O’Dowd’s debate team has been a cornerstone in many students’ transformative experiences. Meeting each week, these students form a camaraderie throughout the year as they prepare for competitions. This year, the team competed in nine tournaments, which sometimes last all weekend. These experiences allow our students to learn new skills, build friendships, and stay on top of current events.
“The debate team has helped me stay focused academically and improve my time management,” shares Nola Shaw ’25. “Because of our team and the topics we discuss, I feel incredibly informed on national and international politics and current events.” Nola joined the debate team in her 9th grade year. Since then, Nola has developed her public speaking and research skills. “Debate has helped me identify ways I can better apply myself in all aspects of my life.”
The program is divided up into novice and advanced debaters. The advanced debaters get a chance to practice their leadership skills, supporting the novice debaters as they learn the process and style of parliamentary debate. “The students have shown they understand the innate value of our activity,” comments Zach Moss, the team’s moderator. “They understand that reflexively approaching knowledge and learning can only make one's academic abilities stronger.”
“The debate program taught me a very important fact - I love to argue,” shares Alma Collins Dumas ’25. “Before joining the team, I knew I enjoyed talking and being heard, but I didn’t know that when conversations took a turn into disagreement, that was where I enjoyed speaking the most.” Since joining the debate team in 10th grade, Alma has thrived. Her experience changed her perception of her time at O’Dowd, seeing herself beyond a student and instead as a thinker. “Debate has taught me so much and opened my mind and eyes to the world around me,” says Alma. “I know my drive to learn will never stop expanding because of the narratives and topics I have been exposed to through the debate team.”
