Debaters hone their verbal fencing at Emory

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Robel Worku inhaled deeply and then let his words loose faster than an auctioneer.

He rattled off facts and quotes to support his argument until he talked his lungs out. Then he opened his mouth wide and gulped down some air, like a swimmer preparing for the next lap.

Those unfamiliar with debates would struggle to understand what the 16-year-old from Westminster Schools said.

He and the other teenagers attending summer camp at Emory University debated whether the U.S. should substantially reduce its military presence around the world. They took turns arguing each side, touching on everything from diplomacy to terrorism to the environment to economics to global nuclear war.

About 300 high school students from across the country have spent part of the summer at Emory. The sessions included programs for students from the Atlanta Urban Debate League -- a group that includes high schools serving many low-income students. Other students, including Worku, attended the Emory National Debate Institute, which ends Saturday.

The institute, which has been around since the 1970s, provides students with training and support as they rev up for debate season. The season typically runs from September to June and requires students to debate the same question Worku and the other students worked on.

At Emory, students began collecting some of the research they'll need to prove their point. They received coaching on how to improve their skills in everything from conducting research to preparing arguments to the competing in actual debates.

"Debate is its own culture, its own community," said Melissa Wade, Emory's executive director of forensics and head coach of the debate team.

Students refer to debating as their sport, a mind-sport. To win, debaters need hours of practice, serious skill and a dedication and focus on par with other student athletic pursuits. Some colleges give football scholarships. Emory and other top universities award debate scholarships.

"You really need endurance to do this," said Chelsea Ashworth, 17, from Alpharetta High School. "You learn to articulate your thoughts and positions in a strong manner. I love government and the real-world policy implications of what we're doing."

Her teammate, Reuben Lack, nodded as she spoke.

"I always wanted to be a lawyer and here you learn how to debate both sides of an argument," the 17-year-old from Alpharetta High said. "And it's fun."

"Winning is fun," Ashworth said.

Debaters use strategy to outwit and unnerve the competition; think more verbal boxing than presidential debate. Students use a mix of swagger, fast talking and quick thinking. Some bop their heads and feet to the rhythm of their speech. Others flail their arms, resembling Animal's drum playing from "The Muppet Show."

Beyond the competition, debate teaches students critical skills -- how to analyze and synthesize ideas and how to support conclusions when challenged. Graduates of Emory's debating programs have become attorneys and judges.

"It's not just about arguing to argue, it's about learning every angle of an argument and how to ask good questions and how to use facts as evidence to support your conclusion," said Robin Ayers, who participated in the urban debate program while attending Maynard Jackson High in Atlanta.

Ayers, 19, is in her second year at Emory.

"It's easy to write debate off as a geeky thing, but you can't underestimate the skills and confidence you get from debate," she said. "It changes lives."