NSDA Districts Tournament - The Road to Nationals
Jolie Jimenez (‘26), Sophomore Writer
The Casady Debate team attended the annual National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) West Districts Tournament. The tournament spanned three days from February 29 to March 2. For the team, this is one of the most important tournaments of the year, since this is the tournament that secures spots in the NSDA tournament. Stakes are high, as there are only two or three teams that will qualify for the NSDA tournament in June per event.
At the West Districts Tournament, a few events included Lincoln‐Douglas, Original Oratory, Policy, Public Forum, and Exempt. The Casady Debate team consists of five debaters: Nathan Hollander (‘24), Grace Ferate (‘25), Jolie Jimenez (‘26), Rishika Shah (‘27), and Roshan Saha (‘27). Hollander and Ferate entered as a team in Policy Debate, while Shah and I made up another team. Saha entered the tournament to compete in Lincoln‐Douglas. Policy debate is a one-on-one debate format that focuses on ethical and philosophical issues. In contrast, policy debate focuses on policy analysis and the impacts of the proposed governmental policy. Hollander and Ferate were one of the three teams that qualified for the NSDA tournament, a very hard-earned accomplishment.
The Cyclones made the journey to Rose State College, where the tournament would be hosted. Arriving on Thursday, February 29, Casady students utilized the day to engage in team bonding before the coming days. Moreover, the debaters used this time to prepare for the tournament. For debaters, this includes putting together new arguments and most importantly completing research to be up to date on the political and economic status of the world. One of the common arguments utilized is based on the 2024 election.
For senior Nathan Hollander, this was his third time attending the district tournament. Out of the three times he has attended, he has qualified for nationals every time. However, unlike Nathan,this was junior Grace Ferate’s first time attending the districts tournament.
The team held great success throughout the tournament, winning all of their six rounds but one. Ferate stated, “I didn’t know what to expect since it was my first time getting that far in a tournament.”
While at tournaments, the team has fun while working hard. Nathan’s favorite part is “hanging out with the team.” As a senior, he explains that he enjoys watching the novices, the first-year debaters, who he describes as the future of the debate team. He hopes to “influence and build the team” as his time at Casady draws near. Ferate explains that by being a debater, “I can see all my friends, especially from Youth and Government,” allowing her to create lasting memories at these tournaments. Additionally, she explains, “In other classes, you might learn a little philosophy or policy, but you don’t learn how they interact with each other and cause an actual impact in the world.” She explains that in debate we learn how policies impact every one of us in the world, something which is truly fascinating to her.
With great victories, there must be a great celebration. For the debate team, they embark on their annual tradition of going to Waffle House post-tournament. Nathan says, “Shoving my face full of breakfast has been a staple tradition” which he will surely miss.
The team has the summer of 2024 to look forward to. The team will begin their preparations for the NSDA Tournament, held in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 16-21. Grace Ferate says, “In the weeks leading up to nationals, we are going to have online meetings and might meet up a couple of times.” The other debaters, especially the novices, will find themselves at debate camps across the nation to prepare for the upcoming 2024-2025 debate season.
