Ethan Zhao ’26

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In the heart of Kostka Hall, sits a small room where the debate team is based. Within that classroom, some of the nation’s brightest debaters excitedly discuss a diverse array of topics from Russian geopolitics to American housing. Among those students, a new group has begun to grow in both numbers and in success. Public Forum, a newer debate style with 2v2 instead of LD’s 1v1, has seen massive successes built on a legacy of triumphs. Last year, PF debaters Ishan Dubey ‘23 and John Yates ‘25 secured a vast record of tournament victories including Texas State while obtaining a record-breaking 12 bids to the nation’s most prestigious tournament. Not only did these represent Strake’s excellence in debate, but they also marks a critical moment as the team enters a new era of national prominence. 

When asked to describe the PF team, team captain Daniel Guo ‘25 and head coach Mr. Crist answered “exciting” and “promising.” Why? In one of its busiest weekends, the Strake Jesuit PF team sent a total of 46 debaters to three different tournaments, each at a different but unique level of debate. Of these numbers, a significant 22 were freshmen. These new debaters combined with the experience of the upperclassmen was bound to turn the school’s potential into kinetic victories. In the first tournament of the year at Jordan, Jesuit easily won first in Varsity while achieving great success with the new freshmen in Junior Varsity as two teams reached semifinals. In September, both freshmen and upperclassmen continued this streak of success with victories at Grapevine and the University of Kentucky.

Mr. Crist seeks to expand on these triumphs by “continuing to win state championships” while using our immense potential and grow to “win nationals. We won NSDA nationals in 2008 in LD but never in PF.” Mr. Crist cites new developments given to PF debaters that would help us advance our team further on the national circuit. “Giving opportunities to go to tournaments, working hard, tutoring, and traveling will be immensely helpful resources for us.” Thus, Daniel concludes that with this built up energy and experience, the team could really “reach for the stars.”

However, this extraordinary growth also faces challenges. Both Daniel and Mr. Crist highlight the importance of balance in debate. Mr. Crist notes that every year, “Kids focused on school and high-level debate will need to balance workflow with debate. Students miss a lot of school to travel for tournaments and use their weekends to debate as well. It is a common challenge, but I always have faith in the students.” Additionally, Mr. Crist mentions how much work went into each topic and tournament, especially for freshmen. Students need to “be fearless, work hard, ask questions, and never be afraid to go into a round.” Further, freshmen must “learn quickly and maintain their tendencies to work hard in order to overcome the significant learning curve” that exists in Public Forum debate.

As the year progresses and students overcome their challenges, successes are only expected to multiply. Both Mr. Crist and Daniel reported how the massive amount of new freshmen and helpful upperclassmen meant triumphs would continue to increase. After establishing itself as a powerful force on the national circuit last year, Strake is now posed to dominate and succeed even further in the country’s debate spotlight. As Finney Haire ‘25 adequately puts it, “We are only getting better and better.”