With a deep breath senior Alex McGowen steps up with his team against a college kid to debate. The outcome leaves McGowen and his team shining, as the college team shakes its head in disappointment. On March 9-11 the debate team hosted a tournament in the rotunda along with surrounding areas.
“This tournament couldn’t have been run any better,” said senior Lucas Indorf. “I couldn’t have asked more out of my teammates.”
The debate team is in the circuit labeled International Public Debate Association or IPDA. This allows the team to compete against college level debate teams. Colleges from across the nation gathered at the first ever debate tournament hosted by the Wildcat debate team.
“People have been telling us that it was the best ever hosted. It was the best I’ve been to in my three years on debate,” said McGowen.
The tournament took a few months to plan with individuals each taking a certain part such as topics, food, parking, or setting up. They balanced planning around practice debates and other tournaments.
“From gathering sponsors and judges to sorting out the logistics, we worked constantly,” said Indorf.
Although this was the first tournament hosted by Wildcats, their name has been added into a group attempting to host the national tournament. Basically names are thrown into a hat and the selected school is chosen at random.
“It would be very exciting to host this event, but it would terrible for the seniors this year to miss it,” said junior Katie Mangham.
Some seniors such as McGowen hope to join their college debate team and would return only to go up against the Wildcat team. Others, like Indorf, hope to return to the Wildcat team entered in the professional division. There are three divisions: novice, varsity, and professional. Novice is a group of students enrolled in school who have never debated. Varsity consists of enrolled students who have debated before and professional is graduated students returning to the team.
“I loved hosting. I do it all again,” said Indorf. “It’s why I’m returning to the team after I graduate to compete in the professional division.”
Being the school hosting the tournament the team wasn’t entitled to any actual awards. Sam Houston Sate was the team to receive the highest award.
“Hosting the event was so much work. It was the worst part, but overall I loved it,” said McGowen.