MCHS freshman qualifies for state debate competition

Daniel Bereznicki/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS
Elly Wasson (left) and Alexus Underwood (right). Wasson says she has been described as "loud, strong voiced‚ and very argumentative." She also has been described as a talented student that listens to the advice of her debate coach, Underwood. These qualities have served her well and now, she's going up against the best. As a freshman, this is an outstanding achievement in itself.
Daniel Bereznicki/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Elly Wasson (left) and Alexus Underwood (right). Wasson says she has been described as "loud, strong voiced‚ and very argumentative." She also has been described as a talented student that listens to the advice of her debate coach, Underwood. These qualities have served her well and now, she's going up against the best. As a freshman, this is an outstanding achievement in itself.

ANDERSON -- Standing alongside Missouri's finest debaters is Elly Wasson -- a freshman from McDonald County High School, who has qualified to take part in the Lincoln-Douglas debate tournament at Missouri State University.

On March 15, Wasson took a moment to share her accomplishments and thoughts about the upcoming competition. By her side is her debate coach and teacher Alexus Underwood. Look out for these two.

The Lincoln-Douglas debate competition is based on a series of debates that took place in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. These debates made history as the discussions pertained to the rights and freedoms for blacks and the heated issues that divided the north and south states at the time.

Now, MSU is following in the same footsteps by gathering the greatest young minds from all over Missouri. They will come together to battle head-to-head on various topics. It will be a spectacle as audiences will hear flows of ideas and arguments among the state's finest debaters.

Wasson is one of them. The following is a short question and answer session with Wasson

Interviewer: Tell me a little bit about yourself?

Wasson: "I've always been told my whole life growing up that I have a very loud, strong voice or that I'm very argumentative. That was said a lot as an insult, but I was also told, "you should debate, you should do this, you should be a lawyer." Those are the kind of things you get told when you're a young girl with a loud, powerful voice and strong opinions. So, I decided, why not give it a shot? I really enjoy debating."

Interviewer: I've seen a few debates on YouTube and different media. Some of them have one person going against another. Is that what you'll be doing?

Wasson: "For Lincoln-Douglas, it's just one person against one person. There are other forums like 'public forum' where there's a partner. But in the Lincoln-Douglas, it's just you and your opponent."

Interviewer: I would freak out if I had to do that. How do you prepare for the competition?

Wasson: "So, typically, we have about two weeks to prepare for a debate. You have an affirmative and the negative case, and in Lincoln-Douglas, you switch back and forth every round. I write both of my cases and prepare lots of evidence to back up my points and the possible attacks from the other cases. Then, we have a "brief" that has a bunch of pieces of evidence for us to look through. I put all of that together ... And then, it's just about debating in class, practicing my debates and practice going over my speeches. That way, it sounds more natural."

Interviewer: Do you think learning to debate will help you later in life?

Wasson: "Yeah, I think it definitely does ... Public speaking is the biggest fear. So, it helps you get over that fear, even for small things like presentations in class. It helps you learn to research properly, find good sources, and be able to defend your points. You'll learn your views, your values, and then be able to defend them and be firm in your beliefs."

Sitting nearby is Underwood. She is Wasson's coach and mentor for the debate competition. Underwood also took part in the Lincoln-Douglas debate back in 2016. She knows the ins and outs of the competition, which makes her a valuable asset to Wasson.

Interviewer: How does Alexus (Underwood) help you?

Wasson: "She watches me debate. She writes down notes and she critiques me. Sometimes, it might sound like she nitpicks everything that I do. But it's good, because she really makes sure that I'm the best that I can be for all my tournaments and competitions."

As her debate coach, Underwood recognizes and taps into her natural abilities to bring out her strengths.

Underwood: "The amount of competence that she (Wasson) has in her debates, and the willingness to just go for something is atypical for her age ... Elly will go and debate seniors and act like it's a piece of cake."

Underwood mentions an important quality that Wasson has, it's her humility as she listens to her and "does whatever she says."

The Lincoln-Douglas Debate topics change every two months, which gives Wasson time to prepare for her arguments and evidence. The topic that was chosen for debate is: "Should the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States be term limited?"

Wasson will be in her element because she enjoys compelling topics. One of her favorite topics of debate were "China prioritizing environmental protection over economic growth." She says topics that pertain to economy and politics give you a good perspective because it helps you "learn a lot about the world around you."

Although Wasson is a freshman, she has the fortitude to go up against her peers. Some might consider these seniors as seasoned debaters. Regardless, Underwood knows Wasson will succeed and flourish. Residents can be sure Wasson will not back down, but come out on top and represent McDonald County with pride.

  photo  Photo submitted by Alexus Underwood Here, Elly Wasson(left) and Alexus Underwood(right) are at Carthage High School, where the district debate tournament took place. Back in 2016, Underwood herself qualified for state. No doubt, Elly is in good hands with a pro like Underwood.