Stating their case

POLSON — On Saturday, Jan. 28, hundreds of high school debaters, speakers and performers will converge on Polson for the Montana Class A Speech, Debate and Drama Meet.

In a day sure to be chocked full of competitive banter, the Polson High School debate team is revving up for its only home meet of the season. The seven members of the team will be coming off a tournament in which each of them placed in the top seven in their respective events. But what exactly does debate entail? Quite a lot, actually.

Debate comes in two forms: Lincoln-Douglas (LD) and policy. LD debaters argue a resolution, using values and morals to state an affirmative or negative position. Resolutions change every two months, giving the debaters three different topics per school year to build cases for. Three Polson LD debaters recently built cases for the current topic; it is morally permissible for victims to use deadly force as a deliberate response to repeated domestic violence. Before the roughly 45-minute rounds, debaters will be assigned to the affirmative or negative stance and must be ready to argue either side.

Policy debate, meanwhile, differs from LD in three primary ways: teams of two use evidence rather than morals to argue just one resolution per year. This season’s resolution is that the federal government should substantially increase exploration and development of space beyond the mesosphere. In policy debate, teams have several opportunities to question one another during the hour-and-a-half rounds, not just one like in LD.

If that sounds complex, it’s understandable. The more you’re around it, the easier it gets. And the more fun it gets as well.

“One of the best parts of debate is when the other person is at a loss for words and they just give up,” said sophomore Sharidan Russell who, along with partner Kelsey Koberg, took first place in policy debate at the most recent meet.

Yes, debaters can be quite cutthroat, but it’s part of the job. Winners are primarily based on who presents their argument clearly, concisely and confidently.

“It’s fun when you back the people into a corner and they don’t know what to say,” freshman LD debater Kylie Koberg said, reaffirming that notion.

That killer instinct is a critical factor for a successful debater, but it’s not the only one.

“The competitiveness is definitely the best part,” senior policy debater Logan Nutzman said. “Going in and being confident enough to know you can get a win against anyone is such a great thing.”

Nutzman knows that well and will need to for the foreseeable future. One of the main reasons he became part of the team is because he’ll need the experience down the road when he goes into the law field.

“It’s kind of what I want to do later in life with my career,” Nutzman said.

Once on the team, Nutzman did some recruiting and urged Reed Hovenkotter to join. Hovenkotter, now a senior, continued the process, reaching out to Eric DeLay.

“I had influence from friends like Logan and I had the roster of a few things I could do and I figured debate was the one thing I wanted to do and I’d enjoy it more with a partner, so I dragged Eric along,” Hovenkotter said. He and DeLay constitute Polson’s other policy team, which finished sixth at the Jan. 21 meet.

For those three, friends were key in them joining the team. Sophomore Isak Petersen’s influence came from Polson’s coach, his father Jon. Isak, a fifth-place LD finisher at the last tournament, enjoys the mental challenge debate offers.

“It’s fun getting into a really good argument, getting the brain working and thinking on your feet,” he said.

Those qualities aren’t just crucial for debaters during rounds, but also outside of tournaments as well. The seven use the skills they rely on during debates to help them in other aspects of their lives.

“A big thing is the confidence it provides if in the school setting, you’re required to give an oral speech in front of a group,” Hovenkotter said. “It just makes things so much easier.”

“It’s really good for writing a speech or paper, especially with LD, because you have to write six cases a year, so it’s not a big deal if you have to worry about a three-page paper,” Isak added.

For competitors, judges and spectators, the debates are spirited, are fun and provide a great challenge for students. This weekend’s meet will prove it and there’s no arguing that.