More than 150 competitors from across Northwest Arkansas attended the debate tournament that was hosted at Har-Ber. The tournament aimed to provide Junior High students with more experience and practice for when they advance to higher levels of competition. Daniel Caudle, the debate coach, was the one who proposed the idea.
“We saw that there was a need across Arkansas and a lot of the Junior High students weren’t getting good tournaments. They were being neglected and we decided to set an example,” Caudle said.
Debate students played an active role in organizing and running the tournament. This came with the challenge of helping first-time competitors feel comfortable in the debate environment. Emily Starkey was one of the students who helped host this tournament.
“It was a Junior High tournament, so the competitors were younger, and for a lot of them, it was their first-ever tournament,” Starkey said. “Having to help them figure out how to navigate a tournament of that kind was a little hard.”
Organizing the tournament came with its share of obstacles, especially with having multiple events happening on campus the same day. Emma Griggs shared her experience with this.
“Having to share Har-Ber was really difficult. It was a really busy place- we had the ACT going on, wrestling, and choir, but we all found a way,” Griggs said. “All the teachers worked together to make sure we all got space in the building.”
This collaborative effort highlights the dedication of both students and staff to make the tournament a success, ensuring that Junior High competitors had the opportunity to participate despite the busy environment. This tournament not only provided Junior High students with valuable experience but also fostered a sense of community and mentorship among our debate team.
“We made this possible for them because in the state of Arkansas, there’s not a lot of junior high-only tournaments so it’s hard to get experience when they come to the high school level,” Griggs said. “We were able to give them that experience so when they do come to a high school level, they’re prepared.”