UMKC debate team returns with major success

  Out of five tournaments this semester, the UMKC debate team has won four of them, with just two active debaters. 

  “You really haven’t won until you’ve won your first debate,” says Jo Rice, the president of the team. He’s been with them since last year, and is debating this year. 

  The team is open to all levels of debaters, even those with no experience at all. The coaches are willing to teach whoever wants to learn.

  Aria Holmberg came to the team with no prior experience, and has won all four tournaments that she’s competed in. Her interest in debate started after she took an argumentation and debate class last semester. 

  “It’s changed the way in which I see and interact with the world,” she said. 

  According to the Stanford National Forensic Institute, debate builds critical thinking, communication, and speech, among other skills.

  “People have a misconception that debate is… hateful or it’s people yelling at each other. Debate allows for far more creativity than you think it does,” Holmberg said. 

  Eve Szylleyko, a freshman interested in joining the team, wants to use debate to learn to control her emotions. “As someone who’s very passionate about talking about things that are happening in the world, I get emotional sometimes. A big reason I want to be in debate is to learn how to set my emotions aside and debate the actual issue,” she said.

  As head coach, Dr. Scott Elliott wants to work to get the team back to its number two spot in nationals–or even win nationals. His goals include increasing alumni funding and securing full ride scholarships.

  He also wants students to know that debate is accessible for everyone. Most tournaments are on the weekends, and when traveling, the university pays for all entry fees, meals, and travel costs. 

  “We want students to worry about school and winning, not about where their next meal is coming from or whether or not they can afford to come to a tournament,” Dr. Elliott said.

  Anyone interested in debate can start by joining the team’s Roo Group. The team meets on Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in Royall Hall 206.