Debating wins

High school debaters and coaches agree that the personal and intellectual benefits derived from being part of a debate team can top the learning that takes place in a regular classroom.

As long as a committed coach is involved, gains in a student’s ability to think and write with clarity and conviction are striking, say educators and students in several Washington-area public and private schools where debate is offered for credit or as an extracurricular activity.

“A lot of students tell me that after taking debate, their writing skills improve dramatically,” says Mark McManmon, a history teacher and coach at the private Gonzaga College High School in the District. “They can learn to think for themselves and articulate a point of view in a logical, rational, thoughtful way. In a classroom, students don’t necessarily get a chance to articulate their point of view.”

Michael Schaefer, a Gonzaga senior from Columbia, Md., who is the team captain, agrees. “It teaches you how to outline. I can write a paper so much better. It is the first thing to go on top of a college resume.” He says the experience also improved his public-speaking skills.

Colin Touhey, an English teacher at the District’s Cardozo Senior High School, calls debate the single most effective teaching tool he has come across in a career at both the college and high school levels.

“They aren’t just reading. They are creating their own thoughts. When you are creating an argument, you not only have to break it into pieces, but weigh those pieces. In terms of learning — reading comprehension — and in terms of presentation, you can’t beat it.”

Cardozo students learn to present both pro and con points of view because, often, the flip of a coin determines which position a team will take.

“Debate relies on speech, argument and jargon,” he says, adding that “the test is to go into a room on a Saturday with evidence to convince a complete stranger. I’ve heard it said that death is the second-most scary thing and debate is first.”

The only drawback, says Mr. Touhey and other educators, is the need to constantly look for support from private sources and foundations, even when trophies pile up in a school’s display cases. Money is needed for supplies, travel to tournaments and stipends for coaches and judges.

A case in point is the situation facing the 2-year-old Urban Debate League of Washington, part of the National Urban Debate League movement, which has established 14 competitive public-policy debate leagues in less-well-resourced inner-city schools. Their goal is fostering citizenship and better research skills among young people.

“It was founded specifically to address the fact that minorities and women are under-represented in this activity,” says Pam Spiliadis of the Baltimore UDL. “Many go on to debate in pre-existing debate circuits that include the traditionally better-funded suburban and private schools.”

Seed money for the UDL movement given by the Soros Foundation’s Open Society Institute ends next year.

The D.C. league is run in partnership with the Multicultural Career Intern Program (a nonprofit group that formed the charter school that was turned into Bell Multicultural High School), the University of the District of Columbia and D.C. Public Schools, but it has yet to receive any funding from the local school board. It operates with support from two smaller foundations.

Sarah Snider, local league director, counts more than 200 students at 10 Washington public high and charter schools taking part, including Cardozo. From April 23 to April 25, DCUDL will host the Eastern Regional tournament, open to the public, at UDC. Some 250 people are expected to take part. (For information, see dc.hsdebate.com.)

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