Cheyenne Coffy

Staff Writer

We have a swim team, we have a drum line, and we even have a golf team, so what’s missing from Chamberlain? A debate team.

A debate team is a group of students who research a certain subject and put together arguments about the topic. The students then go off to compete, arguing different sides of their issue with other debate teams.

To succeed in organizing a debate team, a debate coach would need to be trained and the funding would have to come from somewhere.

However, there have been rumors about Chamberlain getting reacquainted with a debate team. If the school is tossing up this idea, a sponser would still be needed. Most likely, intensive reading teacher Ms. Pettingill would be that sponsor, but the future doesn’t look promising due to funding.

We really should have a debate team. The advantages of

having a one outweighs the disadvantages.

Debating teaches kids how to argue effectively, improves public speaking, and promotes the thought that working hard at something does pay off.

Students who participate in debate would be enriching their high school experience by learning about various topics that come their way, how to research, and how to think on their feet.

In fact, the National Forensics League, promotes high school and middle school speech and debate activities. The Forensics League is a nationally recognized society.

It’s a non-profit honor club that has been active in over about 2,800 high schools and 100 middle schools since its founding in 1925.

Chamberlain’s history shows that we were once involved.

Our school had a debate team in 1998. Members in this club recieved honors points.

There would probably be many students who would like such an honor, walking down the aisle at graduation with an extra honor chord.

If the school did decide to pull together the funding, it would be well worth it.

If you’ve walked down the hallways of Chamberlain, you’ve seen that Chamberlain kids love to argue, so why not put all of this energy towards a constructive cause?

This is why a debate team would be an excellent addition to Chamberlain’s list of extra

curricular activities.