Feedback and Encouragement
In another classroom, Kamdyn Sweeting and Surayah Campbell are competing in the beginner division. Here, the pace slows down as students flip through a three-ring binder containing pages of prepared arguments to make the case for “baby bonds,” a government policy that provides children with publicly funded trust accounts at birth. . The coach gave the seniors star-shaped helium balloons at the tournament, and Kamdyn stuck one in her purple hair. She said he and Surayah first joined the debate this year as seniors at Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester and are both headed to college.
“I was so nervous that I looked up the debate. I stutter a lot, so this helps me overcome it,” Suraya said. “Honestly, I'm really scared every time I come to a tournament, but I like seeing the fruits of my efforts. “I felt like I could do it if I put my mind to it.”
Ellen McCoy, a debate coach at Neighborhood House, said many children have anxiety about public speaking, but Surayah and Kamdyn overcame it through hard work. “That fear made them extremely prepared. They spent hours writing constructive arguments,” she said. “When cross-examining them, they used to hesitate a bit. I could barely hear what they were saying. Now they are much more confident and assertive.” The pair surprised themselves by earning fifth-place medals in their first tournament. This encouraged them to stay at the club for the remainder of the season, Surayah said.
“I tell my students, ‘You need to learn how to be comfortable with public speaking,’” McCoy said. “‘Do you want to struggle now, when you’re in high school, or in college, or at work, when the stakes are higher? ?' Difficulties are inevitable, but I want to be someone who helps them.”
Meeting peers from across Boston at tournaments helps seniors combat any insecurities they may have about their abilities and fitting in after high school. “I definitely felt my self-esteem increase after being around other students,” McCoy said. “They are able to fend for themselves, which leads to them feeling more prepared to enter college.”
Volunteer judges, including lawyers and BDL graduates, are assigned to oversee the debate. BDL board chair Alison Eggers says it's a safe place for constructive criticism. “It’s different than what you see in the media these days because of the emphasis on civil discourse,” she said. “After the round, students receive feedback on their ballots to read and reflect on with their coaches and teams, providing multiple layers of feedback.”
Moselle Burke (25) participated in the debate competition at the invitation of her middle school English teacher, and competed for six years before advancing to the national debate competition. A regular volunteer at tournaments, he assesses the needs of each debater and tries to provide actionable suggestions.
“As a judge, I want to reward students for making really smart, creative and passionate efforts to learn about a debate or policy topic,” Burke said. “And I want to make sure that what I tell debaters that they can develop is focused on developing the skills that I think debate should actually cultivate.”
Burke, now an accountant in Boston, said debates influence the way she understands information, interprets arguments, understands evidence and expresses her position. Receiving feedback from opponents and judges during competitions teaches students how to think critically about their presentations without being too harsh, he added.
Unlike a classroom where one teacher grades the work of 25 students, the discussion environment is overseen by judges who listen to students in small groups. “[Students] Get written and verbal feedback on all your discussions and arguments that are individualized and can help you make direct improvements. This happens four times per tournament, or 16 times a year,” Nix said. “They probably get more feedback on their work in a debate tournament than they do in a year of English classes.”