JCHS Students Debate

Eight students from Jasper County High School competed in four rounds of public forum debate at Warner Robins High School on Saturday, with JCHS senior, Robert Pulliam, awarded the second top speaker award out of 28 competitors.
Kristy Sheppard, JCHS senior, also placed in the top 10. The students, based on a coin flip, argued in support of or against the following resolution: United States policy on illegal immigration should focus on attrition through enforcement rather than amnesty.

Partners Robert Pulliam and freshman Kate Holloway placed sixth overall and they and freshman Chelsea Kamplain and senior Drew Aiken, junior Dwayne Miller and Kristy Sheppard, and juniors Megan Fontaine and Phillips Workman, had to attain a level of competency in the subject area as well as the ability to make cogent arguments in a very
tight time frame.

“The students did a great job for their first tournament,” said debate coach Tyson Harty.

“All teams improved their speaker points from the first round to the subsequent round, so they learned and improved with experience and judge feedback.” Mr. Harty also noted that five of the students were completely new to debate this year.

Public Forum Debate is a team event that advocates or rejects a position posed by the resolution. A central tenet of the debate is that the clash of ideas must be communicated in a manner persuasive to the non-specialist or “citizen judge,” i.e. member of an American jury.
JCHS Speech and Debate Team members are coached by JCHS science teacher Tyson Harty and advisor Jehan El-Jourbagy. JCHS teacher Frank Altschul also attended the tournament as a chaperone and judge.

The students will next travel to Fayette County on November 14.