The Speech and Debate team recently participated in a tournament, and the experiences of three members, Lauren Hernandez, Riley Emerson, and Laine Yates, shed light on their journey, accomplishments, and aspirations within competitive debating.

“Mr. Beane answered any and all questions that I had, and explained everything very well as always,” Hernandez said. “His UIL tips and letting us know what arguments to run were especially helpful.”

 Despite not achieving her best performance, Hernandez viewed the experience as a valuable lesson and expressed pride in the improvement of other teams.

“Other than teaching me how to debate in the first place, for this tournament specifically, it was more independent work with other people on the debate team,” Yates said.

  New members, including novices, made a significant impact, winning the policy division and contributing to the team’s overall success. Despite missing senior members, the team embraced new opportunities and focused on creating memories with novices.

“We exceeded in the policy division, as one of our teams got 1st place, and the other two got first alternates to the UIL state competition,” Hernandez said.

Yates looks ahead to more tournaments, aiming to run more advantageous arguments and reflecting on strategic improvement plans.

“I got a bit more experience debating counter plans and running more traditional neg strategies since we couldn’t run kritiks, when you challenge a certain mindset or assumption made by the opposing team, It was a good tournament for setting us up as a good flex team,” Yates said.

The doubt of the state competition and the sacrifice of canceling a planned vacation underscore Emerson’s commitment to personal growth and recognition of areas for improvement.

“I felt alright about winning the last round, especially against a pretty good team,” Emerson said. “Though I’m not sure about going to state, so it created a sense of uncertainty.”

 Looking forward, Yates expresses a commitment to improvement through more advantageous arguments, reflecting on strategic plays and the need to stress the case more.

“We’re just going to keep going to tournaments to get better and grind those state points,” Yates said. “The next big tournament is Berkeley, which I’m hoping to run more advantageous arguments there.”

The team’s success in the policy division is evident, with one team securing 1st place and two earning first alternates in the UIL state competition. New members, despite initial hesitation, emerged victorious in the policy division, showcasing the team’s adaptability and potential.