The Great Bend High School KSHSAA Regional Debate team of Patrick Heath, Bayle Sandy, Geoffrey Pafford, Isaiah Smith, Malachi Wasson and Skylar Fletcher tied for third place at Regionals at Salina South December 15th. After tie breakers, the team officially finished in fourth place.

The regional tournament is unique in that one, four-person squad plus alternates is chosen to represent the school. While debaters usually alternate affirming the resolution and attacking the resolution, at regionals one team debates affirmative all day while the other team debates negative all day. The tournament is also a round-robin tournament with every school having the opportunity to debate every other school on both sides of the question.

Great Bend defeated Valley Center, Salina South and McPherson on one side of the question. The Panther debaters lost both rounds against Newton, but soundly defeated Hays on both the affirmative and the negative.

Selected to represent Great Bend on the affirmative side were the team of Bayle Sandy and Patrick Heath. Mrs. Heath noted, “Patrick and Bayle consistently outdebated teams with an affirmative case that they had poured their hearts into all season long. They did it while setting tremendous examples for my novices of how to work hard, take coaching advice and speak confidently and maturely. I am blessed that they will be returning as senior leaders next year.”

On the negative side, the team was handicapped when junior Daniel Abbott was unable to debate due to illness. Freshmen alternates, Wasson and Smith, stepped up and rotated in to debate with senior Geoffrey Pafford.

Heath praised Pafford saying, “When faced with his last debate tournament ever and confronted with the reality of losing the partner he had strategized with and prepared with all season long to illness, Geoffrey stepped up to lead these two novices on the negative side. His wonderful attitude is a model for all my students of how they should act in the face of adversity.” She continued, “The lessons learned by Malachi and Isaiah, who got this opportunity to debate with Geoffrey at the Regional level, will carry them far in this activity. I am going to greatly miss his senior leadership.”