Debate Team Takes On Big Issues During Rigorous Season

Captain Rikza Fatima ‘24 prepares the team for a new topic. *Photo: Kateryna Kuzma*

By KATERYNA KUZMA and GRACE CHEN-NGU

Diving into the debate team reveals a world where eloquence meets strategy, shaping one extensive argument at a time. Midwood’s debaters must master both sides of a variety of complex topics over the course of a season to survive in heated, rapid-fire competitions.

On November 2, the team attended their first tournament of the year, where the topic was whether the United States federal government should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which makes it so social media companies are not liable for what users post on their platforms.

“This was my first ever real competition, so it was a bit nerve wracking,” said Olga Rozen ‘25, who was awarded first place for novice speaker. “As the competition went on, my partner and I realized that we were actually doing well and we were gaining confidence.”

Benjamin Weiss ‘25, a leader on the varsity team, won first place in the overall speaker category, followed by Amaya Williams ‘25, who won second place. “Winning felt great,” said Weiss, who plans on staying on the team in his senior year.

In the February 3 tournament, the team’s topic was whether single-use plastics should be banned.

“I liked the February topic,” said Weiss. “I think the issue of single use plastics is a big one and I felt really good about my cases. The tournament went well [for us].”

Though a website crash during the online competition hosted by the New York City Urban Debate League threw the team off, they still gave special nominations to Diyora Khidirova ‘27 and Jasmin Yin ‘27 for being included in the top ten amongst novice speakers.

“We had some technical issues, but we still powered through,” said Khidirova. “We received 6th place as a top team and I got 4th place for top speaker.”

On Saturday March 2, the team explored the question, “Should collegiate athletes be considered employees of their institution?”

The tournament was held at Midwood from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The team even invited Mr. Anthony Odita, the AP of Physical Education, to share his knowledge. Debaters from Eleanor Roosevelt, the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering, and the High School of American Studies were also there. Freshmen Umayma Shakoor and Zhiqi Li were included amongst the top ten novice speakers.

The team’s current topic this April is whether the United Nations should abolish permanent membership on its Security Council. As always, the debaters must become experts in a topic they likely knew nothing about beforehand, and prepare to take either side of the issue.

“I have been able to develop my speaking skills and my understanding of diverse topics over the past two years,” said Irena Beznos '25, a varsity member. “Debating really elevated my language significantly. But it’s very time consuming. If you don't do the work, you kick yourself off the team; that’s how it is.”

The club welcomes beginners, who are placed on the novice teams to start. During tournaments, debaters compete in a 2 vs 2 format.

The first speaker in the pair presents initial positions and arguments for four minutes, then defends or answers the main argument for three minutes. The second speaker has a four minute rebuttal.

There’s also a two minute “crossfire” round between the first speakers from each side after their turns, and the second speakers as well, after their rebuttals. Both teams have four minutes of prep, where they can ask questions of clarification. The face-offs are lot more heated and frantic than some may expect.

But the process “builds up my confidence,” said Rukshona Melisova '25. “It teaches me to speak eloquently.”

“It’s a very competitive sport,” said Mrs. Suzane Jacobs, the AP of English,. “It requires patience and time, as well as a lot of work.”

The team meets twice weekly during periods 10 and 11 in room 345, where they run through practice rounds and review their current case to ensure each debater is ready for competition. As tournaments approach, some debaters meet daily during the week and sometimes even on Zoom.

Captain Rikza Fatima ‘24 discussed how rewarding it has been to revive the team after the Covid years of remote learning.

“We worked very hard to rebuild the team after the pandemic,” she said. “Debate has been one of the most wonderful things to me. We’re one big family, and I hope we can continue growing.”

You can follow the debate team’s exploits on Instagram at @midwooddebateteam.