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Debate Team Makes Difficult Adjustments

Due to the Coronavirus, schools, schedules, and clubs have all had to redirect how they function. At Blind Brook all clubs have become remote and connect via zoom and google classroom. But, what about the clubs that are meant to compete and travel? Well, the debate team has it all figured out. 

Explained by board member Dylan Erenfryd; the debate team meets every Monday evening and is able to go over upcoming dates, as well as practice on their debating skills and creativity. Erenfryd stated, “It is hard to pretend like everything is the same as it was last year, but we all want to be here and have fun. That is all we really need.” The debate team’s normal tournament regiment goes as such: they travel to local schools and receive resolutions that can be up for debate, the team then comes together, gets organized and brainstorms possible solutions. Unfortunately, it is clear that coming together as a team and on an even bigger scale isn’t an option at the moment. It may be different and communication may not run as smoothly. Debate team member Jackson Weisnstein explains that, “We all are split up in breakout rooms that still allows us to meet new people from different schools. We also have group chats with the team keeping us all in the loop. That is the best part because we somehow are still able to make memories while still in our home. There are some challenges making a personal connection with the judge, which often helps in making your case. But despite what our community is going through, the debate associations have done an incredible job at preserving the integrity and success of our competitions.”

Any student involved in a club can attest that the casualness of meetings and socializing has been extremely altered due to the fact that they are not able to see each other in person. That huge part of socialization and getting to know others has been lost. This is extremely harmful for teens and they have to work twice as hard to maintain contact with others. A huge part of clubs is the opportunity for upperclassmen and lower classmen having the ability to bond. This shows the importance of advisors and leaders making the most of any contact with students/members. After speaking with Timothy Lewis, the debate team advisor, he explained that they are definitely at a loss for they can not meet in person. But he adds to the fact that there are some pros to this con. For example, he says that there is much more flexibility to finding meeting times and that more people can participate in online tournaments. According to Lewis, there are more new members and more people have been showing up to meetings than in any year past. He explained that he feels “at a loss” that he can not have that in person aspect with all members. But he is grateful for the amazing leadership that adds to the structure of the team. Mr.Lewis would like all team members to know that he is “really proud of this team and so astonished by their quick adjustments. We put in hard work and I am excited to see how this season plays out!.” 

It is extremely difficult to find the little lights throughout such a dark time. But finding the time to come together makes it all worth it.