In its first year of existence, the 14-member Bear Creek Forensic Team (BCFT) from The Bear Creek School in Redmond has already earned 15 trophies and won the academic state championship for 2B schools. And one of its members, Abby Golmulkiewicz will compete in the individual Oratory category at the Washington state competition on Saturday, March 13 at the University of Puget Sound.

“In Washington, Debate has two classifications: 4A schools and all 3A schools and below,” explained Kevin Davison, BCFT head coach and teacher of Christian Studies at The Bear Creek School.

“Six students participate in a partner style called ‘Public Forum,’ seven students participate in single style called ‘Lincoln Douglas’ and one student, Abby, participated in individual events, speeches,” he said.

“At two trophy wins, a debater/speaker is bumped from novice to open/varsity level. Four debaters/speakers, including Abby, achieved this and were required to move into open debate/speech. Abby placed in one of the top two positions in each competition she competed in,” Davison added.

What’s the secret to the BCFT’s success, so soon?

Golmulkiewicz, an 11th grader, surmised, “Mr. Davison is a great coach, but it’s also the great education at The Bear Creek School.”

From early on, she said, students work on poetry and verse memorization and school plays. That imparts confidence during public speaking, she noted.

She and Davison explained that when going to debates, the team knows the topic ahead of time and studies both sides of the issue but members don’t know until that day which side they’ll be asked to support.

The “Lincoln Douglas” debates are more value-oriented or philosophical, while the “Public Forum” style is more “ripped from the headlines,” said Davison.

For instance, students might argue whether K-12 teachers deserve raises based on merit or whether Affirmative Action should be used in schools.

Everyone has personal opinions on such matters. It can seem like going against the grain or even selling out if you take a stand that doesn’t reflect your true feelings. That’s the beauty of an effective debate team, Golmulkiewicz and Davison agreed.

“The Classical education piece, attached to Christian education at The Bear Creek School, is about creating not just understanding of content … but all the dimensions, looking for other ways to approach a topic, being able to think outside of the box,” said Davison. “It’s learning how you can own that topic, no matter how you feel. Even if you disagree, argue in a way that shows you know where the other person is coming from.”

Golmulkiewicz compared it to “almost like being an actor in a play — ‘just for this scene, put yourself in their place.'”

At the state competition, Golmulkiewicz will present a 10-minute speech that she wrote and memorized, about Vladmir Putin and “why he is Russia’s greatest czar.”

She remarked, “I’m a bit of a Russian history buff, I’d like to do another Russian topic — maybe I’ll be known as ‘the Russian girl,'” she laughed.

Well, then how would she argue on the recent “ripped from the headlines” topic of Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko versus the U.S.A.’s Evan Lysacek? Was Plushenko robbed, as he claimed? Did he deserve Olympic Gold for doing the quadruple? Or did Lysacek rightly win the top honor because of his artistry?

Golmulkiewicz observed, “Plushenko did the quadruple but got downgraded for that execution” whereas “Lysacek did a triple but with more artistry … it’s jumping and pushing the sport to the limit versus that magical sparkle.”

In her opinion, “Lysacek said it best” when he graciously congratulated Plushenko for making a stunning comeback after a period of retirement from the sport.

To gain broader perspective on global issues, Golmulkiewicz said she enjoys reading the British magazine The Economist.

For more information about The Bear Creek School, visit www.tbcs.org.