The UIL Academic team will compete at the Region Meet on April 25-26 in College Station. More than 15 students advanced to the competition. Meet Caitlin McLain, who will compete in three events in hopes of reaching the State Meet.
How many years have you competed in Debate or UIL Academic team events? “I’ve done both debate and academic team since I was a freshman, so three years.”
Which events are you advancing to Region for? “I qualified for Regionals for Lincoln Douglas debate, persuasive speaking, copy editing and then also for spelling. But they all conflicted, so I had to drop spelling.”
How many times have you competed at region? “I’ve made it to Region every year. Freshman year, I didn’t really make it on my own, I made it as part of the team, like riding the coattails. Sophomore year I made it on my own and got fifth, which was sad because only the top three advanced, and I was really close. So, this is my third year and I’m really excited.”
Which event are you most looking forward to? “Definitely Lincoln Douglas, because I’ve never qualified for it and I really enjoy doing it. So I’m hoping this is my year.”
What has made this year different from past years for you in debate or on the academic team? “I used to be one of the younger kids, like as a sophomore and freshman, but now I’m one of the older kids teaching how to debate and all that, so it’s definitely an interesting change.”
How have you chosen your events? They seem to be so many different topics. “Well, they are really different, but they all have the same themes, like history or English – or in general, just speaking. So they all have kind of a common theme. You’d never find me competing in math or something like chemistry. That’s not my thing.”
In what way do you prepare for competitions in your different events? “There’s practice tests for copy editing, social studies. And for Lincoln Douglas, you can prepare by arguing with people that are in your class. You try to find what their counter arguments are going to be, so you can prepare for Regionals.”
What are you most worried about for the competition? “I know the competition is going to be pretty tough, and every year before this we’ve had the same schools competing against us. But this year we’re in a new bracket, so I don’t really know what to expect.”
Describe what it felt like when you realized you were going to region for debate. “I was very excited. It’s like a March Madness bracket for debate, so you go smaller and smaller and smaller. Once I started getting into the top four, top two, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m gonna make it.’”
Describe what you felt when you found out you were also advancing for academics. “I’m not gonna lie, I was like, cool. I already knew I was going, and that’s the fun of it, because you get to go to the hotel with your friends and stuff.”
