Congress could learn from Lyons Township High School students

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Lyons Township students practice in the library at the south campus for a Congressional Debate competition at Northern Illinois University in February. | Joe Cyganowski~For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:03AM

Dinner conversations are seldom dull at the Medlock home in LaGrange Park with three teens who are on the Congressional Debate Team at Lyons Township High School.

At a recent practice session in the south campus library in Western Springs, sophomore Max Medlock and later freshman Faith Medlock argued a bill in favor of shifting federal spending from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs.

In a similar three-minute speech with a prescribed format, senior Catherine Medlock opposed the measure.

“We need to change the American culture and the number of addicts,” she said. “Spending more money on the problem will not give us the results we want.”

As soon as Catherine Medlock finished speaking, a handful of students shot up from their seats, including her siblings, to challenge her assertions. The senior countered each point with ease.

As the debate’s presiding officer, junior Tom Cushing of Western Springs kept a strict watch on the time, allowing three minutes for each pro and con speaker and two minutes in between for questions and rebuttals.

Finally, one student called the question, and the measure failed by a 6-8 vote with one representative abstaining.

Cushing adjourned the session so students could continue their research on other topics for a state tournament Feb. 10-11 at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

“At tournaments, the students look a lot different,” said one of the group’s advisers, Marilyn Zimny, a librarian at the north campus library in La Grange. “The boys are mostly wearing suits and the girls are in dresses and heels or nice pants. It’s very formal and conducted according to strict parliamentary procedure.”

Zimny said she and two other advisers often serve as judges at tournaments, though not at events involving LT students.

“We judge kids on the organization of their speech, their analysis, how well they refute the previous speakers, their delivery and how well they answer questions,” Zimny said. “The analysis, or how well they know the topic, and how they answer the questions are most important.”

Solid research also is crucial.

“I help them with how to extract good research. A lot of kids think they can just talk about what they believe in,” she said. “They don’t realize you have to have credible sources.”

The debate group attracts students of varying ages and interests.

“I thought it would be good for my college applications,” said freshman Claudia Gaigalaite of La Grange.

Several relevant topics quickly caught her interest, Gaigalaite said. Debate sessions earlier this year focused on whether to allow students to drop out at age 14, fast food policy at schools and whether high fructose should be banned.

“When we go to tournaments, you can give a speech or ask questions,” she said. “People usually start out by asking questions. It can be very intimidating. The other students are very intense.”

Freshman Anna Fiszer of La Grange said debating skills help build confidence.

“You can think a lot quicker on your feet,” Fiszer said. “I put up a fight when I feel strongly about something.”

Other students said they appreciate being able to see both sides of an argument.

“I like the fact that we get so much information, we can take any position,” said Max Medlock. “Some bills, I’ve got a really strong opinion on and it’s hard to argue the opposite. But on economic bills with a lot of numbers I don’t have a strong opinion about, I can go whichever way.”

Medlock, who said he was inspired to join the group by his older sister, admits to being a little nervous at big tournaments.

“But once I get up there and start talking, the adrenalin kicks in, and I just try not to think about it.”

Catherine Medlock said she, too, was anxious starting out four years ago.

“It was a bit unnerving the first time to see 20 people jump to their feet ready to tear into you,” she said.

But experience and good preparation helps.

“I like how you have to learn to be really flexible and think on your feet,” she said. “I’m a lot more aware of what’s going on. Now I read newspapers very thoroughly.”

Like Medlock, senior Arti Patel of Burr Ridge said she likes the opportunity to draft bills for students to debate in addition to exploring hot topics.

“I’m interested in current issues and foreign policy through my family’s discussions,” Patel said. “I thought why not join and meet students who also like to talk about issues. A lot of times, there aren’t students who like to talk about the outside world, about important relevant global issues.”

Despite experience in public speaking and exposure to domestic and global problems, Congressional Debate participants said they’re not anxious to jump into politics.

“I like studying politics form afar, getting a bird’s eye view,” Patel said. “I’d prefer not to get involved. I plan to major or minor in economics and international relations and go into civil service.”

Cushing said there’s “no way” he’d enter politics.

“I like to think about the issues, but I don’t want to be part of the rat race,” he said. “I follow politics, but I don’t like it. It’s a little scary considering there’s a lot of hatred and a lot of power-hungry people running the country.”

Whether or not their Congressional Debate experience inspires any students to run for office, it prepares them to be active citizens, said social studies teacher Tom Swiontek, another sponsor of the group.

“Many of our students have won individual speaking awards, but I take a more holistic view of our success, Swiontek said. “Our biggest accomplishment as a team is that each week 15 to 30 students gather to research and discuss current events.

“Their awareness of political issues is much deeper than the sound bite rhetoric found in the world today.”

The activity also prepares students well for life, honing skills in researching and analyzing arguments, refuting opponent’s points and thinking on their feet, he said.

“A debate chamber is a fast and furious arena,” Swiontek said.

“Freshmen students compete with and learn from
seniors. It’s a wonderful thing.”