Debate Club Organizes at Huntington High School

The Huntington High School debate club is busy organizing itself for the new school year. This is ideal organization for students who love to verbally joust and who have done their homework and can back up their views with solid facts. You have to think quickly on your feet to be successful in this group.

The full executive board is still taking shape, but the club will be led by President John Joyce, Vice President Nicolas Francis and Corresponding Secretary Ludo Cattano. Elections will be held soon for the posts of recording secretary and treasurer.

“We meet every Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m., although some debates have extended past that time,” said faculty advisor Debora Balducci, who teaches social studies at Huntington High School.

Huntington High School’s debate club traces its history to March 1930 when it was organized for the first time and named Alpha Nu. It has periodically disappeared in the 94 years since then, flourishing and retreating depending on student interest.

A sampling of debate topics for the current year includes:

Should school uniforms be mandatory? Star Wars v. Harry Potter; DC v. Marvel; Roblox v. Minecraft; Should school start later? Are zoos ethical? Should Tik Tok be banned?

“I am extremely excited to dive into some really interesting debates this year,” Ms. Balducci said. “Each year, the students work hard on their public speaking skills and critical thinking. It has been a pleasure advising this club.”

The club has a very long history; one of the longest of any Huntington High School club. A “constitution and debating club” was “hastily formed in March 1930 for the purpose of entering contestants in the New York Times Oratorical Contest,” stated the 1930 edition of The Huntingtonian, the high school yearbook.

“Following the actual competition, the club was reorganized, the result being the present Alpha Nu,” the 1930 yearbook proclaimed. “The new fraternity is formed for the purpose of imitating an ever broadening acquaintance with and support of the United States Constitution, as well as promoting an interest in debating. Semi-monthly meetings are held in which programs are enraged which will be of interest to all the members. The feature of each meeting is a regular debate under the open forum plan, in which everyone takes a part.”

The club’s first elected president was senior Florence Hoag with sophomore Herman Feinstein serving as vice president. Teacher Helen Lancaster, a Syracuse University graduate was the faculty advisor.

By 1931, the club’s membership had increased by to 30. The club’s mission continued to be to “promote interest in debating, in public speaking and in the Constitution of the United States,” according to the 1931 yearbook. “Its members have written essays for the [New York] Times oratorical contest both this year and last year and several entered the speaking contest. About six debates has been held since last September in which all of the members have participated and on March 2nd an interschool debate was held with Northport.” The club’s picnic was held at Sunken Meadow Beach on June 12, 1931.

Ms. Balducci holds an undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University in Italian Studies. She obtained a master’s degree at SUNY College at Old Westbury in teaching secondary social studies. She has been working at Huntington High School in one capacity or another since September 2017.

For more information about the debate club send a message to Ms. Balducci at dbalducci@hufsd.edu.