Student Finley Case reads at a rapid speed from their computer stacked on a chair, stacked on a desk in a third-floor classroom of Bellingham High School:
“We negate the results that in the United States the benefits of increasing organic agriculture outweigh the harm.”
Case continues for three minutes, reading an 800-word speech filled with sub-points and evidence. They argue against organic farming, focusing on higher emissions of organic agriculture, how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can increase accessibility of healthy food, and the fact that “anti-GMO propaganda has been discredited.”
After a brief pause, several hands raise from members of the Bellingham United Debate Team, seeking additional clarifications, asking questions or trying poke holes in their evidence and arguments.
“Who says that GMOs without pesticides can’t be grown organically?” Bellingham High School student Chloe Hovdesven asked.
“When you say agriculture, does that mean like meat and chicken and fish?” coach Laura Livingston asked.
“Is selective breeding a modification?” Bellingham High School student Juan Tafolla inquired.
Case and their partner Maddie Dang respond to the rapid-fire questions and hypotheticals from teammates. The goal is to make their argument air-tight before debating against students across the state.
“Probably the one thing we need more than anything in the world right now is critical thinking and listening and a healthy exchange of ideas.” — Coach Nicholas Phillips
A few minutes later, Case launched into a speech once again, but from the other side. “The benefits of increasing organic agriculture outweigh the harm,” they began, and the process repeated.
These debates continued over multiple practices as the debate team explored other topics relevant to current events, such as water access rights and the limitations of free speech, in preparation for the state tournament on March 18 and 19. Bellingham United is a combined team of approximately a dozen students from Bellingham and Sehome High Schools.
Coach Nicholas Phillips said the structure of debate and the different topics change the way students think and encourage healthy communication.
“Probably the one thing we need more than anything in the world right now is critical thinking and listening and a healthy exchange of ideas,” Phillips said.
Debate promotes public speaking, teaches students how to build and back up an argument. It also forces them to explore opposing ideas.
“I’ve noticed the impact it has on my everyday life in improvements to my speech, my conversations,” said Finnegan Bowman, a Sehome High School student. “I also feel more on my feet.”
Debate students compete in three categories: Lincoln-Douglas (L-D), Policy and Public Forum. L-D is a short debate between two people about an issue that usually covers questions of morality, justice and democracy, according to the National Forensic League. In Public Forum, pairs of students prepare to argue for and against a resolution relating to a current event or issue. Policy debate focuses on a governmental policy.
Sections of the debate are timed, and some topics change every few months to force debaters to explore and prepare for new issues that come up at competitions. Each competition is judged, and a winner is announced based on who presents a stronger argument to their assigned stance.
Sehome High School student Erica Mao raises an issue with an argument regarding organic farming and GMOs. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Once debaters have tightened their opposing arguments, they take them to competitions, culminating in the state tournament.
Debate tournaments were once chaotic, weekend-long events. Students would caravan to different corners of the region and spend long days and late nights together, refining speeches and competing in debates with friends and foes all around. They were thrilled by head-to-head duels in classrooms in front of judges who would rule a winner and a loser; they experienced joy, winning awards in a crowded theater.
Now, with the pandemic still lingering, they expound on arguments and theories via Zoom. Only three of the debaters on the team have actually attended an in-person tournament and know the excitement it brings.
One thing they miss out on most is the camaraderie and relationships they build with other debaters across the state.
“It’s not just us. It’s the community of us because we’re friends with the kids from Mount Vernon and we’re friends with kids from Interlake,” Livingston said.
Despite the lack of in-person opportunities, the Bellingham United Debate Team still practices together and forms relationships over their one common love: arguing.
The debate team is open to all eighth- to 12th-grade students in the Bellingham Public Schools district. Currently, the program is hoping to expand and will offer a summer speech and debate camp from June 27 to July 1. Interested families can contact Bellingham Public Schools to enroll.
