Speech & Debate Program Tackles Real-World Challenges

In a first for Thayer Academy’s Speech & Debate program, Thayer students participated in Congressional Debate, a format that mirrors the legislative process and challenges students to grapple with complex policy questions facing society today. 

Thayer students competed in multiple tournaments throughout the semester in Congressional Debate, notably the Xaverian Brothers High School Fall Festival and the Gracia Burkill Memorial Tournament at Natick High School. The Congressional Debate format provides a unique opportunity for students to research, write, and debate real legislation on issues that matter.

Students began by researching and crafting their own bills as they sought to develop solutions to contemporary challenges. Two pieces of student-authored legislation were selected for competition:

— A Bill to Reform Public High School Start Times — put forth by Aarav Vaghela ’27 — which tackled the intersection of education policy, adolescent health, and brain development research, proposing practical incentives for schools to align their schedules with scientific evidence. 

— A Bill to Abolish Bottom-Trawling Fishing Practices — put forth by William Bunn ’27 — which addressed environmental sustainability and the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems from destructive fishing methods. 

Upper School History Faculty Seth Willden-Patel, who serves as the program’s debate coach, said that throughout the day students engaged in substantive, thoughtful debate on these bills alongside other critical issues, including: tax fairness; voting rights and electoral participation; and international security policy regarding the possibility of Ukraine's NATO membership. 

“We’re preparing students in real time for a constantly evolving future,” said Willden-Patel.