Spanish Debate League Expands Virtually, Empowering Youth Nationwide
Andersen United Community School competed in both in-person and virtual tournaments during the Spanish Debate season. | Photo Credit: Marina Que
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to share this story from our upcoming fall newsletter.
After 10 years of serving the Twin Cities, our Spanish Debate League has expanded nationally! We partnered with the Boston Debate League to launch the first national Spanish Debate programming, held virtually. Several sister leagues are using our curriculum, including Chicago Debates, Washington Urban Debate League, Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, and independent schools in California and Arizona. As Chicago Debates’ Director of Programs, Sonny Patel, explained in a recent Newsweek Article:
“…the Chicago league drew a lot of inspiration for its new program from Minnesota. ‘They’ve been a wonderful watching point, and thanks to them, we didn’t have to like reinvent the wheel,” Patel said, adding that the Chicago league is taking things slow to start. “You can’t start running, you have to walk before you can gallop.’”
(Lauren Giella: “Spanish-Language Debate Program Helps ‘Ostracized’ Students Feel Included.” Newsweek)
In the virtual debates, both local and national students examined multiple angles of US-Cuba relations. The students shared their thoughts on participating:
“Debate was something new and interesting for me. What I hope to achieve here is seeing different debate styles and learning from my peers how to be better at debate. I enjoy seeing how others come up with arguments that are different from yours and having to refute theirs.” – Alexa
“I joined debate because I wanted to have the ability to expand my vocabulary and ability to express myself. This year’s theme was good and there was a lot to debate on both sides. The competitiveness of each participant was excellent.” – Luis
“I like being able to learn how to express myself better in Spanish, especially in complex terms that are explored in debate. One of the questions I was asked left me in complete silence since I did not know how to answer it! Other people’s ability to handle debate in Spanish shocked me. My biggest goal is to improve my debate skills.” – Daniel
“It’s been a long time since I read an extensive text in Spanish, and it turned out well. I hope to keep growing and enjoying it. I was surprised by how many times I heard new words.” – Andrew
“I like that we get to talk about complex issues and a topic of great relevance in Spanish. It is helping me to talk to my family about international problems in Spanish for the first time.” – Maria
Our long-term goal is to expand the Spanish Debate League across the United States, including through national competitions. Imagine if Spanish Debate League members could compete at Nationals with pride – an opportunity available for English speaking debaters!