October 21, 2009 – Our Town – OWU

OWU’s debate team and its founder/president, Usman Javaid ’10, are ready for a tough year of competition.

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OWU’s Debate Team Ready for Stiff Competition
Huber Debates and Yale University set for spring

As the Ohio Wesleyan Debate Association dives into its second year on campus, more students are taking advantage of the opportunity to debate important issues with others across the country. Founded last year by Syed Usman Javaid ’10, the Debate Association has grown from a few founding members into a popular organization sending up to five OWU teams to debates at various universities both in-state and beyond.

Javaid, the team’s President and coach, was an active debater at Aitchison College, his high school in Lahore, Pakistan, and he was anxious to initiate a debate team at Ohio Wesleyan. He says that the club has been very well-received, but participation doesn’t come without hard work. OWU Debate Association Secretary Becky Smith ’11 describes the club’s practice schedule, saying, “The team practices, in general, three times a week. However, in the weeks leading up to a tournament, we will practice as much as five or six times.”

At practices, the team discusses philosophy and current events that could be useful at competitions, discusses debate tactics, and holds mock debates against team members. As coach, Javaid says he uses practices to encourage the team and help them develop “versatility and adaptability” in their arguments.

“Instead of having set arguments and applying them to different motions, I try to help [team members] develop the ability to develop fresh arguments and adapt to the situation they are put in,” he explains.

In competitions, debate topics can range from politics and philosophy to international affairs and economics. Smith describes the competitions as being the most exciting part of the organization, and even in its short tenure, the OWU Debate Association has developed an impressive record.

“Last year, as a first-year team, we attended the national world style debate championships, and all of our teams did very well,” Smith says. “This year, as a second-year team, we had one team break to the quarterfinals at our first tournament, with three weeks of prep, and going into the quarter finals they were the tenth team in a tournament with around 70 teams. None of our five teams placed in the bottom third, which is incredible, considering that two of the teams were composed of new members who had never debated before and had only three weeks of practice.”

Javaid attributes the group’s success to talented participants and strong group dynamics. “The members are not only dedicated to the club, but are also really good friends,” he says. With such a strong group, his hopes for the team remain high as he looks to the year ahead. “As president of the club, I want us to have a standard list of competitions that we attend each year. In the fall, we hope to attend the Huber Debates in Vermont and one competition at Yale each year. In the spring we hope to attend one local competition, and Nationals. We also hope to have a championship at Ohio Wesleyan in the spring.”

Overall, Javaid says he is extremely proud of the squad for its impressive work as a novice team competing against very experienced teams. “Most of all, though, I want us to do the best we can, and have a good time doing it. That is my goal and expectation as a coach,” Javaid says. And you can’t debate that.

– Amanda Zechiel ’09