The competition requires intense preparation for all members.
“We practice nonstop from about two weeks before school starts until the end of nationals,” international relations junior Quinn Zemel said.
MSU’s team has reaped the benefits of its hard work by being one of six colleges able to bring three teams to the national tournament.
International relations sophomore Tyler Thur said the amount of research the team delves into is comparable to the amount of a doctoral student.
Senior team member Kaavya Ramesh said she has put in countless hours of time working with the year’s debate topic: war power.
Among the topics at issue are the president’s ability to declare war and the use of drones.
Whether the team will be in favor of the issue or against it, the team prepares for both sides of the argument to be as knowledgeable as possible, Ramesh said.
Despite their preparation, Thur said the team still is anxious about the upcoming national tournament.
“It’s a real mix of excitement,” he said. “I wouldn’t say (it’s) nervousness, but the desire to perform well.”
Despite the long hours and dedication team members put into their research and practice, they are still able to find time for fun and coaches are flexible if students miss a practice or two.
Head coach Will Repko has been working with the debate team since 1996 when it was still only a club.
It has since transformed it into a nationally recognized team, winning championships in 2004, 2006 and 2010.
“It’s wonderful to see this public school in the Midwest regularly compete with Harvard,” Repko said, adding he is grateful for the university’s support.
Ramesh, who is graduating this year, is excited to move forward but thinks it will be a strange transition no longer being part of the debate team.
“It’s strange sometimes, but right now I’m mostly just focused exclusively on doing as well at the national tournament as possible,” she said.
Ramesh and Thur have been paired as a team since the beginning of the academic year, and Thur said he enjoys their partnership.
Thur said although he will miss working with Ramesh, he looks forward to being able to work with other students in the future.
Staff reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán contributed to this report.
