade, the M-A debate team has met after school twice a week on Wednesday and Thursday, and attended competitions. But this year, led by Coach and economics teacher Jack Neumeier, the team has expanded, reviving M-A’s debate elective.
The class, offered for two periods, was created this year due to an unexpected demand from freshmen interested in debate. This led the debate team captains and Neumeier to strongly advocate for a debate elective. They wrote an extensive number of letters to M-A’s administration, advertised on M-A Today!, and promoted the class to rising freshmen. Soon, what started as an inclusive high school club evolved into a debate class with over 60 freshmen.
Outside of their six hours of weekly practice, senior members of the M-A debate team take turns teaching lessons to freshmen and answering their questions in Neumeier’s classroom, both during debate class and in their spare time.
The curriculum covers basic speaking and argumentative skills and focuses on a wide spectrum of topics, including politics, economics, and philosophy.
Neumeier guides the classes with principles of growth and creativity. “He puts in effort to evoke a sense of joy out of debate and guiding students with patience and support, because debate can get tiring, confusing, and frustrating when you don’t improve a lot in the beginning,” senior debater Isaac Chuang said.
The class also integrates different forms of learning, often in visual and interactive ways. Students occasionally watch documentaries, which are later applied as resources in a practice tournament on the following day. “You don’t get this experience in other classes,” Chuang said.
The debate team focuses on parliamentary debate, which is a form of high school-adapted debate that mirrors the British and Canadian parliaments. The parliamentary format involves pair vs. pair rounds, with each team preparing for their debate topic for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Besides parliamentary debate, the class also teaches and prepares students for various other debating forms, like policy and public forum. “When stakes are high, we even host private rounds online,” Chuang said.
With five captains helping to advise on decision-making, communicate with the team, and manage media, treasury, and forms, the class can run smoothly.
“The debate class this year is like a reform for the team, because we’re learning how to become a real team for the first time in an institutional way, making the debate team last in this way, with a steady, consistent pipeline,” Neumeier said. “While part of the reason to build this class was to help some people discover their interest in debate, part of it is also just to offer space for people to learn public speaking and gain confidence.”
“We want to build the biggest program in the country at a public school,” Neumeier said about his goals for the team. “What we’re building is a sustainable system, with senior members mentoring the novices.”
Tournaments usually last a weekend, with around six rounds of debate per tournament, and top teams advancing to the elimination round. Points are accumulated within tournaments and are ultimately the decisive factor for the school team’s ranking. The ultimate goal for every parliamentary team is the Tournament of Champions (TOC), with around 80 debaters qualifying nationally. The team participates in various regional debates, qualifying through wins, ballots, or by meeting certain criteria.
At the Notre Dame invitational (school-organized debate) two weeks ago, the team had its first freshmen partnership, James Greenleaf and Koji Edmunds*, breaking into the semifinals round.
The freshmen team credited their success to the class, extra practice, and mentorship from Coach Neumeier and senior debaters. The team dynamic was strong, according to Greenleaf and Edmunds, due to their friendship before taking on this tournament.
When they faced challenges, particularly in the semifinals, the team received significant support from upperclassmen on the team and the class, who provided crucial resources and advice.
“They’ve given us tons of advice all the time and helped us dive deeper into debate itself and learn more about it,” Edmunds said.
“We called every night before, and we did a little bit of practicing and discussion about the debate every day,” Greenleaf said. “The whole team has been really helpful.”
“It is really fulfilling for me when I see people enter debate, and it becomes their home and where they make friends in high school,” Neumeier said. “Our community is very welcoming, open, and warm, and I hope more people join.”
The M-A debate team is hosting a tournament in November.
*Koji Edmunds is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
