Debating: The Power of Persuasion!

Hello readers! I am super excited to share the first blog of my summer. After a long and challenging year of schoolwork, it was finally time for summer. I had been counting down the days until summer since the first day of school! It was the first day of June, and I got ready to go back to school but this tie, it was for a summer enrichment program hosted by my school district. I was interested in learning about “How to Debate?”. Let me share my experience and I’ll also dive deeper into the world of persuasion.

Day 1: I arrived at the building and was overwhelmed by the number of students crowded in one hallway. I was thankful that I knew two people in my class. Once we arrived in the classroom, we all sat down and started chatting. Our teacher’s name was Mrs. McCarty. She teaches at my future high school, and I really hope I learn from her in the future. 

We gathered materials for the duration of the camp, and then, with our tablemates, we discussed what debate is, where you can see debate in everyday life, what makes someone persuasive, and what fears people might have when debating. With my new friend, we presented our answers to the class. 

Then we learned about a specific type of debate called humorous interpretation. This video was the funniest thing I had seen all day! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5l6M2sOVFA. Humorous interpretation is a debate event where students perform a 10-15 minute memorized piece of literature, such as a play, short story, or novel. We were all divided into groups to argue on different topics. I had to argue why school lunches should be free. I chose to read and create an introduction for our group. Compared to what I had originally imagined about this camp, I enjoyed the first day and participated way more than I thought I would. I couldn’t wait to go back the next day!

Day 2: It was 7 a.m., and my alarm went off, but this time I didn’t press snooze. When I arrived at the room with my friends, we sat with our groups from the day before. There were four high school debate students here to help us for the rest of the camp. Two of the students gave my group better insight into how we should form our arguments. As a group, we brainstormed, but we weren’t sure how to frame a strong argument. After the eye-opening feedback, we felt more than ready to debate. 

We ended up debating in the last group. The other group’s presentations were phenomenal. When it was our turn, we had great cross-examinations and rebuttals. Unfortunately, we lost the debate, but I saw it as a learning experience. Later, we watched another video on a type of debate called informative debate. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O7ZXVznRdA. This type of debate involves an individual informing the audience on a specific topic within a 10-minute speech. 

To end this fun day, we played a game of Four Corners. The goal was to persuade the high schoolers to pick a side based on the most convincing argument. Some of the topics included: Is cereal a soup? Is a movie theater experience worth the hype? Are eSports considered a sport? We discussed many interesting topics just like these! 

Day 3: This day was different from the others for several reasons. First, we learned about congressional debate. Here is the link to the video we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybUtzKjk880&t=124s. Congressional debate involves students simulating the U.S. Congress by debating student-written bills and resolutions. Students give timed speeches and participate in cross-examinations. 

I hadn’t fully understood this type of debate, and our class was given a bill by the high school helpers to form our persuasive speeches. The topic we had to argue was AI. I was confused about how to form my argument because I felt the helpers didn’t explain the topic in depth. Just as I was regretting joining the debate class, the fire alarm went off. We were rushed outside and had to wait for 10 minutes. I remember telling my parents that the fire was the only good thing to happen that day. It turned out the janitor had accidentally pressed the alarm. Soon after, we were called back inside, and we had to present our speeches. 

My peers and I had barely finished writing our speeches. Only three people ended up presenting, and the cross-examinations got intense. During the discussion, it was hard for me to understand what my peers were saying, which made me feel behind compared to everyone else. On the ride home, my dad and I discussed AI and how I should answer questions during cross-examination. After talking with him, I felt more confident about my argument for the next day. 

Day 4: After a good night’s sleep and some preparation, I felt ready to share my speech. When it was my turn, I learned that giving a speech was optional. I told myself to go up there and do my best. Many people asked me questions, which was overwhelming at first, but I loved the interest my peers showed in my argument. I felt prepared to answer all the questions. After I finished, I gained confidence to answer more questions about other people’s speeches. Here is the link to my speech: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FK87tqNtWZCQa2RbpBg-jZiZMLbM5jU8TpvEoabVX_8/edit?tab=t.0. 

To end the busy day, our class played a game called Traitors. If you’ve heard of Mafia, this game is similar. Here’s how it works: one person can have one of three roles—traitor (killer), doctor (healer), or faithful (normal). Typically, there are four traitors in a game, depending on the group size. The traitors secretly choose someone to eliminate. The doctor can save one person, including themselves. Then, everyone votes on who they think the traitors are. It was a great first week of debate, and I saw a big boost in my confidence! I was super excited to come back next week to learn more. 

Day 5: I was really happy to return to class and see my friends again. We learned about another style of debate called Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate. We watched a video of two high schoolers debating in LD. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrIxlEwaHaA. After understanding how this debate works, I was told that on the last day of camp, we would have a debate bracket where we would compete in LD. The topic I was assigned was whether capital punishment or the death penalty should be eliminated in the United States. 

I learned that LD debates have a specific structure for constructing speeches. First, a speech must have a clear value, such as justice, freedom, equality, or equity. Along with the value, there needs to be a value criterion— a mechanism that supports or relates to the chosen value. The remaining time was spent playing traitors again. 

Day 6: I was super excited to continue working on my speech! I worked hard but also realized I need to learn how to block out outside distractions when focusing on something important. Overall, it was a relatively light day. We went outside and played traitors at the end of class. 

Day 7: It was the day before the big debate tournament. My teacher explained how the competition would work: 

Affirmative case: 3 minutes  

Negative case: 3 minutes  

Shared prep: 1 minute  

Crossfire: 2 minutes  

Shared prep: 2 minutes  

Affirmative rebuttal: 2 minutes 30 seconds  

Negative rebuttal: 2 minutes 30 seconds  

Shared prep: 2 minutes  

Affirmative closing: 2 minutes  

Negative closing: 2 minutes

We finalized our speeches and practiced answering rebuttal questions and asking close-ended questions during crossfire. I was a bit nervous, feeling unsure if I could answer questions or make strong arguments during the debate. Finally, we played our last game of traitors to end the day. 

Day 8: It was the morning of the big debate competition! I was nervous but also excited. When I entered the room, I saw that my first opponent wasn’t there, so I automatically advanced to the second round. After 20 minutes of waiting, I was ready to debate my opponent. I gave it my all and won my first round. Entering an empty classroom with just two other people was intimidating at first, but I felt more confident once I started speaking. I was shocked to have made it to the quarter-finals! I delivered my speech, but I couldn’t understand everything my opponent was saying— exactly what I was afraid of. Reflecting on it, I realize I need to improve my comprehension skills. Here is the link to my speech: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VKvbZzmA712JZpvlB1r3yL548saOhHJBhMcdd8UwaY/edit?tab=t.0. 

After I lost, I spent time talking with my new friends and cherishing every moment with them. It was an amazing experience, and I even watched the finals. The speeches were well-crafted, and the speakers presented strong arguments. 

I really enjoyed this experience. Despite all the challenges, I will definitely join the debate team when I start high school! I developed many skills, such as confidence and public speaking. I encourage all my readers to try the debate experience because you haven’t experienced the power of persuasion until you do!