By Mara Miller
Freshman Robert Thorstad would not normally call himself a “start-clubs kind of person,” but when he got to Haverford and realized there was no longer a debate team, he took things into his own hands. “There was a huge lack on campus,” he says.
Thorstad debated in high school, where he says the activity was popular and well respected. “There was a giant trophy case,” he says, “and it wasn’t for athletics.” He used the Go! Boards to muster a like-minded group of students who now form Haverford’s own Debate Team. In January, he posted a thread looking for interest in debating, and saw an enthusiastic reaction within days. Contributors considered latching onto Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore’s teams, but eventually realized that forming Haverford’s own contingent was in fact feasible
The budgeting committee was kind to the team, allotting them $1,700 for travel and other expenses. “We went out on a limb as a new club,” says Thorstad, “but we’re actually quite satisfied with the amount of funding we got.” This support gave the team the momentum they needed to get off the ground.
As a traveling team, their goal is to get tournament experience. The first test for Haverford came the weekend of February 7, when several debaters traveled to Bryn Mawr for a nationwide competition. As a pair, Thorstad and fellow freshman Audrey Saul won three rounds and lost two, and Thorstad was individually ranked ninth in the novice category. The other Haverford duo of James Merriam ’11 and Laura Martin ’12 triumphed in one of their rounds as well. Says Thorstad, “For a tournament that had first-year novices competing with varsity debaters, I think it went really well.”
Martin, who participated in Mock Trial during high school but only dabbled in debate, feels that such skills come in handy at Haverford. “I think it’ll be really helpful in class,” she says. At a school like the Ford, where class discussion is often crucial to one’s grades, speaking and rhetorical skills are invaluable, and debating is a great way to build confidence.
Freshman Rob Williams, who plans on competing in future tournaments, says he’s focused on fun. “Our high school team was really intense,” he says. “Here, I just want to enjoy it.”
Haverford’s team, composed of beginners and veterans alike, competes in Parliamentary debate, in which all arguments are made up on the spot. “You get to argue about stuff you care about,” says Williams, “and there are no coaches. We all help each other.”
At practice, the debaters work on all sorts of skills; last week, I found them bantering over whether or not the government ought to banish Ann Coulter. The debaters mapped out points and counterpoints on the blackboard and then delivered impromptu speeches. “We’re always recruiting,” says Thorstad, “and you really don’t need any experience. We mean it. We have a huge mix of people.” Anyone can check it out—the team practices every Thursday at 7 p.m. in Gest 102.
This article is © 2008 The Bi-College News. The material on this page is free for personal or educational use, but may not be reproduced, reprinted, republished, redistributed, or otherwise transmitted to a third party without the express written permission of The Bi-College News, 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041.
Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
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