Blind Brook MS/HS debate teams get their first home field advantage
December 19, 2024 at 2:33 a.m.
After 40 minutes of intense argument, Blind Brook Middle School Debate Team members Jaime Chen and Seima Kitano huddled around high school junior Harry Mattinson to get feedback on their performance as they waited for their judge to deliberate.
“That was definitely an interesting round,” Mattinson said before going into how their arguments worked, could be perceived and what tactics they could have implemented against their opponents. “You guys have done an excellent job with your refutations. In the future, for a smoother experience, you could attack some of your opponents’ concepts more directly.”
It was a routine they’re used to; they’ve been competing with the Debate Team for their entire middle school lives.
But this was the first time they’d done it competitively on their home turf.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, Blind Brook Middle/High School hosted its first tournament as part of the New York Debate League.
“The league had sent out an open call asking for a hosting site,” said Tim Lewis, the high school history teacher who coaches both buildings’ debate teams. “And it just so happened that we had an open date that we could accommodate. It helped that we have a little bit of expertise on how tournaments are supposed to look and a large number of people who could volunteer.”
One hundred fifty students from schools across Westchester and New York City participated in four rounds of debate, battling against each other on selected topics. The varsity teams argued whether facial recognition technology should be banned in public spaces, while the novice teams determined if studying the humanities should take priority over STEM.
They’re topics the 20 high schoolers and 15 middle schoolers at Blind Brook have been studying for months, though they weren’t made aware of which side of the argument they would be assigned until earlier that day.
“Debaters are given their side about 25 minutes before their round,” Mattinson explained. “But they’ve already prepared and practice with their teammates for a while. They just have to copy their notes for what they’re arguing for onto a sheet of paper to take with them.”
Jaime Chen, a member of the Blind Brook Middle School Debate Team, takes to the stand during her final round at the tournament hosted at the Middle/High School on Saturday, Dec. 14. Students from and beyond the county gathered to participate in the district’s first event.By David Tapia
In preparation for her role of opposing the idea that humanities education is more important than studying STEM, Chen had researched statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor on the number of jobs the field has created while Kitano pointed to the numerous diseases scientists have eradicated.
“That’s actually something that I really like about being on this team,” Kitano said. “I’ve really learned a lot of information that I probably wouldn’t have looked up if I weren’t a part of this.”
Participating in the extracurricular has made him more confident, he added. It’s among the traits that the older members of the team believe the activity fosters.
Ryan Chen, a freshman who served as an assistant coach for the middle schoolers alongside Mattinson on the day of the tournament, said his time on the team has affected his way of tackling problems.
“I’ve improved my critical thinking and public speaking skills,” he said. “Debate really trains you to learn a lot about a topic and how to reach into that knowledge very quickly.”
Lewis said he’s seen in real time how debate has played a part in his students’ growth.
“Harry was a founding member of our Middle School Debate Team,” he said. “And now, he’s taller than me and has been helping coach the middle schoolers for the last two years. He and Ryan have been incredibly conscientious and devoted to working with our teams.”
The history teacher also thanked Pablo Zeitune, one of the co-captains of the high school varsity team, for his efforts in recruiting many of the volunteers from the community.
He added that his students took on more of a burden during the tournament, as he was drawn away from his usual coaching duties to ensure the event ran smoothly.
“While I’ve been managing the tournament, making sure our rounds start on schedule, ordering food and helping guests navigate the building, Ryan, Harry and Pablo really made sure our teams were ready for today,” Lewis said.
It’s why Mattinson was especially proud when Chen and Kitano were announced as the winners of their round.
“It was really great to see that,” he said after the result was called. “They put a lot of work into research and collecting statistics for two months. There were a lot of long practices and notes drawn up that speak to their dedication. I’m super proud of them.”
As the tournament drew to an end, Lewis said he’d like to host another if granted the opportunity.
“I think it’s a great way for families to come and see our school,” he said. “And it’s a way for our own students to really see what goes into making these sorts of events happen. We’ll see what happens with our season next year, but I would happily do this again.”
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