"No Argument Here" - KnightTimes Summer 2022

DEBATE

NO ARGUMENT HERE A NEW ERA FOR PACE DEBATE THIS PAGE: Representing Pace at the Michigan Debate Institutes this summer

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The Magazine of Pace Academy

F OR S L UND

HE PA CE DE B AT E DY N A S T Y, published in the spring 2012 KnightTimes, chronicled the development of Pace Academy’s policy debate program over 40 years—from fledgling start-up to competitive superpower. Since its founding, Pace Debate has earned 37 state-championship titles and a collection of national accolades, including a first-place trophy at the national Tournament of Champions in 2002, and fifth-place finishes at the 2007, 2009 and 2013 tournaments. Pace teams also claimed the esteemed National Debate Coaches Association Championship title in 2013 and 2015.

Approaching its half-century mark, the storied program entered a period of transition, in some ways reminiscent of those of earlier decades. A coaching switch is a certain catalyst for change, and after 16 years at Pace, SHUNTÁ JORDAN accepted a college-level opportunity, passing the reins to a new leader for the 2019–2020 school year. During this period, the Middle School program also saw coaching turnover, and student participation in each division was increasingly variable, due in part to the plethora of extracurriculars available at Pace. Then the unexpected fueled the fire: COVID-19 arrived with its airborne spread. Policy debate—which calls for intense, rapid-fire oral arguments in an indoor setting—faced significant challenges.

Policy debate found ways to adapt, moving from in-person debates to an entirely online format, rather than the in-person Director of Speech and Debate ERIC FORSLUND tournaments that had ordinarily rotated through high schools across has been involved in debate for 26 years, competthe U.S. And Pace’s most passionate debaters—in both the Middle ing in both high school and college, and attaining and Upper Schools—rode through the coaching and COVID-related recognition as a collegiate All-American debater. changes, determined to continue.

After college, he coached at the University of Now led by experienced high-school coach ERIC FORSLUND, Wyoming for two years, helping the program to who took the helm as director of Speech and Debate in 2020, Pace re-establish a top 25 ranking for the first time in Debate’s transition looks to be in the past. The team, while young, over 30 years. Prior to Pace, he coached high-school is growing and reinvigorated—and all indicators show that it is debate for 14 years, including 12 years at Greenhill gearing up to reclaim its place as a national powerhouse. In an School in Dallas. Forslund’s debate teams have apadditional coup for the program, WHIT WHITMORE, a part-time aspeared in the finals of four national championships sistant coach for the Upper School debate team since 2013, signed and won the Baker Award for the best regular season on full-time as the Middle School debate teacher. Whitmore and in policy debate. He loves policy debate and teaching Forslund are committed to strengthening the program across both students the ins and outs of research, strategy, public the Middle and Upper Schools and already are seeing their efforts speaking, politics, international relations and the hispay off. Under their leadership, debate in both divisions is attracting tory of debate. A seasoned tournament judge, Forslund more students, and the teams have notched impressive successes. believes that debate is a game and that debaters should Forslund acknowledges that building back has had its challenges. have fun while participating.

“I took over the program in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, Before joining Pace’s faculty full-time, Middle School when it was in a bit of a rebuild,” he says. “At that time, we had no debate teacher WHIT WHITMORE spent nearly 10 years junior or senior debaters, and the sophomores had missed half of as an assistant debate coach for Pace’s Upper School their novice season due to COVID. Debates in 2020–2021 were team, helping coach a Pace team to and through a national completely online, and teaching students to navigate the technolchampionship. A former high-school and college debater, ogy necessary to learn debate and also debate online was difficult.”

Whitmore began coaching in 2002, juggling overlapping “I applaud the students who have stuck with debate,” he adds. positions at colleges and high schools. His list of schools “They encountered an environment unlike any ever seen before by is extensive: The University of Alabama, University of Pace debaters. Trying to learn to debate and effectively speak is Michigan, Emory University and University of Georgia, as hard enough, and to do both in an online environment presented well as Chattahoochee High School and Woodward Academy. incredible challenges, but they were amazing at accepting those Whitmore is an experienced tournament judge and a respectchallenges and excelling.” ed voice in the policy debate community, as well as a debate As the Middle School debate teacher, Whitmore’s chief goals podcast regular, featured most recently by High School Impact are to prepare the students—who can elect debate beginning in (HSI), an online site devoted to high-school policy debate.

W HI T MOR E

MEET THE COACHES

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STRONG PERSPECTIVES “After the first tournament, I knew I wanted to continue.

I love the competition and challenge, and I love getting to challenge myself and think on the spot. Plus, winning is always a bonus! Also, in debate you become really close with people, especially your partner.”

— A A L I A MIR Z A ’ 2 5 “We couldn’t be happier with the positive impact debate has had on our daughter [KAITLYN GOLDBERG ’25]. She’s learned an amazing amount about how to structure her thoughts, make compelling arguments and be a better listener, and she has made some great friends across the country.”

Learn more about Pace Debate and the program’s history at www.paceacademy.org/programs/debate.

— D AV ID and S U S A N GOL DBE R G “The most challenging aspect of debate is remembering everything our coaches tell us before a round. Once a round starts, we give our undivided attention to what is happening inround rather than what happened before it.”

— A R N AV M A DDINE NI ’ 2 6 “I think Pace Debate is an amazing program with some of the best coaches in the country, and if anyone has the time necessary, they should certainly consider joining the team.”

— S T E P HE N YA NG ’ 2 5 “Debate has given me plentiful life skills… specifically the ability to think on my feet as well as the ability to convince someone to take my point of view.”

— K A BIR S INGH ’ 2 3

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seventh grade—for high-school competitions, and to expand the size of Middle School’s team. Like Forslund, he has encountered challenges, “However, [having fewer older debaters] has given Eric and me the opportunity to really focus on the younger students, and has made us excited for the program’s future,” he says. “We both want a nationally competitive debate program and know a strong program in the Middle School will help make that a reality.”

“Debate has been my favorite part of being a Pace student,” says KABIR SINGH ’23, who began debate in seventh grade and loves the close-knit community he has found. Singh also has high praise for his coach: “Mr. Forslund is one of the best debate coaches in the country.”

The experience of “winning rounds” during tournaments is Singh’s favorite.

“The suspense right before the judge reveals the decision causes my adrenaline to rush, and the ultimate decision, resulting in our victory, gives me the greatest joy,” he says. His achievements this past season included wins with his partner, LUCA TANASA ’23, in regional tournaments and the seventh-place speaker award at a national tournament.

Forslund is excited about coaching Singh, Tanasa and other debate team members in the coming years and appreciates the school’s longstanding tradition of excellence in debate. “Pace has incredible institutional support and an amazing history of success,” he says. “It has produced multiple national championships and an array of debaters that were outstanding competitors and students, many of whom went on to some of the best colleges in the country. It is amazing to work at a place with this history.”

As debate returns to an in-person format, Forslund and Whitmore recognize that there will be new challenges. “Many of the students in the program have never had an in-person debate event, and the 2022–2023 school year will bring a whole new set of challenges as we transition away from the online format,” he says, “What is exciting, however, is that the program has some of the top young debaters in the country. After competing as first- and second-year debaters and winning many events last year, other programs and coaches have started to identify some of our students as their biggest competitors and rivals.”

The Magazine of Pace Academy

DEBATE

INTRODUCING THE 2022–2023 POLICY DEBATE RESOLUTION: “The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity.”

POLICY DEBATE EXPLAINED STEPHEN YANG ’23 and partner WILL CANNADAY ’24 reached a bid round at the Pine Crest Crestian Policy Classic online tournament last February—opening the possibility for a coveted bid to the Tournament of Champions. Then in March, Yang partnered with KAITLYN GOLDBERG ’24 for the competitive Western JV Championships in Oakland, Calif. The pair had one of the best performances by a first-year team in the country, finishing undefeated after eight rounds to claim the championship. Yang, who also received the first speaker award for the quality of his individual presentation, relished debating at an in-person tournament. “It was extremely fun because we got to meet so many other debaters in real life and experience the hype of being in-person,” he says.

Beyond tournament success, Forslund and Whitmore are intent on offering a program that benefits students. “The main thing I emphasize to students is that we are here to have fun, learn and improve,” Forslund remarks. “Debate allows them to explore their competitive drive in an academic activity that will help them improve as students, while also learning incredibly valuable lessons like how to be an effective communicator, how to present their ideas effectively, how to research, how to think critically, how policies in the United States work and many others.”

“Middle School students love to strategize about what questions to ask, how to ask tricky questions and how best to respond,” Whitmore notes.

“Debate also helps students become informed about current events and interested in topics they may never have been exposed to otherwise.”

Forslund believes that debate—policy debate in particular—teaches skills and knowledge transferable to many other parts of life, and he and Whitmore hope their students will carry the lessons learned in debate to college and beyond. Like their students, both enjoy the thrill of competition and are eager to see Pace Debate return year after year as one of the most competitive programs in the country. •

The policy debate format models congressional-style debates about public policy.

In this format, two two-person teams face off in each debate. This style differs from “Lincoln-Douglas”-style debate, a contest between two individuals. Another defining feature of policy debate is the selection [by the National Federation of State High School Associations] of a single policy resolution for all debate contests in a given year. (See 2022– 2023 resolution above.) During tournaments, which take place at high schools around the country, the “affirmative” team presents a policy connected to the topic, and the other team—the “negative”—refutes the idea of adopting that policy. Teams also switch sides while participating in multiple rounds, so in any given tournament, a team will both defend and refute the topic.

Each side presents its sets of arguments within established time limits, leading to fast delivery of arguments in a technique referred to as “spreading.”

“Policy debaters must learn the topic backward and forward, and spend a lot of time conducting academic research learning what experts in the field think of their policy ideas,” Director of Speech and Debate Eric Forslund explains. “They present this research to refute their opponents’ arguments. To be successful, teams need to be very prepared and well-researched, and they must constantly change their arguments.

Based on changes in the political process, arguments will also change, so policy debaters must keep up with current events and politics as well.”

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