Debate Team: Competing During a Pandemic
Debate is a mental sport that demands its participants to not just possess critical thinking abilities and knowledge about current events, but also flexibility and the ability to think quickly on one’s feet. Responding to an argument that you have heard for the first time three minutes ago can be intimidating but is often helped by the presence of your co-debaters and the judge. Virtual debating meant distance from competitors but also distance from your teammates and coaching staff. The Macken Speech and Debate Team at Saint Mary’s experienced a variety of changes during this time period, including the graduation of almost everyone on the team, the recruitment of a completely new team, as well as a change in the coaching staff. The pandemic took away the comfort of being surrounded and supported by a team from debaters, as self-isolation demanded the same levels of performance without many of the creature comforts that make it possible. Talking to new debaters about the struggles of debating in a virtual environment revealed some things about how the format may also have been helpful.
Kathy Barajas ’24, club treasurer, started debate during her first year in the heat of the pandemic. Despite the hardships, she was successful debating in multiple formats, even winning two of the tournaments she participated in. Barajas describes, “debating during COVID as a good experience overall. I loved [debating], and I stood with it because of the people and the environment, and what it taught me.”
Many of the other debaters also chose to focus on what they were learning in debate club, as opposed to the demerits of virtual debate. Evan Silvernale ’25 debated both on Zoom and in person after campus reopened in 2021. Silvernale compared the two experiences, stating, “Zoom is convenient since we do not have to travel, but face-to-face is always better. Learning debate is fun because it gives me some new ways to structure my thoughts.”
Barajas felt similarly: “Debating in person has just elevated [the experience] to a whole new level, especially being in person with the group. I love the group! I’m really happy here, and being with my teammates makes it all the more worth it.”
This sentiment was also echoed by Demetri Papageorge ’24. “Debate has been a blast!” he said. “I always look forward to our practices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and hanging out on the weekends for tournaments. Debate has been the single greatest part of my on-campus College experience thus far, and it’s only getting started.”
Overall, being back on campus and having access to emotional as well as intellectual support from the teammates has elevated everyone’s experience on the team. This can be seen in how well the team has done this past year, reaching out-rounds or winning every single tournament, along with securing multiple best speaker and individual awards. Even though we have once again entered a time period of complete uncertainty, the community that the debate team has built strives to survive throughout.
Read more about the Macken Speech and Debate team here.