GROTON, Conn. – Last month, a former member of the Fitch Debate Team returned to the Nest to deliver a lesson on logic and philosophy to her former teammates.

On April 9, Charlotte Beaulieu, class of ‘25, returned to Fitch to meet with Fitch debate members. Beaulieu, a freshman at Providence College, recently took a class on logic and philosophy and shared methods for developing arguments, applying argument theory, and using shorthand for notetaking. Many members of the team found the information helpful, giving them a new way to think about their cases. 

The meeting took place after the Connecticut Debate Association’s regular season ended, and her newly acquired knowledge prepared debaters for the next season. With a significant change on the horizon, Coach Rick Pecka sees value in the lesson.

“The CDA will be moving away from laptops and going back to paper notes next season,” said Pecka. “Charlotte’s lesson gave our members an excellent chance to learn effective notetaking skills, as well as novel ways of analyzing different types of arguments.”

The lesson also demonstrated the lifelong skills that are developed through the team.

“The Debate Team is a family,” said Pecka. “Former members from Fitch and my previous school have helped by coming back to judge, and we all appreciate Charlotte’s efforts to help us.”

The team is currently continuing preparation for next season, hosting a recruitment meeting earlier this week and meeting with members of Groton Middle School’s Debate Club on May 4 after school.