The Arx Axiom debate coach warms up the kids from her club (left to right): Jen Davidson (seated) with Hillary Cooper (Greenwood, SC), John Fechtel (Tampa, FL), Paul Aluri (Columbia, SC), Andrew Lonon Columbia, SC), Cameron Rentschler (Camden, SC), and Timmy Caiello (Lexington, SC).
Among hundreds of students across the nation, native Columbians Timothy Caiello and Andrew Schirmer placed 31st in Team Policy debate at the 13th National Christian Forensics & Communications Association (NCFCA) National Championship. Other students from the Columbia area, including Paul Aluri and Andrew Lonon, were also among the hundreds of talented homeschool debaters specially invited to attend the event held this year at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.
The highschoolers spent the year working with debate clubs in their area and attending local debate tournaments with many going on to compete in one of the ten regional tournaments.
Team Policy debate consists of a team of two students who debate another team. One team is randomly assigned to argue in the affirmative towards the year’s resolution while the other argues the negative side. Each year, a topic is assigned that all students associated with NCFCA will debate. For 2008- 09, the NCFCA team policy resolu- tion was, “Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should significantly change its policy toward India.”
Timothy Caiello and Andrew Schirmer
Students are already gearing for the 2009- 10 resolution: “Resolved, that the United States Federal Government should significantly reform its environmental policies.”
Andrew Lonon and Paul Aluri
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