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Ellie Faeth

Debate team meets Monday-Friday in both flex room and Quick's room. “If there's any change, it's a bigger emphasis on recruiting,” Quick says.

After six years of being coached by Laura Hammond, the debate team has a new head coach, English teacher Corey Quick.

As the debate season begins, the team members are adjusting to the differences between Quick and former head coach, Hammond. While Hammond is still helping out, she has stepped back from the head coach position, giving Quick the opportunity to be head coach for this year.

“We have a really successful team, second last year in state at the varsity level,” Quick said.

Last year at the Classic Minnesota Debate Tournament Stillwater took second in the varsity division. In the novice division, two Stillwater teams tied for first and agreed to split the championship. The debate team took second overall.

“If there’s any change, it’s a bigger emphasis on recruiting,” Quick said.

Since the high school now has freshman, high school clubs and activities now have more access to the ninth graders which will allow them to be involved with something like debate for four years rather than only three.

Junior Cecilia Montufar said, “Coaching style isn’t what matters as much as the way they run practices, and it definitely is a little different. Quick’s a little more easy going, but Hammond’s still really involved, and I definitely like the way it’s going so far.”

At debate tournaments, coaches are usually judging other rounds or in the tab room. So coaches aren’t really able to “coach” their debaters during tournaments. This makes the way coaches run practice all the more important.

“I have valued Mr.Quick’s organizational approach,” Hammond said.

Hammond stepped back into an assistant coach position in order to focus more on growing the Stillwater speech team, giving Quick the opportunity to be head coach. According to students and Hammond, Quick is very organized and is running the team well.

This year’s debate season has begun with a change in leadership and with that a necessity for adjustment.