Flurry of Debate in KC: High School Workshops and National College Tournament on UMKC Campus
DEBATE-Kansas City provided high school students two opportunities in less than a week to get a jump start on the new debate season. On September 12th nearly 150 students attended a policy debate workshop on the campus of UMKC, and just five days later 30 practice rounds were held at the Wyandotte Workshop. Sandwiched in between the UMKC Debate team hosted the Baby Jo Memorial season opening college debate tournament. Approximately 190 debate teams competed, including the likes of Harvard, Northwestern, Gonzaga, Wake Forrest, and of course, UMKC.
DKC graduate Corey Fisher spent Thursday, September 12th working at the UMKC High School Debate Workshop at UMKC. He performed in a practice debate for the 150 attendees, most of which were brand new to debate. By Saturday morning Corey was winning the first two debate rounds of his college career. Debating for UMKC with partner Jide Aijsafe Corey won a speaker award and the duo advanced to elimination debates.
During the UMKC high school workshop DKC Director Gabe Cook gave students new to debate a few reasons to embrace the activity. He told them about a student named Ryan Wash who attended the same workshop as a Central High debater just a few years ago, and that just last year Ryan made college debate history.
Ryan Wash is now a graduate assistant and debate coach at Wake Forest. He was on campus for the UMKC tournament and was thrilled with how his first year in Winton-Salem was going, saying, “I love it there. The program is so supportive. I’m so just happy to be doing what I love and for the path I’m on.”
By the time the UMKC tournament ended, the Wyandotte Workshop was ready to start. On Tuesday, September 17th Wyandotte High School hosted 30 rounds or practice debates. Schools debated within their squad, but with outside judging. Most of the debaters were novices as the purpose of the Wyandotte Workshop is to give kids the feel of a tournament without the pressure of full competition.
Several members of the Kansas City, Kansas Community College debate team judged debates and coached first time competitors. Despite having debated at the UMKC tournament all weekend, and advancing a team all the way to quarter-finals, KCKCC Blue Devil debaters made the time to support new debaters.
The middle school side of DKC will be making waves soon with a workshop and the first tournament of the season happening within the next two weeks.
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