Bob Jones debate teams reach ‘Sweet 16’ in international for

Debate Team #1 members are Jordan Cozby, Sabrina Chen, Andrew Smith and Devin Norton. Debate Team #2 includes William Jackson, Aditya Mathur, James Moore and Kacie Flores. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Bob Jones High School has two debate teams vying in the “Sweet 16” of the International Public Policy Forum.

Initially, 243 teams entered the debate forum. Judges narrowed contestants to 64, then 32. The Sweet 16 will compete for the “Final 8.”

The Bickel & Brewer Foundation and New York University sponsor the debate forum, the only competition for high school students with written and oral debates on public policy.

Debate Team #1 members are Jordan Cozby, Sabrina Chen, Andrew Smith and Devin Norton. Debate Team #2 includes William Jackson, Aditya Mathur, James Moore and Kacie Flores.

Bob Jones is the only school with two teams remaining in competition.

The forum’s importance “lies in its reputation in the debate/forensic community,” debate coach and history teacher Scott Seeley said. “‘Movers and shakers’ of the debate coaches — both high school and college — have gone out of their way to congratulate Bob Jones for such a strong performance in such a competitive environment.”

“I’m beyond proud of these folks and appreciate working with these students,” Seeley said.

To advance to the Sweet 16, teams prepared written essays for the topic, “Resolved: Mass surveillance is not a justified method of governmental intelligence gathering.” Each team debating the affirmative side submitted a written response to the debate proposition. The opposition or negative side responded to the affirmative’s claims.

Then, the first responder counters; the other team gives a final rebuttal. Three judges independently assess the four essays. “Their ballots are tallied and the winners announced,” Seeley said.

Final 8 teams will be flown to New York City for face-to-face debating on May 2 “in the more conventional fashion of oral debate,” Seeley said.