By Samuel Frattasio ’27
News Editor
Another debate season is in the books! The Hanover High School team made great individual progress and improved dramatically this year. Sure, our competitive spirit makes us want to beat our opponent in each match, and two of our debaters finished at the top of the league. However, standings and sheer results don’t tell the whole story of our growth as a team. The continuous development of each person’s skills, confidence and general understanding of how to prepare for each match progressed week after week.
It’s amazing to think about my freshman year, when the club was just a couple of seasons old and the group was still learning the basics of cross-examination and rebuttal. Five years after its founding, the program has become a well developed, accomplished and competitive machine. During the season, debates progressively strengthen in structure. As a result, we have to constantly enhance our ability to think on our feet in an effort to become more effective speakers. It’s gratifying to watch everyone’s success knowing how hard each teammate has worked and the effort put in to getting better.
People outside the world of debate may be unaware of how exactly the competition works. As one of 15 schools in the Southeastern Massachusetts Debate League, Hanover takes part in five meets each year. Each meet has two rounds, and debaters are paired up with students of similar abilities in Novice or Varsity divsions. Debaters are given a topic to resolve, with this year’s focusing on government funding of research and development in the Arctic. Two-person teams are designated as “affirmative” or “negative;” affirmatives write an argument and find data to back up their points, and negatives conduct research to anticipate and disprove those arguments. At each debate, an affirmative from one school faces a negative from another, and they engage in a series of arguments and rebuttals in front of a judge. The team that best delivers their case, based on several criteria, wins the debate. Debaters can earn individual speaker points for persuasiveness, organization, charisma and style. From one meet to the next, debaters strive to increase their knowledge and improve their performances.
This season, in particular, showcased our team’s progress through several impressive accomplishments. Seniors Abbey Corbo and Alana Cole competed in the league Finals, finishing in first place in the varsity division. Their accomplishments secured the 2026 debate league championship title for Hanover. I placed third in the league standing for the “negative” varsity speaker points, while freshmen Samantha Kwan and Avery Welch both had outstanding seasons.
Strong personal performances and consistency as a team throughout the season positions us well for next year! These achievements reflect not only individual talent but also our collective strength. As Mrs. Gately, advisor of the Debate Team, reflected on the season, she said she was proud of the team’s accomplishments and the way students worked hard to improve their arguments and debating skills. She also thanked seniors Cole, Corbo, Bradlee Dowling, Liam Anderson and Aine Scanlan for serving as talented debaters, leaders, and mentors to the novice members.
With each season, the debate program continues to build on its success, setting an even higher standard for the years to come. If interested in joining the team next year, when the resolve will focus on government-funded universal health care, please see Mrs. Gately in the World Languages wing.
The Hawk 
Great article! I hope we continue to grow our team! Thanks for highlighting Debate!
LikeLike