FSCC debate coach happy with team

Fort Scott Community College debate coach Nathan Magee gives only high marks to his team for their performances this season.

"I can only look at it as a positive B+ or an A," Magee said. "Coming in as just a first-year coach, the students had to do a lot on their own. I couldn't be happier with how the season went. I feel they deserved the trophy."

The debate team as a whole capped off their season by winning first place in the Community College Sweepstakes division, and fourth place overall in the Sweepstakes division at the Lincoln Douglas Open Championships competition last month at Drury University in Springfield, Mo. The team also competed in the National Forensic Association Tournament late last month in Springfield. The debate team consists of sophomore Michael Johnson, Fort Scott, who is also the assistant debate coach at Fort Scott High School, and freshman Shane Willey, Fort Scott.

The two-day Lincoln Douglas Open competition is a national championship tournament that focuses completely on the Lincoln Douglas form of debate -- a style of one-on-one debate that is also sometimes called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values and philosophy. This year during the tournament, contestants took turns during each round debating the topic of relations between the United States and Cuba, Magee said.

"Each round is about 45 minutes," he said. "It's evidence-based and there is a lot of research."

Magee said he was proud of his team's showing at both tournaments and the fact that his smaller debate team posed a threat to some of the larger college teams in the competition.

"We did very well," he said. "We placed both of our students. We were the only community college represented at both tournaments ... Fort Scott was not a pushover round and I think all teams left knowing that ... they (FSCC team) made a name for themselves and people were respecting their abilities."

Magee added he was most proud of the team's work ethic this season.

"They spent hours upon hours researching and preparing for tournaments," he said. "They went back to the hotel and researched on their computers. That's what they did all weekend ... they do twice as much work. When we don't have as many debaters, they can't rely on anyone else to do it for them."

Johnson, who was a quarterfinalist in the Open division at the Lincoln Douglas tournament and the seventh speaker overall at the event, said he thought the debate team performed well facing difficult competition.

"There was some really stiff competition so I was really glad," he said. "We were one of the youngest schools there and I think it turned out really well. I was absolutely not intimidated ... we're not nervous about big universities. I think it gives us a competitive edge when they think we'll be easy and then find out 'this isn't what we expected.'"

Willey agreed, adding that he always feels confident heading into a contest.

"I was not intimidated at all," he said. "You're a sleeper and people get this notion that we can't compete, that a community college is a fluke getting in ... being smaller I think we have to have a deeper knowledge of the topic and we have to keep working ... we were the talk of the tournament and it was pretty cool."

Willey won the Novice National title and also took home top speaker honors in the Novice Division at the Lincoln Douglas tournament.

"It was awesome," he said. "I was surprised I did as well as I did."

Johnson said he enjoys debate because it requires a person to think quickly and use skills learned through study and coaching.

"I really enjoy the aspect of critical thinking and thinking on your feet," he said. "Nothing else really teaches that. Coming up with a 7-8 minute speech on the fly, the student really has to apply what he or she has learned."

Willey said "meeting people" and "thinking on your feet" are the two main reasons he enjoys competing on the debate team. Both students said they wanted to thank the community and FSCC administration for supporting the debate and forensics teams. FSCC pays for the team's trips, hotel costs, and tournament fees during the season.