The Meaning of debate

By Ryan L

For those who aren’t invested into the world of debate, their interpretation of debate as a hobby is surface-level. For example, some think debate is just arguing and think of it as nothing more. But like any other interest, there are countless ways to describe and to experience debate itself. For Rob Burns, debate had a life-long impact on him that started when he was just our age.

Mr. Burns: “Debate in high school—like, it changed my life. I mean it, it really did. I grew up in a home where I was in the deep south, outside of Atlanta in Georgia and my dad was a conservative pastor. And you know, I grew up in a very conservative

community.”

At the time, debate was a gateway for Mr. Burns to think more critically about the many views he had in life. Just like for others, debate was the reason for many people to think less narrowly and instead, take the views and opinions of others into account.

Mr. Burns: “You're very open in high school, I think, or I was to having my mind changed. And so I found debate to be very different than church and very different than school because in debate, I could read whoever I wanted to and then I could make arguments and I'd have to be listened to.”

If debate wasn’t present so early on in Mr. Burn's life, his understanding of philosophy and different perspectives would not be at the level it is today. Burns really started getting into philosophy after he started debate. 

Mr. Burns: “It definitely started to challenge some of the presuppositions that I had. But it also gave me deep respect for some conservative thinkers because I learned that they had reasons and I learned why I disagreed with them. But in the process, I came to respect them as thinkers.”

Especially when growing up in a conservative environment, being able to think outside of views you’re fed early on is huge. And the fact that Burns was still able to view many different sides equally is an example of the ability of debate to experience and perceive the way of thinking from others.

Mr. Burns: “Well, debate taught me that I loved philosophy, so I started to study philosophy. It taught me that I loved political science, so I started to really study political science. So in a sense, it opened up pathways for me. So I learned what I loved, and I started to become involved in activism and community organizing because of it, I learned about issues in debate.”

As Mr. Burns continued his journey in the political and philosophical world, he had the chance to experience work that made use of his passion and skills. As stated on the SVUDL website, “His work at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, a political advocacy organization, was sparked by ideas he was introduced to in debate.”

Mr. Burns: “I was an intern in the late 90s. I organized support for a local ordinance requiring developers to build affordable housing units and also supported efforts to unionize undocumented workers.”

Eventually, Mr. Burns rekindled his passion in debate and went to go coach debate for high school and college students. Just like how debate massively impacted Burns’ life back in high school, he took it upon himself to teach his debate students those same lessons. 

Mr. Burns: “People don't get authority because they have power, because they can do violence or punish you. They have authority because they give reasons.”

When you’re in debate, you’re forced to find explanations for what you support and it really builds on your understanding of political systems, government/school bodies, and the whole world around you. Being able to realize the foundational structure behind every action someone takes is behind reason and shines a light on the importance of debate and the lessons taken from it. 

Mr. Burns: “One of my favorite memories was the Tournament of Champions. It is a very exclusive high school tournament, and it is attended primarily by private schools who have a lot of resources. We did not have a lot of resources, but they [Northstar Academy, Newark NJ] were incredible. And when they won the Harvard debates and beat teams from private schools like that, for several of those young ladies, that really opened up opportunities to go to college.”

Mr. Burns coached a team of young ladies from Northstar Academy to win the Tournament of Champions. Especially in debate, where the field is pre-dominantly white, it is amazing for a public school to win such a prestigious tournament, especially with a team made up of minorities. It really shows that despite societal limitations and constant pressure on those who are less fortunate, there is still a way for their voices to be heard and represented in the world of debate. And for Mr. Burns, that was one of the core memories he made debating throughout his entire career. 

Although Mr. Burns loves coaching young debaters, his pathway to becoming the director of programming within SVUDL came somewhat unexpectedly. 

Mr. Burns: “So originally I was hired at SVUDL [Silicon Valley Urban Debate League] as just a coach, and that's what I wanted to do. But one thing is that I noticed was that SVUDL at the time wasn't really training teachers to coach like Ms. La [YB Debate coach] or others.”

And for Mr. Burns, that was something that SVUDL could’ve improved on: expanding the scope of SVUDL’s operations so that it would be available to more students across Silicon Valley. So now, as the director of programming, Burns’ focus has been towards training ordinary teachers from other schools to incorporate debate into their curriculum.

Mr. Burns: “And like today, I just came from Silver Creek, and we were training 21 teachers how to use debate inside of their classrooms to make their classes more engaging and give students more opportunities to use their voice.”

Even with his busy schedule as the director of programming, Mr. Burns still makes time to interact with students that are interested in debate. For example, our own very YB Debate community has built a special connection with Mr. Burns himself. And for some last words from Mr. Burns...

Mr. Burns: “And that's what debate can be. It can become a practice of freedom and I think that to me, that's the most important thing because I think that's what it means to be a human.”

For the Warrior Times, this is Ryan Luu.