The Homestead debate team competed at the state competition on Jan. 23 and 24 at West Bend High School. To qualify for state, the debate team had to win a series of two meets. Mitchell Larson, junior, said, “This year, we had six varsity members and six novices qualify and compete at state.”

At state, the team competes in a series of six preliminary rounds. The teams that have four or more wins then advance to the elimination rounds. “My partner (Katie Cao, junior) and I were the second seed in varsity and we made it to the semifinals,” Larson said. 

“I love the experience of being in rounds. Like it’s just as competitive as sports and you don’t know what you’re going to have to respond to until the other team starts speaking,” Sasha Milbeck, sophomore, said. This is her first year on the team, and she and her partner, Frances Mackinnon, freshman, made it to the quarter-finals.

“Overall, I really enjoy debate because I think it promotes a better understanding of current events, government policies and our own responsibility as future voters. I also like debate because we have a great, supportive team dynamic,” Larson said. Larson has been on the team since his freshman year. Larson placed second in varsity speaker; Isabella Scaffidi, sophomore placed seventh in varsity and Tyler Gao, freshman took third in novice, first year of debate.

¨There is a nationwide topic of surveillance this year and during each round, there is an affirmative team arguing against surveillance, and a negative team who argues either pro-surveillance, or offers a counter-plan, or a more efficient way to end surveillance,” Milbeck said. Each team argues a different aspect of the topic. Since the topic this year is surveillance, arguments could be the war on drugs, immigration surveillance and many more. During the debate team practice, the team prepares arguments to use against the other team during their debate.

The team already knows what the topic of next year will be: whether or not the United States should increase its economic engagements with China.  “The team is wonderful and I have made many new friends not only from Homestead, but from other teams also,” Milbeck said