Newton South High School’s debate team achieved extraordinary results at this year’s state tournament, held from March 27-29. Students in the competition’s “novice” and “varsity” divisions competed in pairs. Out of 95 novice pairs, South students came in first and second place. Out of 77 varsity pairs, South students tied for third.
The novice division is typically reserved for first-year team members, while those with two or more years of experience compete as varsity debaters.
The victories marked another year of success for South’s debate team, which is one of the strongest in the state and has an impressive record. The team has won the state tournament in both novice and varsity divisions more times than coach Josh Cohen can count; in 2017, the team even won the national tournament.
Coach Josh Cohen inducted into Hall of Fame
Cohen, who was on his high school’s debate team, has been working with the South team since 2010. His involvement with the debate community runs deep: At the tournament, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, an achievement that team captain Mia Dalzell said is significant and requires years of dedication.
Cohen said that participating in debate builds a variety of skills.
“Debate is really about learning to structure your arguments, to marshal evidence, and to explain how all that comes together, and what its relevance is for whatever the discussion is,” he said.
Cohen said that he admires the team’s inclusivity, particularly given that debate has historically been a male-dominated activity.
“It’s not just that the kids are very strong debaters. It’s that they’ve really made it accessible to a broader range of students, namely girls,” he said.
Above all, Cohen said that the team’s success stems from students’ hard work.
“[The students] practice every day pretty much throughout the school year. They determine what it is that they need to do in practice to become stronger debaters. It really is their team,” he said. “They push each other, and they encourage each other, and they create a community that they want to be a part of, and it’s been a very successful team as a result.”
Long-term rewards
Dalzell, who is a senior at South and co-captain of the team’s novice division, said that she appreciates both the academic and collaborative aspects of debate.
“Academically, it is really good for research skills, writing skills, critical thinking, because you have to be able to argue both sides, and it’s random what side you’re going to do,” she said. “But I also think that being able to work with a partner is super important. You’re working on a strategy between you and another person.”
Given the wide range of topics that students are assigned to debate, Dalzell said that the activity has made her more informed on a number of issues. Recent topics have included corporate acquisition of single-family residences, regulation of sports betting, space exploration, and student loans.
Senior Netta Miller, who is co-captain of the team’s varsity division, said that debate combines elements of strategy and performance.
“I think when you get really into debate, you start to think of it almost as a game: How do I win my argument to then win the round to get those points?” she said. “But I also think on the surface level, it’s really just about how you perform, how you speak, what’s most logical.”
Like Cohen and Dalzell, Miller emphasized the importance of the skills that debate builds. She also said that the team has a strong community.
“You are researching more than you’ve ever researched for any other class, which is what you actually do in the real world. You learn how to form an argument,” she said. “You learn how to public speak, and you also get a great community aspect, which motivates you to do it to such a greater extent.”
Theo Younkin is a Fig City News student reporter, a senior at Newton South High School, and former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.
