Debate team sets sights on nationals

Winning makes Abby Schirmer feel like all her hard work has paid off.

The international relations senior got that feeling last weekend when the MSU debate team took home top honors in the Owen L. Coon “Big Ten” Debate Championships held at Northwestern University.

Schirmer and her debate partner, international relations senior Jeremy Hammond, defeated Northwestern 3-0 in the final round of debate.

Will Repko, head debate coach, said the team surpassed his expectations last weekend.

“We did better than I thought we’d do,” he said. “I was really impressed with the performances of our younger students.”

Three of MSU’s four teams entered in the tournament made it to the “final four” round, Greta Stahl, MSU director of debate said.

This is the first year the program was named a Big Ten champion, she said.

With 16 members on the team, students work in pairs for research, practice and debate.

The issue for debate this year concerned foreign policy in the Middle East. Students must defend and negate various positions throughout the tournaments, Stahl said.

The team will travel to Austin, Texas this weekend for their final major tournament before the qualifying process for the national tournament begins.

MSU won the National Debate Tournament in 2004 and 2006.

The team’s goal is to enter three teams in the national tournament, which would be considered an honor, since only six universities are allowed to bring three teams, Repko said.

“It’s based on the resume we’ve built throughout the year, and I’m confident we’ll get through the (qualifying) process,” he said.

The top 76 teams across the country will compete in the national tournament in March, he said.

After being a part of debate teams for eight years on the high school and university level, Schirmer said the practice has made it easier for her to stand up and persuade a judge to her side of the debate.

“I like building together the foundation of an argument,” she said.