The Lansing High School Debate Team is off to an exciting start to the 2026-2027 season, with students already earning strong results at tournaments across the area.
This semester, students are debating the national topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should establish national health insurance.
Through the first several weeks of competition, every Lansing debater who has attended a tournament has earned at least one debate victory, with several students already making progress toward state qualification.
Olathe North - Season Opener
The Lions opened their season at Olathe North, where Nick Barba and Lawson Diggins finished with a 4-1 record and placed 8th out of 45 teams.
Lansing debaters competing at Olathe North included Mason Bangle, Kaitlyn Bickle, Lawson Diggins, Brooks Burns, Joshua Njoku, Nick Barba, Calder Belanger, Graham Bolin, Christopher Chacon-Andrade, and Ce'bastian Neibert.
Olathe Northwest - Week 2
The team continued its season at Olathe Northwest, gaining more valuable competition experience.
Representing Lansing were Liam Scherer, Brooks Burns, Garrison Brown, Malachi Frey, Amara Robinson, Max McLaughlin, Kaitlyn Bickle, Jasmine McCoy, and William Ausmus.
St. James Academy - Week 3
Lansing had another successful showing at St. James Academy, with every team winning more debates than they lost.
Christopher Chacon-Andrade and Ce'bastian Neibert moved from the JV division to Varsity and finished 4th overall.
Amara Robinson and Malachi Frey posted a 4-1 record and placed 5th in the novice division out of 50 teams.
Also representing Lansing at the tournament were Shiloh Frederick and Kaitlyn Bickle.
Volunteers Needed for Lansing Home Tournament
The Debate Team will host its home tournament on Saturday, October 10, and this year's tournament is more than three times the size of last year's event. Additional volunteer judges are needed to help ensure Lansing can accommodate all of the teams hoping to compete.
No previous debate experience or knowledge of the topic is necessary. Each round lasts approximately 90 minutes, and volunteers can sign up for as little as one round. Lansing USD469 employees are paid for their time judging, and food will also be provided.
Available rounds are:
Round 1 – 8:00 a.m.
Round 2 – 9:45 a.m.
Round 3 – 11:30 a.m.
Round 4 – 1:30 p.m.
Round 5 – 3:15 p.m.
Even volunteering for one round is a tremendous help!
Sign up to judge: https://forms.gle/vUnGhGobgfmQxCgn9
Tracking NSDA Points
In addition to tournament results, Lansing debaters earn points toward the National Speech & Debate Association Honor Society each time they participate in a debate, with additional points awarded for wins.
The team will be tracking both monthly and all-time NSDA point totals throughout the season. Check out the latest leaderboards below to see how Lansing's debaters are progressing!
Congratulations to the Lansing High School Debate Team on a great start to the season. We look forward to following their progress throughout the year!
