After having nearly fifty students attend the debate team call-out meeting on Sept. 8, Ivy Yan, debate team captain and senior, said she is pleased with how many of the incoming members, a lot underclassmen, came to the meeting as they prepare for the Brebeuf Novice Tournament on Oct. 9.

“The turnout this year for the callout was really exciting,” Yan said via e-mail.

And although these “rookie debaters” need training, team sponsor James Ziegler said he credits Yan and other upperclassmen who have taken on the responsibility of teaching them.

“(The debate team) veterans have been amazing,” he said.  “They’ve taken a strong role in leadership.  That’s a great help for me, and something I’m really happy to see.”

After the team’s first practice on Sept. 15, Ziegler said he is very confident that the team can retain the number of debaters that turned out at the call-out meeting, what he said was one of the team’s main goals going into the season.

“I don’t see a reason why not to be confident in retaining members,” Ziegler said.  “It seems for the younger students, they’re really enthusiastic, and (we can use that enthusiam) as a foundation for years to come.”

Although they plan to attend the tournament at Brebeuf, Ziegler said that the team is otherwise unsure on which tournaments it will attend, but he said he hopes it is around ten.  Regardless of how many the team attends, Ziegler said his overall goal is that the members, especially the new and younger students, don’t lose confidence and continue to participate in tournaments.

Ziegler said, “I don’t want them to become discouraged because this is something they’re going to get better at.” By Patrick Bryant <[email protected]>