As soon as school began, Debate coach Steven Fetzik started recruiting for his activity. Returning students and new recruits began working together to improve their speech skills and researching the topics for this debate season.

As soon as school began, Debate coach Steven Fetzik started recruiting for his activity. Returning students and new recruits began working together to improve their speech skills and researching the topics for this debate season.  Fetzik, who also teaches English and is in charge of the IMC,  has been part of the debate community for over 40 years.  He started debating in high school, continued in college and finally became a debate coach when he started his teaching career.

“Our coaches are phenomenal. Mr. Fetzik, the head coach, comes from a long history of competing and coaching, and his expertise shows,” said debate captain Natalie Beauto. “Mr. Graves, our assistant coach, offers alternate perspectives and is great at explaining concepts. Together they create a welcoming, energetic environment for everyone on the team, and they teach us so much.”

Fetzik enjoys seeing his students being  successful in life and observing their improvement after graduation.

“One of my former students now works at the Mayo clinic in nuclear medicine,” he said. “Another is one of the top lawyers in Texas. Others have gone on to teach and to coach and to be leaders in business and industry.”

The current debate team is a young, energetic all-female team. According to Fetzik, all of the members are young, empowered women who achieve their potential.

“Our team this year is a lot different from our team last year,” said sophomore Kalila White, another team captain. “It is an all girls team now, but it is a lot of fun. We’re all really close friends now and it’s a lot of craziness.”

These young women enjoy being a part of the team. Earlier this season they competed in meets in St Francis, Coon Rapids and Brainerd that were successful, and November 10 and 11 the Saints hosted the National Qualifiying Tournament where White came out with a second alternate position. That means if a National Qualifier can’t attend, she will get the slot for the National Tournament in North Carolina in June.

“I enjoy coming up with new arguments and being able to try them out on people – being able to prove my point,” said White.

Members of the debate team like accepting challenges and solving problems.

“The best thing about debate for me is the challenge it offers,” added Beauto. “It encourages you to think critically about every side of an argument, and in the end makes you more than just a persuasive speaker, it makes you a more compassionate, empathetic person who can offer solutions to problems that benefit everyone involved”.