Fulton Debate Society masters art of arguing

Novice, junior varsity, and varsity could be referring to any sport at BC, but these divisions actually refer to the Fulton Debating Society of Boston College. The students contribute "the same time investment," as any athlete, said Kevin Shatzkin, BC debater and A&S '05. Also, like BC athletic teams, the Fulton Debating Society has received recognition in several intercollegiate tournaments nationwide.

The team consists of several two-person teams who participate in policy debates. Those without previous debating experience can participate as part of the novice division. Junior varsity consists of those who have little high school experience and/or two years of college debate. One must work his/her way to the varsity level, which requires two to three years of college debate and/or extensive high school experience. The difference among the three is "strength of competition" said Jim Smith, a member of the society and A&S '04.

Those who participate in debate and attend at least two tournaments each semester take a practicum class that aids with their performance in debate. This is a one-credit course. Students who participate in debate for four years receive eight credits, but the students don't debate for the credits. When asked if getting credits influenced his decision to debate, Shatzkin said, "Not at all. I didn't even know about it. The debate team was one of the reasons why I came here. The credits were really just a bonus. On the college level, everyone does debate because they enjoy it. But every round is a challenge."

"I do debate because I enjoy it," said Jeffrey Sullivan, A&S '06. "It's a lot of fun." Compared to high school, Sullivan said that the competition is much tougher. "Much of this is a product of better coaching," he said. The Society coaches include John Katsulas, director of the Society for 15 years, and Stephan Bauschard, a coach who has extensive background in debate. "They're machines," said Sullivan. "They just don't stop."

Founded in 1863 by Rev. Robert Fulton, SJ, the Fulton Debating Society began to participate in intercollegiate debating in 1895 against Georgetown University. Since then, the team has grown in size and stature. "The team has gotten larger and more talented," said Chris Schroeck, A&S '04. "This is the first year in a long time that BC has qualified two teams for the National Debate Tournament, and I think that speaks to the quality of both the coaching and recruiting that has been done in the past few years,"

"The Fulton Debating Society has enjoyed a great year. We have been ranked in the top 10 nationally," added Katsulas. "We have won prestigious tournaments at West Point and Trinity. We qualified two teams to the National Debate Tournament for the first time since 1992."

The 57th National Debate Tournament will be taking place at Emory University from April 2 to April 7. It marks the 26th time BC has qualified for the competition. Here, the two teams will meet 76 other teams from across the country.

One of the teams consists of Schroeck and John Bireley, A&S '05. "I'm proud that I've been able to qualify for the NDT every year that I've been here and I'm hoping that, if not this year, at least next year we'll be able to make a run at a national title," said Schroeck.

Shatzkin and Sullivan make up the other team that will be competing. "After learning that he [Sullivan] would be competing in the national competition I was ecstatic," said Shatzkin. "I have a real good partner and we worked hard all year. I think we really deserve this."

This past Jan. 22-26, the debaters were competing in the 45th Annual United States Naval Academy Tournament in Annapolis, Maryland. Here, Smith was acknowledged as the top speaker of the junior varsity division. In each debate, points are awarded individually, which do not coincide with the team's wins or losses. Thus, this individual achievement is especially honorable. "It was great," said Smith, who added that being part of the Society has helped him think quickly, critically, and made him more aware of what's going on in the world.

After nationals, the debaters will be holding their annual faceoff, The Fulton Prize Debate. "In April, the historical significance of the Fulton Debating Room comes alive when the debate team holds its annual Fulton Prize Debate," said Katsulas. "The first-place winners of the Fulton Prize Debate appear on the wall of the room going back to 1890. Certainly, the fact that the debaters know that the winner gets their name painted on the front wall of the Fulton Debating Room inspires them to try real hard to win the debate." This year's competition will take place on April 24 at 7:30 p.m.

"Debaters enjoy questioning everything, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing," said Shatzkin. Teammate Schroek added, "It's also made me somewhat of a skeptic as I am very attuned to the fact that there are two sides to nearly every issue."

According to members of the Society, it takes much more than an argumentative personality to debate affectively. "In order to be a successful debater, you need to be extremely intelligent and hard-working," said Katsulas. "Debate requires students to do extensive research on issues of public policy. Students need to be well read on a variety of subjects including philosophy, law, and political science. And finally, a good debater needs to be able to convey his ideas to a judge, and so, having good communication skills is also extremely important."