For decades, the Rowland Hall debate team has been a force on the local and national scenes. Now, they’ve gone global. 

This October, the top teams from the squad headed to Asia for their first international tournament at the Taipei American School (TAS). There, they faced off against teams from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, as well as some of their peers from other top debate schools in the United States. Rowland Hall’s selection to participate was partly due to the Advanced Research Debate class’s involvement last year in the International Public Policy Forum global essay contest. 

“Our goal with that contest was to get our scholarship out to a larger audience, and share the research with other teams,” said debate coach Mike Shackelford. “We did not imagine that it would end up taking us halfway around the world for such an amazing opportunity.” 

Listen to this story | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

The opportunity comes at a time when Policy debate, before now a uniquely American speech and debate event, is taking its place on the global stage. Each year, the World Schools Debating Championships holds a tournament involving teams from 70 countries that’s gaining prominence, and, as a result, more international tournaments are being planned. Mike wants Rowland Hall to be among the first American schools to embrace the trend. 

We value the national debate community because it is a larger network of gifted students and strong debate teams. And now that the community is global we want to be a part of that too.—Mike Shackelford, debate coach

“We value the national debate community because it is a larger network of gifted students and strong debate teams,” he said. “And now that the community is global we want to be a part of that too.” 

The eight AR Debate students chosen to compete in Taipei all jumped at what they saw as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The style of the tournament and the topic being debated (intellectual property rights) were familiar to all of them, but the surroundings and the culture were a whole new experience. Being good hosts, TAS arranged for a number of uniquely local experiences for the teams, and parent chaperones June Chen and Renee Utgaard arranged additional day trips outside the city. The students experienced the natural beauty of the Shifen Waterfall, participated in an authentic tea ceremony in the town of Jiufen, ate countless dumplings and miles of noodles at night markets, and took in the view from the top of Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world at 1,667 feet.

For 12th grader Aiden Gandhi, the experience of exploring the city and immersing himself in the culture greatly enriched his learning. “Being there with my team was an amazing experience and one that will definitely stick with me,” he said.

While the team took time to play, they were nothing but business when it came to the competition. They were able to close out part of the bracket, sending Isabella Utgaard and Chloe Vezina into the semi-finals, and the team of Eli Hatton and Aiden Gandhi into the finals. They finished with the second-place trophy, and Eli and Aiden appreciated the lessons learned from debating in Taiwan, and the widening of their debate circles. 

“The sense of community is amazing,” said Eli. “We dedicate so much time to this activity, and it’s amazing to meet others who do as well. We have a connection to them that we don’t have with other people.” 

I’m really hoping this becomes a regular thing. It’s not just the opportunity to travel and see new places, but also to see the expansion of debate and the new perspectives that it brings.—Chloe Vezina, class of 2027

Every member of the team agrees that the trip would not have happened, or been as memorable, without Mike’s leadership and support. Rowland Hall’s debate coach for 17 years, Mike has worked tirelessly to promote scholarship and research practices in the event and foster not just champions but learners for life. 

He’s also a lot of fun. 

“He was really into getting out of his comfort zone and encouraging us to do the same,” said 10th grader Emery Lieberman. “It didn’t matter what we did, seeing the ocean or having an eating competition at the beef noodle festival, Mike wanted to make sure it was special.” 

The team sees this is just the start of Rowland Hall’s time on the international stage, and is excited to see what comes next.

“I’m really hoping this becomes a regular thing,” said sophomore Chloe Vezina. “It’s not just the opportunity to travel and see new places, but also to see the expansion of debate and the new perspectives that it brings.”

Debate