For the average student, March is a time for spring break and studying for midterms. For two George Mason University freshmen, global affairs major Megan Rodak and University Scholar Nathan Stolzenfeld, March meant not only keeping up their respective 3.7 and 4.0 GPAs during midterms, but also preparing to win two national debate titles.
Rodak and Stolzenfeld finished their first collegiate season as the top novice duo in the country after securing victory at the American Debate Association National Championship, and the Cross Examination Debate Association Junior Varsity and Novice National Championship. In total, they won six of the nine tournaments that they have attended this season, and Stolzenfeld was voted Novice of the Year at the American Debate Association National Championship.
“Debate is a science as well as an art,” explains Warren Decker Director of Debate Jackie Poapst, “The style of debate that Mason participates in—policy debate—is well known to be the most difficult debate event to excel at even with four years of high school policy debate experience under your belt, let alone pick up during college.”
Preparation for the debate season begins at the end of May as the prior season comes to a close. This year’s topic, “Legal Personhood,” specified by the Cross Examination Debate Association as “The United State should vest legal rights and/or duties in one of more of the following: artificial intelligence, nature, nonhuman animal species” was one that no one on Mason Debate Team had prior knowledge of researching or discussing.
The team spent all summer researching, compiling, and synthesizing evidence from peer-reviewed sources into thousands of pages of notes. “Every member spends countless hours in the debate office researching answers to opposing arguments, constructing new positions, and practicing and refining their own debate skills and knowledge,” said Poapst. “For novices coming in after the summer research period and having to catch up makes it even more difficult, making Nathan and Megan’s success even more impressive.”
“There are definitely tense moments and incredibly hard debates,” said Stolzenfeld, who is majoring in government and international politics. “I'm glad to have had a great partner to get through it all with, and amazing coaches to help prepare for challenging debates.”
“Thinking about the fact that I had no idea what policy debate was a few months ago, it's incredibly rewarding to know how far I have come in this activity,” Rodak added. “Each of these tournaments presented their own unique challenges. But through it all, we had our coaches and older members of the team helping us through each and every tournament. Seeing that the work we do does, in fact, pay off, it makes me excited for the years to come with Mason Debate.”
The skills gained from debate are “unparalleled.” said Poapst. “Beyond the knowledge debate provides, the activity of debate also trains students to become quantum thinkers who can think through issues to the fifth and sixth levels of analysis. And a debater obviously learns to become a phenomenal public speaker.”
Former Mason Debate alums have become environmental lobbyists on the Hill, judges in district circuit courts, professors, physicists, class action attorneys, graduate students, politicians, and more.
For now, Rodak and Stolzenfeld are focused on their studies and their next competition: the Cross Examination Debate Association Varsity National Championship.
Rodak joked, “I like shiny things, they make me happy, so I hope we keep winning."
March 24, 2023
