NewsUpper SchoolAcademics
Darlington Resurrects Debate Tradition
Aug 10, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Resurrecting an old Darlington tradition, debate is going to be offered to students in the upcoming year. Initially, it is going to be integrated into the framework of the house system as intramural competition between houses, and if interest is adequately strong, there is a possibility of taking it to an interscholastic level at a later date.
Students are invited to attend a workshop on Aug. 26 that will acquaint interested participants in the fundamentals of debating. Instruction will be in the Lincoln-Douglas format, the most accessible design for learning. President David Hicks elaborated, "The Lincoln-Douglas debate format relies more on persuasive power and eloquence than on extensive research and debating points, and is, in general, more recognizable to the public as debate."
The event will be hosted by Mark Hoven, English instructor. Michael Hester, an experienced debate coach at West Georgia College and State University in Carrolton, Ga., will conduct the workshop along with a member of his debate team. Last year, Hester led his West Georgia team to a national debate championship.
"Debate, for those who get into it, teaches powerful lifetime skills: the ability to think on your feet, to argue logically and persuasively, to read an audience, to defend a point of view, and to do meaningful research. Almost any profession or career requires these skills," Hicks said. "It is also a fun and intense activity in which I’ve seen – as with most intense activities – many close and enduring friendships formed."
Representatives from each house will compete in one or two tournaments that will be held during the school year. The winning house will receive a cup, the J. M. Proctor Medal for Debate, originally designated for the best debater in the school, a highly regarded honor that was presented at commencement. J. J. Darlington annually donated the medal. The cup will remain in the victorious house until it changes hands in subsequent tournaments.
"This activity requires a lot of teamwork which will provide a good foundation for loyalty to the house, and it demands that the participants use good judgment and show respect for others in order to accomplish a goal," Mindy Gibbons, head of Gibbons House, said.
Students are invited to attend a workshop on Aug. 26 that will acquaint interested participants in the fundamentals of debating. Instruction will be in the Lincoln-Douglas format, the most accessible design for learning. President David Hicks elaborated, "The Lincoln-Douglas debate format relies more on persuasive power and eloquence than on extensive research and debating points, and is, in general, more recognizable to the public as debate."
The event will be hosted by Mark Hoven, English instructor. Michael Hester, an experienced debate coach at West Georgia College and State University in Carrolton, Ga., will conduct the workshop along with a member of his debate team. Last year, Hester led his West Georgia team to a national debate championship.
"Debate, for those who get into it, teaches powerful lifetime skills: the ability to think on your feet, to argue logically and persuasively, to read an audience, to defend a point of view, and to do meaningful research. Almost any profession or career requires these skills," Hicks said. "It is also a fun and intense activity in which I’ve seen – as with most intense activities – many close and enduring friendships formed."
Representatives from each house will compete in one or two tournaments that will be held during the school year. The winning house will receive a cup, the J. M. Proctor Medal for Debate, originally designated for the best debater in the school, a highly regarded honor that was presented at commencement. J. J. Darlington annually donated the medal. The cup will remain in the victorious house until it changes hands in subsequent tournaments.
"This activity requires a lot of teamwork which will provide a good foundation for loyalty to the house, and it demands that the participants use good judgment and show respect for others in order to accomplish a goal," Mindy Gibbons, head of Gibbons House, said.
