MADISON, Conn. – Earlier this month, two senior members of the Fitch Debate Team earned a spot in the varsity final round of the December Connecticut Debate Association competition, winning first place in their division.
Seniors Katie Virtue and Megan Lacey won a trip to the final round, and ended the day going 4-0, making them the first to accomplish both. The team competed at Daniel Hand High School in Madison on Saturday, Dec. 8 with Fitch bringing 17 debaters to the competition. The topic being argued was whether or not the U.S government should be allowed to purchase equity stakes in private companies.
Virtue also earned the second place speaker award in the division. It was her second medal this year, with the first coming in October, when Virtue and Senior Avery Horan placed third in the competition.
Virtue treated the varsity final like any other debate.
“The time I have to fill, the techniques I use, and the form I follow are still the same, so the final isn’t really any different,” she said. “I just reminded myself it’s exactly what I’ve done four other times today and countless times since I’ve joined the team, which helped me keep the nerves down.”
Despite receiving multiple honors during her time on the team, Virtue admits she still feels pre-debate jitters.
“I tend to be nervous before every debate,” she said. “But once I start the speech’s first sentence, the nerves dissipate since I am only focused on what I’m saying.”
Lacey, a co-captain on the team, will also be competing in the state final at Bethel High School in March. She joins Horan and Virtue, making it the first time that three students from the debate team attend the finals. Lacey, like Virtue, joined the team in her sophomore year. The two were partnered together as a novice team at state finals in 2023.
The seniors had an undefeated record going into the final round, and ultimately beat their opponents from the Loomis-Chaffee School in Windsor by a split ballot of 2-1.
Additionally, there was success in the novice ranks. Freshmen Kendall Hantung and Xavier Eastin ranked eighth place in the novice division, with junior Nolan Borysewicz landing in 11th place amongst novice speakers.
The Fitch Debate team will travel to Fairfield for their next competition on Jan. 10.
