Ranger debaters look for strong year

By Chuck Landon

Hill City High School's Debate Team is off to a slow but encouraging start. After an initial response of 12 students, including five returning "veterans" from last year's outstanding team, several have dropped out to participate in other extra-curricular activities or to focus more on their academics, leaving us with one returning debater and two novices. Senior and team Captain Kaitlynn Langenbau, who with graduated Mackenzie Swanson was part of last year's championship Public Forum team, will this year compete in Lincoln-Douglas debate. L-D is one-on-one debate named after the famous political debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas and emphasizes values rather than policies or programs. A new topic is introduced every two months by the National Forensic League. The January-February 2012 topic is: "Resolved: It is morally permissible for victims to use deadly force as a deliberate response to repeated domestic violence."
Two first-year (novice) debaters compose the Public Forum Debate Team: Sophomore Autumn Chapman and freshman Emma Buss. Public Forum focuses on strength of arguments and persuasive speaking on topics which change monthly. During December they competed at two novice tournaments on the topic, "Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals." In their very first inter-scholastic debate, competing against other Black Hills high schools at Douglas High School, they compiled a one-win, one-loss, one split-decision record. In their second tournament, at Spearfish High School, they achieved a two-win, two-loss record.
Both Kaitlynn and the Autumn-Emma team will next compete against debaters representing schools of all sizes from South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska at Newcastle high school on Jan. 13-14. The Public Forum topic for January is: "Resolved: The costs of a college education outweigh the benefits."
After the Newcastle competition, our debaters will compete in tournaments at Campbell County (Gillette), Casper Natrona High School, Lead-Deadwood, and Buffalo, Wyo., high schools. The season will climax with the South Dakota High School Activities Association State Speech and Debate Tournament at Aberdeen on March 2-3 and the National Forensic League "Hole-in-the-Wall" District Qualifying Tournament at Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Wyo.,, the weekend of March 29-31. Wish our small but talented team good luck for another outstanding year representing Hill City High School against many much larger schools!