Senior Emiri White and freshman Ben Martin practice cross-examination at debate and forensic practice Wednesday at Eudora High School. Martin said is among the influx of freshmen on the debate team this year." />
Senior Emiri White and freshman Ben Martin practice cross-examination at debate and forensic practice Wednesday at Eudora High School. Martin said is among the influx of freshmen on the debate team this year.
The high school debate and forensics team welcomed 20 new freshmen and four returning students for the 2022 season after opening up the team to freshmen for the first time.
Debate coach Mallory Raugewitz-Blick, affectionately called “RB” by her students, said having a lot of freshmen on the team poses an advantage rather than a drawback.
“If a kid gets into debate early, they have more potential to be great,” she said. “They’re willing to learn and willing to take risks.”
The team is currently debating Chinese and Russian vaccine diplomacy, and how the U.S. and NATO should respond to avoid possible nuclear war.
Raugewitz-Blick revitalized the debate program in 2020 after coaching at Shawnee Heights High School for seven years. Students had been asking for the School Board to bring back debate and forensics, and were able to reinstate the program when they hired Raugewitz-Blick.
She said revitalizing the debate program was initially a struggle because she began in a community where debate culture didn’t exist. She said the program had far more moving parts than she thought, and it was difficult to get everything in order.
Raugewitz-Blick said the Eudora community has been extremely helpful in rebuilding the program, which will continue to grow if community engagement remains high.
“I’m never not amazed by the community we have here in Eudora,” she said. “Eudora shows up and supports each other without fail.”
Raugewitz-Blick said she hopes retention rates stay high in the coming years to keep debaters on the team. She also hopes to get students involved in the post-season.
“I want to keep kids excited about debate and give them the results they want to make them stay,” she said.
Senior and second-year debater Emiri White said Raugewitz-Blick is a huge reason why she returned for a second year, and attributes a lot of her success to her coaching methods.
“Without her, I wouldn’t have been confident enough to continue doing so well,” White said. “Without her encouragement, I wouldn’t be as good of a debater as I am today.”
White and her partner, Karissa Baker, placed second in a debate tournament at Emporia State University and earned a glass-blown pumpkin as a trophy, which both Baker and White said was the most rewarding part of their debate careers so far.
Baker, a junior and second-year debater, said she plans to continue debate and forensics into her senior year.
She said having freshmen on the team gives her an opportunity to teach, and that every day in practice is a learning experience.
“It’s fun to politely argue with someone — especially when you win,” Baker said. “Debate is a huge learning opportunity. I get to learn about things I wouldn’t have known a lot about beforehand.”
Freshman Ben Martin said he likes having a lot of other freshmen on the team because it makes him more comfortable making mistakes.
“Having other freshmen around doesn’t make me feel as embarrassed because everyone knows each other and is learning,” Martin said.
Raugewitz-Blick said the season is off to a great start and she hopes to qualify at state events with two speakers and four speakers.
She said debate and forensics is important beyond winning tournaments.
“Supporting debate and forensics is always a good idea,” Raugewitz-Blick said. “Kids are looking for their people and their place, and they may find it here.”
Reach reporter Jenna Barackman at [email protected].