Kamiak High School’s debate team has perennially sent orators and debaters to the National Tournament, where students from all around the country compete with each other to see who deserves the title of best debater. This year, it was no different; Kamiak High School debaters were ready to compete.
On Feb. 25 in Olympia, Washington, Aiden Skogheim, a junior from Kamiak High School, earned a bid to go to the National Tournament by receiving first place in the category of congressional debate, which is a type of debate where students receive a packet of bills to talk and discuss about. Carrying this momentum, Olivia Wiebe, 10th grade, Vivian Zhu, 11th grade, Jacob Landsberg, 12th grade, and Alice Huang, 11th grade, received first and second place respectively in the category of Cross-examination debate, also earning them a spot in the National Tournament. Cross-Examination debate, also known as policy debate, is a highly technical debate that requires immense amount of practice and concentration.
Other debaters dazzled, but were not lucky enough to persuade the judges. Tony Sisco, 10th grade, and Anders Straume, 11th grade, both public forum debaters, competed in three rounds of debate before being eliminated after facing a debate team from Bishop-Blanchett High School. “We thought we debated well, but I guess the decision is up to the judge,” Tony Sisco said after the judge declared his decision. Sisco hopes to compete in the National Qualifier Tournament next year. Andrew Kim, a sophomore from Kamiak High School, competed in an individual event and advanced to the fifth round before getting eliminated in his sixth round. Jacob Landsberg, advanced to the fifth round in extemporaneous speaking before the judge crossed him off from his list of competitors.
The national qualifiers will travel to Indianapolis in June to compete with 200 other contestants from all over the country. Six people will be named finalists in each categories and only one person becomes the national champion. Will the debaters take on this daunting challenge?
