This article was written by Andrea Barboza
Everyone loves to argue, especially when you know how to win.
Being a debater is more than just stating arguments. Debaters put much work into learning more about the government and reading research and document papers of evidence to find out more about the topic they are fighting for or against.
Debate club runs every Tuesday after school from 2:45-4:00 pm in room 1229. Their advisor for the past 24 years has been Mark Thrall, a longstanding world history teacher at Northview. Thrall has been running the debate club since 2001. Every year, the debate club argues about a new topic that the National Speech and Debate Association chooses. The debate club competes against many different debate teams around Michigan. Even if arguing isn’t your forte, debate can really teach you life lessons and skills.
Freshman debate student, Kennedy Gregory, knows debate is far more than just arguing. It teaches skills you can apply to life.
“I think it helps me with like notetaking skills and like collecting research,” Gregory said.
Students and teachers both can take a lot out of the debate club experience. Thrall has witnessed this firsthand with his debaters.
“Some have come back and told me that it made college really easy because they learned how to research and they learned how to create an argument that was effective,” Thrall said.
Senior Zachery Zober, who has been in debate for 4 years, has learned how to improve his social skills.
“It makes me a little social, makes me just like also understand more opinions more,” Zober said.
Debate is more than just a club; being in debate has helped students see abilities within themselves they doubt existed before joining.
“I had a student many years ago who had a special ed individualized education program( IEP), and he had a reading disability. And after doing four years of debate, he got so proficient in his reading level that he no longer needed the IP, and now he’s a lawyer,”Thrall said.
Not only does debate help students learn new things, but it can also help teachers. Thrall is a perfect example of how being in the debate club improved some important skills.
”I think I communicate a little bit better because I know how to persuade people through debate, I think my time management productivity is better because I am used to helping kids,” Thrall said.
Being a Debater doesn’t just mean to close your mind to your own opinion. Being a debater means opening your perception to more than just your idea. If you are a person who is interested in learning life skills, discovering new things about yourself, meeting new people, and making some new friends, the next debate meeting is Tuesday, October 14, from 2:30 to 4! All are welcome.
Leave a Reply