In 2018, Doriz Conception and Eva Flowe, current juniors, created Riverside’s debate team. The team participates in four competitions throughout the school year, which are organized by the Triangle Debate League.
Eli Edds, one of the members said, “[It] is with a few other Durham schools and organized by Cary Academy. Riverside has won 10 out of the 14 awards and places from the first two tournaments.”
In December 2019, Riverside’s team was up against Hillside, Jordan, and Southern High School. The results were as follows: Eva Egeghy (1), Eli Edds (2), Ben Patton (4), and Aiden Ehmann (6).
For every team, preparing for competitions involves receiving the legislation a couple months ahead of time, choosing their side, and researching. The members create a docket of bills, which summarizes their research and ideas.
“Depending on my general knowledge, I’ll usually spend a few hours researching and then writing is what takes me the longest… I show it to other people in the club, then I revise,” said sophomore, Egeghy.
For many of the students, revising and working with other members and the coaches is their favorite part of the club. Once at the competition, sharing of the dockets one-by-one is voluntary.
Edds said, “I prepare all 3 speeches, but only 3-5 people from Riverside do every bill.”
For Egeghy, diversifying the type of debate that she does is a personal goal of hers.
“Right now we’re focusing on congressional and I would like to do a little bit of the other types, like Lincoln-Douglass or Public Forum.”
