IS COLLEGE A SCAM?

Debate Club Meeting Recap

On November 4th, 2024, the Debate Club held its first official debate. Two groups, 1 and 4, cordially debated on the prompt, "College is a scam."

Debate Club Members [scattered]

Photo Credits: Alan Mowle [PRESIDENT]

This past Monday,  the Debate Club hosted its first official debate. Two internal groups within the club, 1 and 4, represented the affirmative and negative to their prompt. That prompt was, "College is a scam". After about an hour of debate and deliberation, a verdict was reached, and the discussion overall was a success. The meeting was also used to announce the winners & new club representatives and media officers.

This meeting marked not only the first official debate in the club's history but also for the school itself. President Alan Mowle made sure to let those participating in the debate know, "Regardless of the outcome and critiques, congratulations on being involved in the first official debate in Union High School history." The meeting was also used as a public platform to congratulate and present an award to the recipients of the "Representative" award and the "Media Officer" award. When asked about the reasoning for the awards & mini-ceremony, Mowle said, "Who doesn't love their name on a piece of paper? Awards are a wonderful way to show appreciation; this appreciation expressed on a framed certificate is sure to put a smile on anyone's face after a tough application process."

Being the first debate, perfection wasn't expected. After the debate, members watching were able to engage in respectful feedback to benefit the individuals along with the club as a whole. One common critique was vocal projection. It is important to project your voice more to appear more confident and get your point across clearly while asserting confidence and authority. Improved posture and movement are also key to professionalism and confidence as a public speaker.

One of the Debate Club's new media officers, Azi Solis, who also participated in this debate, was asked about what it meant to her to be a part of this inaugural discussion. Azi noted how her participation was "nothing short of an honor." She admitted that it was "nerve-wracking," but "to be in such a special moment turned that nervousness into adrenaline."

The other new Debate Club media officer, Sundas Ali, was asked to reflect on the overall reactions to the mini-award ceremony at the beginning of the meeting. She pointed out how everyone was "overjoyed" and that later, "Multiple people approached me and were happy about the fact that they won a framed certificate."

Finally, after feedback and critiques, the verdict was announced. Group 1 (AFFIRMATIVE) was the winner of their standpoint that college is a scam. Some highlights of their debate were their rebuttals and usage of statistics from a variety of sources.

At the end of the meeting, the next debate topic in two weeks was announced. It is the debate over Affirmative Action, whether it is discriminatory or not. Stay tuned for future blogs to keep up with the Law & Debate scene here at UHS. Our advisor, Mr.Costello, once again deemed this meeting a success!