Committee Selects Texas Teacher’s Topic for National CX Debate Competition

By Julianne Coyne, UIL Intern | Monday, March 07, 2011 11:07 AM

Chad Flisowski

As a child, Calhoun High School debate coach Chad Flisowski was intrigued by space. He was inspired by Star Trek, shuttle launches and the return of Halley’s Comet. He dreamt of sailing through space.

“I never lost that enthusiasm for space travel or space science as I grew older,” Flisowski said. “I read books on the subject, watched documentaries on the Discovery and History channels and even took astronomy in college. And I never gaze up at the night sky without a sense of wonder.”

Now, Flisowski is giving next year’s CX debaters a chance to explore the topic of space.

Flisowski authored the study report that created the 2011-2012 national policy debate topic:

• Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

Flisowski volunteered to draft a topic paper and represent Texas in the debate topic selection process. He submitted the paper in June and in August, his topic was chosen by the topic selection committee, which consists of representatives from around the country, to be the debate topic for every CX debate in the country next year.

“He did an excellent job representing Calhoun County ISD, the University Interscholastic League and the entire state of Texas,” Speech and Debate Director Jana Riggins said.

Out of the nine topics considered by the committee, two were written by Texas teachers.

Flisowski said he hopes debaters will learn many things from debating about space exploration issues and that he thinks the topic will raise student interest in debate.

“I hope that students realize how critical it is that the United States not ignore this issue,” Flisowski said. “Space impacts our economy and national security and has real consequences for the entire planet.”

This is a critical time for the United States and global space programs, Flisowski said.

“The U.S. program is in a transitional period, without a viable human space craft and no consistent or grand vision,” he said. “Globally, other nations, such as China and India, are seeking to expand their space programs. There is a lot of very timely and significant discussion that needs to be had about space exploration and development.”

Flisowski said he hopes this topic makes the debate research more fun for students.

“I really hope, through the exposure so many students will have, that someone debating next year will one day be interested enough to pursue a career in space exploration or development,” Flisowski said. “I also hope that this topic will excite more students to try out debate and realize how rewarding it can be.”