The vibrations of every utterance long outlive their ephemeral sound. Surfing on sound waves, lies a thought that leaves an affective resonance on the mind it crashes into. There’s no wriggling out of the splash of emotion, of connection, of the embodied experience that rhetoric implants; communication—the words, the ideas, the experiences—plays a constitutive role in the making of each person. 

Eric Beane, the Director of Speech & Debate, has dedicated himself to teaching students this dark art of rhetoric and persuasion. For over 7 years, he coached students in a variety of competitive S&D events, taking several students to State while also achieving success at various national tournaments. In that time, he has left a mark on a plethora of students whose journey through S&D has been profoundly impacted by his guidance and work. 

And now, after years of coaching, of competitive success, of student mentorship and bonding, Beane is leaving Langham Creek.

“This decision has without a doubt been the hardest of my life,” Beane said. “I am giving up so much here, and I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t incredibly nervous about the future. Telling my debate team that I was leaving has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done.”

Beane’s time at Langham has neither left him nor the students whom he has coached the same. Every practice debate, piece of pre-round guidance, or idle conversation held on the many trips the team has taken over the years has left its own mark, shaping those involved. 

“Being a debate coach is 30% argumentative research and 70% teaching, influencing and inspiring students to become the best version of themselves possible through rigorous discord and conversation,” Beane said. “Being a debate coach has been one of the few jobs in my life that I truly love, and it has impacted me far more than what I could describe here. Being a coach has made me a better, more well-rounded and compassionate person and it has forced me to view things through perspectives I never thought I would have to.”

But as Beane’s time as a coach comes to an end, so too is it important to reflect on the memories that carry into the present, starting with Beane’s beginning at Langham. 

“I originally was still working as an assistant coach at Katy-Taylor HS when the debate curriculum coordinator at CFISD reached out to me at a local debate tournament and pitched the job to me,” Beane said. “At the time I was looking for full-time work and the huge financial and competitive support that LCHS gave to their program drew me in. I interviewed with the administration and was offered the job later that day.”

Before Beane arrived at Langham, the debate program was virtually non-existent. 

“There were zero debate entries the entire year,” Beane said. “LCHS had been purely a competitive speaking program without any debate at all, so my number one priority was to change that.”

Change came quick as in his first year, a team qualified to the UIL state championship in policy debate. This was the first time this had been achieved at Langham since the early 2000’s.

“The team early on still competed heavily and was successful at interpretation-based events and public speaking, but as time moved forward, we slowly started seeing a shift in both our success levels and the events our students participated in,” Beane said. “I couldn’t be prouder of where the team is today.”

The team progressed onward throughout the years, garnering more accomplishments along the way.

“One moment I will never forget is qualifying our first policy debate team to the TFA championship my first year at the helm,” Beane said. “We were at Stratford High School and it was around 8 p.m. on a Saturday. The tournament was running 4 hours behind and everyone was tired and wanted to go home, but once we saw who we would be debating, we knew that we had it in the bag. We won on a 3-0 decision and it was some of the happiest tears that I have ever shed as the kids celebrated their massive success.” 

These accomplishments have carried all the way into the present with the recent competitive success of Riley Emerson and Laine Yates in policy debate this past debate season.

“The most recent ‘best’ memory comes from the University of Houston tournament last year when our policy debate team made it to a Tournament of Champions Bid Round, showcasing the huge improvements the team has made over the past few years,” Beane said.

S&D has been a unique refuge for Beane and the many students who have taken part. 

 “With society becoming ever more politicized and drained of its collective humanity, debate in my opinion is one of the few refuges that exist in society that still acts as an open forum for political opinions across the spectrum,” Beane said. “It is a special place in which you know what you say has meaning and value, and it is a transformative space that can really change people’s lives. Debate as an institution is so valuable for students as well as all those who enter its competitive ranks, and while argumentative preferences change over time, the sanctuary it provides has not.”

While it is unlikely there will be a replacement for the remainder of the Fall semester, the team’s competitive season will continue uninterrupted with the help of various other CFISD S&D programs to cover tournament sign-ups and transportation. A new Director of S&D is anticipated to be hired for the Spring semester or the next school year at the latest. 

“I think we have set a great foundation at LCHS for debate moving forward,” Beane said. “Whoever replaces me as the Director of Speech & Debate will lead the team using that same foundation, so I know you all will succeed.”

Nevertheless, much of the team remains nervous about the future. The Domestic Extemp captain, Ava Owens, comments that Beane’s departure is “impacting the whole team” as there remain many uncertainties during this transitional stage. 

Beane will leave Langham in late November, moving onto a new career path, but not forgetting the memories that shaped his time as a coach.

“To my students, past and present: Thank you for 7-plus wonderful years,” Beane said. “You are the reason I show up to work every day, and I am so thankful that we were able to spend time together learning, talking and having a good time at LCHS. I will miss all of you dearly.”

To the many members of S&D to which this is disheartening news, Beane leaves a final piece of coaching:

“I’ll leave you all with some life advice that has guided and served me well: ‘It’s not about how hard you can hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward—that’s how winning is done.’”