Congratulations to Grapevine High School senior Jack Hasper who finished as a UIL Congress Conference 5A state qualifier.
UIL Congress is an individual contest that models the legislative process of democracy, specifically, the United States Congress. Contestants draft legislation and research bills and resolutions dealing with real-world social and political policies prior to the contest to prepare their speeches. At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure is used for discourse, and students respond to others’ arguments over the course of a session, which lasts about three hours.
To qualify for the state tournament, held January 9-11 at the University of Austin and the Texas State Capitol, Hasper, along with other GHS students, competed at the regional meet held in November. Hasper finished in the top three.
“State was really amazing,” Hasper stated. “You have to prepare to debate both sides and you can choose which side to take, but there is a strategy. For example, if you see seven people speaking in favor of an issue and you only see three speaking against it, you want to stand out so you want to speak against it.”
Judges evaluate contestants based on the depth of their research and analysis of issues, argumentation, skill in asking and answering questions, use of parliamentary procedure, and clarity and fluency of speaking.
Among the many skills that students refine during the tournament are critical listening, note taking, the art of negotiation and communication.
Those skills will be useful for Hasper, who plans to continue debating in college and is considering a career in politics in his future. He also has taken notice of the difference that the art of speech and debate are making in preparing for college.
“Already for me, it makes it so much easier in writing college essays because I know the structure of persuasive speech,” he remarked. “It also helps during interviews in relating to people. The skills I’m learning are helping me in every shape and form in preparing me for my future.”