Debate Takes Second in Region

By Jordan Jolley

The team has won more than one first place medal this year alone, filling the shelves of their trophy display case located between the drama room and small gym. With the regional tournament quickly approaching, the team has a lot of research to do.

Many preparations were being taken to get ready for the tournament, which took place on Sat. Feb. 20 here at RHS.

Students involved in the different competitions spent hours getting ready to defend their assigned views or to perform their chosen subject. There are several categories that the team can compete in, including impromptu, policy, extemp, and oratory.

The team has to get ready either writing there cases, practicing their imprompt or trying to study up on their current events.

Before the competition the students are given the national debate topic for the year, this year is poverty, so that they can gain knowledge on the subject and practice debating their views. “Lots of practices, rewriting cases, prepping out against what we know other schools are running,” said RHS social studies teacher and coach of the debate team, Cody Henrichsen, about the preparations students are taking.

The debate team spends the entire year preparing for the regional tournament and to have a chance to take place in the state competition. With more than twenty competitions throughout the year the students on the team are given a chance to see many other points of view that can help to build up their cases.

The team has won numerous awards this year alone, filling the shelves of their trophy display case. These awards are given to students who score well in their events. Some depend on the score of their presentation while others compete against another debater, or team of debaters, in which case one is chosen the winner over the other by a judge.

“We should do well,” said Henrichsen, who predicted at least a second place spot in the regional competition.

“[We are] working hard against Bingham,” said the coach of one of the teams biggest competitors “[and] working hard against other schools to keep our spot.”

It is obvious that the class offers many important skills, all which can lead to awards and national recognition of the RHS debate team.

“It’s a fantastic class,” said Henrichsen “great preparation for anything you wish to do in life, especially school.”

All their hardwork has led to success.