by John Dorow ‘15
Some of Saint Ignatius’s most talented athletes practice far from the football field, rarely if ever set foot in the weight room, and dominate their opponents so thoroughly that they are considered a near-lock for a repeat state championship this spring. Their names and victories populate the morning announcements, and debaters such as Andrew Beddow ’14, Kevin Pucci ’14, and Sean Lavelle ’14 spend their weekends flying across the country to face and defeat the best opponents in the nation.
Many of the debaters realized their passion for argumentation in Mr. Buzzelli’s freshman year Oral Interpretation class, and, armed with an interest in policy, economics, and other academic topics, they decided to make the trip up to Room 512 to join the squad. Team captain Kevin Pucci said his love for debating grew out of a general love for knowledge.
“[I debate] because of the depth and diversity of knowledge it requires. Not least, it makes me an informed citizen of the world,” Pucci said.
The team travels to many tournaments per year at top national universities ranging from Georgetown to Michigan, and across the board Pucci, Beddow, and Lavelle rank among the top debaters in the competitions. In the 2013 state championship, the team won overall with Beddow finishing in the semifinals and Pucci and Lavelle placing first.
The 2013 championships was Pucci’s second consecutive win, as he also won the 2012 state tournament. The team is also currently competing to gain entrance into the Tournament of Champions, the national championship tournament, which would be Ignatius’s first berth since the early 2000s.
With Beddow, Pucci, and Lavelle graduating this June, leadership of the team is being handed over to Prithvi Pendekanti ’15, and the veterans are excited for the future of Ignatius debate.
“I’m confident the program will be in good hands,” Beddow said. “We have many dedicated, intelligent novices who show promise, too.”
Pucci, Beddow, and Lavelle are all considering continuing their talents in debating throughout college after sharpening their skills at Saint Ignatius. Beddow said he credits debate with making the person he is today.
“I have learned more in four years of policy debate than I believe I could have anywhere else,” he said.
