The Collinsville High School (CHS) Congressional Debate Team has returned from the UIL State Competition with several accolades.
George Light placed 12th, Ryan Baker placed 8th and Sarah Davenport placed 3rd. Davenport also earned Top Presiding Officer for her skill at running the chamber with efficiency and organization.
On Nov. 10, the team competed at the regional UIL contest in Prosper. There they had individual team members take 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th place. For the second consecutive year, the team was named overall regional champions.
“Not bad for a program that’s only been in operation for two years!” said CHS Theater and Forensics teacher and UIL Coordinator Jimmy Smith. “We’re making great progress, slowly but surely.”
Only the top three individuals are sent to State (along with a 4th-place alternate). When Baker became sick a few days before the State competition, the team thought alternate Liam Kee would have to take his place. However, Baker’s family drove him to Austin where he met up with the other CHS representatives and was able to compete after all.
To prepare for a debate competition, students are given a docket, pieces of legislation and possible topics they’ll have to argue. At the regional level, there are 20 topics; at the state level, only 12. At the national level, there are 100.
For the State contest in Austin, students had about three weeks to create an A.R.E. (argument, reason and evidence) and prepare arguments for and against each topic. Topics range from eliminating taxes on tips to physician-assisted suicide for inmates in prisons.
“These are not easy topics by any means,” Smith said. “The kids really have to become news junkies and have a solid understanding of what’s happening in the world around them.”
The team has been competing all school year long, and their awards at State have been a great benchmark as they prepare for their next big goal: the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) national tournament.
Collinsville plans to attend the national qualifier tournament on Feb. 8. If all goes well, they’ll be heading to nationals in Des Moines, Iowa in June.
“At nationals, you see the best kids in the nation,” Smith said. “We’re really hoping to make it that far. To be the best, you have to compete against the best.”
Congressional Debate is just one of the many UIL events in which CHS competes. The school has numerous teams, ranging from social studies and science to copy editing and literary criticism.
“We have great UIL coaches, and these kids are some of the hardest-working kids in school,” Smith said. “They have no weekends off until April. There’s no rest for the wicked.”
The CHS Congressional Debate team will know Feb. 15 whether they’ve qualified for nationals.
