ABOVE: From left: senior Belinda Lutterman, seventh grader William Hamlet, freshman Thor Olson and freshman Georgia Werre look at and discuss both sides of a potential topic for the second half of their debate season.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Debate team is around halfway through their season, and the drive to succeed as one of the smaller schools to have a debate team in the state is ever-present.

Last year, Coach Erik Walker said they had a solid start before slipping a tad in the second half.

“We had a really strong start to the season on the first resolution,” he said. “We set some program records for versus performance. The second resolution proved challenging to us in terms of the way it was worded and the direction the topic went. We ended in the middle for that resolution, but we still gave a good fight.”

The first topic was carbon neutrality, and the second was NATO’s commitment to Ukraine. This year, the first topic is legalizing sports betting in Minnesota. Walker said his team has been dedicated to its craft while also participating in other activities.

“We’ve done 7 a.m. morning practice for varsity so they can be involved in major roles in the musical and still be involved in sports,” he said. “We’ve switched our practice schedule several times between evenings and after school to try to accommodate other events. I’m still seeing kids work their schedules, show up and work hard to be here so they can still be competitive while being so involved.”

The second topic will be selected in a few days between banning the filibuster or reducing military assistance to South Korea. When preparing for a topic, Walker said the first step is being educated on the history and background of said topic. The rest is built on that foundation.

“Once they get a sense for that history and context, the arguments start to become a little bit more clear and we can turn to drafting positions. After that first tournament, where everyone shows up with all their different perspectives, then it’s where are we at in terms of what everyone else is running? Is there good evidence that we don’t have answers for? Do we need to adopt positions or modify ours?”

For three seniors, including Belinda Lutterman, it is their final year in debate. Lutterman said she is looking to do her best in every tournament. So far, she and her partner have a 7-1 record and are second in the state. As a captain, she is also looking to the next generation of debaters.

“Working with the younger students is a good way for me to cement my skills, then also pass those skills along,” Lutterman said. “Debate’s one of those activities where there is a pretty steep learning curve. It’s not only helpful for me to help the younger debaters learn those skills, but also reinforce my own skills at the same time.”

With Fairmont High School including seventh and eighth graders, this provides opportunities for students like seventh grader William Hamlet. With nearly half a season under his belt, Hamlet said it’s all about absorbing what he can.

“I want to learn as much as I can, and also I want to get as high as I can in state,” he said. “My sister [Eleanor Hamlet] was the person who got ninth in state. I want to get there.”

As for the overall team, Walker said he is looking for them to continue improving and pushing the program forward.

“I keep close track of program records,” he said. “The goal is always to move the needle forward, to keep making your mark. Fairmont is still relatively young, being we started in 2017-18. There’s the phrase that you stand on the shoulders of giants. The idea is you continue to stand on the shoulders of those before you, and you make space on your own shoulders to propel the others forward.”