By Tyler Marr

CIVIL DISCUSSION

NBCHS debaters ready for provincial championship at home, judges needed

Feb 13, 2019 | 5:15 PM

The pros and cons of the notwithstanding clause and some aspect of human rights will be laid bare in mid-March, as hundreds of debaters descend on the Battlefords.

The 2019 Saskatchewan Provincial Debate Championships will take place at North Battleford Comprehensive High School on March 16. Ten students from the NBCHS debate club will take to the podium, challenging around 130 Grade 5 to 12 students from across the province.

Grade 9 student Victory Colvin was drawn to debate to learn how to articulate points in an argument about something that matters. He said hours of research combing the web goes into preparing for the competition, with plenty go time spent pouring over arguments for and against a subject to avoid people proving you wrong.

Outside of the classroom — in an age of often uncivilized debate — the 14-year-old said holding the skill to break down someone’s argument in a meaningful way, prove them wrong, and, in “a well-mannered way, tell them they are wrong so they can understand,” can lead to more civil conversation.

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“It makes you a more well-rounded person. You can’t be biased in a debate,” he said. “It helps you be more open-minded.”

This is shared by Grade 11 student Ishita Mann, who appreciated how preparing for debates allows her to hear other people’s experiences and learn how life and culture can influence a world view.

“As a debater, you have to learn how to deconstruct anything and be able to have a valid argument,” she said. “[Debate helps you] learn how to delve deeper into something and not just hear it and be like that is for sure true.”

Zaiden Osicki citied an involvement in modern politics while improving speech as to why he is drawn to debate. During his preparations and throughout attending other competitions, he learned how to foster, categorize and frame arguments from various angles.

“You get to learn everyone’s view. You get to see the consumers, the people running the business and the people at the top,” he said. “You get to see the entire tree and learn what they are thinking and what they’re doing because you need to build your argument around it.”

Educator Lynn Thompson is a key facilitator for the school’s debate program and said she is eager to showcase her crop of debaters at home. For her, debate exposes and forces students to investigate topics they perhaps would not have spent time with.

“Time is always a challenge but we are ready for this one,” she said.

In hosting a provincial competition, judges, time keepers and moderators are needed. Thompson is on the hunt for 90 to ensure equality in the tournament. She encouraged anyone interested to call the high school and said anyone able to think critically is qualified to judge. Each receives training ahead of the debate.

“It is not overwhelming as some people think,” he said. “You know when you see a good argument. You know when you see if someone presented well.”

The championship will see students take part in prepared and impromptu formats. The former sees students receive their resolution well in advance of the debate, while the latter, students only receive the resolution 30 minutes before.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr