TA News

I’ll be honest: I didn’t start a debate team at TA because I loved debate. I used to think debate was a competition where winning mattered more than reaching thoughtful conclusions, and rewarded people who could think quickly, not deeply. I worried that students would learn clever tricks to win rounds rather than how to navigate complex problems in the real world. 

But becoming a coach completely changed my perspective.

Watching our debaters last Saturday at Burr and Burton Academy– our first tournament of our third season–  I got to see firsthand how debate teaches students to listen carefully, research deeply, think critically, and build logical arguments. 

We sent three teams of two to the BBA tournament: Team captain Daniel Mann and novice Galya Siegel-Bromberg, returning debaters Maddie Piecuch and Stone Reigler, newcomer Ranee Hall and returning debater Harper Grant. 

This month’s topic is tricky: The United States federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications. 

Technology is such a double-edged sword, which makes this topic a great one for students to examine both sides thoughtfully, and consider the real-world trade-offs involved.

All three of our teams of two had to argue both pro and con, and they did so with clear speeches, and careful and attentive listening. 

I was struck by how much our experienced debaters have grown since their first rebuttals three years ago — what was once messy is now organized and confident.

At the end of the day, Daniel and Galya placed 4th overall in the Open Public Forum events, and they were up against some good teams. Daniel earned 5th in speaker points, and Harper Grant earned 2nd!

Even though the win is fun, coaching the debate team isn’t about the win — it’s about the growth. Watching students become stronger communicators is what makes this worth it. I’m so grateful to work with these kids.