By Ari Baral-
Several weeks before school closed in March, then freshman Gabe Simon approached Ms. Sennett about starting a Debate Club. He wanted to use this club as a way to hone his public speaking skills and open a platform for others to do the same. Just as his plans were coming to fruition, classes became remote and the club had to be put on hold. Now as a sophomore working with Ms. Sennett, Gabe Simon restarted the club for anyone and everyone to join.
This is not the first time a debate club has been started in ICJA, according to Ms. Sennett: “There was a Debate Club in the past and it was successful for several years.” Ms. Sennett explained that after some time not enough students were able to participate in the club due to them being too busy with other school activities. Being a part of the debate club requires monthly research in order to properly discuss topics without any bias. Ms. Sennett made sure to clarify that “debate is a formal process; it is not a place to argue your personal point of view.” Topics for the club will be decided by the members, and debates will follow formal debating rules: four to five minutes allotted for each side to make their point, as well as an additional three minutes given for a rebuttal. Debates will occasionally be made up of teams of two allowing for a more manageable workload per month. Over twenty students have already joined the club, and the door is still open for more to apply. Simon pointed out that “One problem we don’t have is a lack of enthusiasm.” The ardor with which Simon started the club inspired people to join without the help of any flyers. Zoe Matanky, a sophomore member of the club, shares Simon's aspiration to test and perfect skills associated with debating, and cited him as the reason for her joining the club. Although the club’s beginning had to be postponed, it is now in full swing: The first debate, which was over socialized health care, took place on Tuesday, October 27th, and the next debate, which will focus on daylight savings time, will be held on December 8th at 7:30 pm.
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