Debate Pays Off for Local Students

Thursday's MDL puts Madison High School senior Michael Stunes on the front page -- and rightly so! -- to recognize his acceptance into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stunes's 4.11 GPA, 2100 SAT score, and excellent résumé have helped him earn enough financial aid to cover just about all of MIT's $33,400 annual tuition.

Among his many achievements in high school, Stunes was a standout debater for the Madison Bulldogs. In his speaking career, Stunes earned the National Forensic League "Triple Ruby" and 807 NFL career points by participating in 40 speech contests throughout high school.

Another Bulldog debater, Katye Abraham, has also distinguished herself academically, winning a prestigious Briggs Scholarship to South Dakota State University. Abraham, like her teammate Stunes, earned an NFL Triple Ruby, with 945 NFL points in some 45 speech contests.

Debaters seem to have an advantage when it comes to winning such post-high school honors. This writer has had the pleasure of coaching three debaters -- one from Madison, two from Montrose -- who have gone on to win the Briggs Scholarship. And Stunes is just one of many local debaters who have gone on to study at elite American universities, not to mention win the occasional Rhodes Scholarship. Oddly, I don't seem to recall our local sports stars achieving the same rate of success at qualifying to play Big-10 football. Hmm... so if you're a teenager looking for an activity that has proven results for helping students advance in their careers, which should you choose, basketball or debate?

On another issue, it is interesting to note the apparent divergence in the university choices these two Madison graduates have made. MIT vs. SDSU -- certainly there are significant differences between them, but having studied in both Cambridge (at a slightly older school just up the Charles River) and Brookings, this writer can say that both Stunes and Abraham will be able to find all the academic challenges they want. One's university experience is what one makes of it. That was true when this writer ultimately chose SDSU for his undergraduate education, and it is even truer in today's Internet world. Heck, even if Stunes decided he didn't want to go so far away from home and put up with Boston-area traffic (be careful of those tunnels, Mike!), he could still access MIT's entire curriculum online for free!

Students can get a world-class education anywhere, as long as they are willing to make the effort to read and research and seek out the best and brightest around them, among the faculty and their fellow students. The very research and communication skills necessary to optimize the university experience are exactly what Stunes and Abraham have spent their high school careers developing in debate. Congratulations, Mike and Katye. Now go get 'em!