Through the season, the Debate Team has grown, and to be a part of it this year has been a rewarding experience.

“Being captain is definitely an experience that I will remember way beyond high school,” said captain senior Shivali Chingre through email. “Through debate, I became part of a family, and by being captain, I got to play an integral role in communicating and guiding the team. Being a leader on the team allowed me to learn facts of myself while helping my teammates be the best possible version of themselves.”

This year has been so different from years past.

”One neat part is we have a bigger team. Last year we literally had one person competing at this last tournament of the year, and while six may not sound like a lot, it’s so much more. So we still have a strong number of people coming at the end of the season,” said sponsor Dustin Zubert.

The team members also agree that the team has grown and changed this year.

“As a team, we have definitely grown in numbers. We’ve also been developing individually in terms of speaking and researching skills. We have a lot of underclassmen on the team, so I’m certain that they will grow individually as debaters as the years go by,” Chingre said.

On February 26, 2022, the Debate Team had their last invitational tournament at Harper College where they did great and ended the season extremely strong.

“Shivali brought home two awards, best presiding officer and best speaker. Shivali has always been a very good presiding officer, and so getting that at her last tournament was awesome. Luis Barahona Rivas won a best legislation award, and in the past couple months, especially, he really got into breaking down the legislation and finding unique arguments, so the fact he was able to write one that everyone voted for was great too,” Zubert said.

For the end of the season, the Debate Team had their final volunteer event and their team dinner. They volunteered at Bernie’s Book Bank, which they like to do as a team in the fall and spring, encouraging reading and education.

Chingre’s top highlight she said was, “Being able to hear Grayslake North’s name called several times and screaming when someone got an award was very memorable. The atmosphere was just unforgettable. Our Bernie’s Book Bank outing and team dinner is one of the best parts of being on the team as we always find ways to bond and spend time together and go through the highs and lows of the season,” Chingre said.

Many members of the team remember a lot from the season, including the sponsor.

“Our last tournament (was a highlight of the season and) just having a good performance coming out of it feeling good about the team and winning some awards. Siena Pietraszak won an award as a freshmen, and she was competing at her first varsity tournament, which is pretty great as a freshmen, so it was just a nice feeling to end the season,” Zubert said.

One of the reasons the event was so emotional was because it was the last tournament of the season for seniors, so Zubert gave a farewell message to commemorate the seniors’ contribution to the program.

“I hope being on the team benefited them and that they gained skills, gained confidence, and I think it did. And I hope they feel like it did too. You know Debate Team is a thing that helps you develop skills so much, and you know I have seen them change in the four years. And I’d like to think that change was more pronounced because of their experience on the team, so I hope they use what they have learned in the future,” said Zubbert to the seniors graduating who were a part of the Debate Team.

With senior members graduating soon, Zubbert sends a message to any students interested in joining the Debate Team, whether freshmen or others who will be returning to North next year.

“It’s a fun activity, and it’s also place where you learn about society. You learn about your own self skills, public speaking, and I believe it’s a great skill to have,” Zubert said.