Submitted Photo Mya Barker, an eighth grader at Rugby Middle School, presents her argument against dress codes in schools in the Tillman Hovland Auditorium, March 22.

Kari Geisinger’s eighth-grade language arts classes invited the public to a debate series held at Rugby High School on March 22, 24, and 25.

The topics the students debated reflected questions middle schoolers sometimes debate with their parents or teachers: Should homework be required in schools? Should schools require dress codes?

On the first day of the series on March 22, one class took on the homework topic in the Rugby High School library. Next, a second group argued for and against mandatory dress codes in the school’s Tillman Hovland Auditorium.

Debating first were Bryant Bohl and Colton Buckmeier, who argued for requiring homework in schools, and Josie Tofte and Jaelyn Lunde, who argued against required homework.

Bohl argued homework was needed “because it helps you with time management skills and for teachers to make sure you’re learning.”

On the other hand, Tofte argued that homework “interfered with family activities. Toften and Lunde used Finland as an example where students find success in school without doing homework.

After the first teams finished, their classmates and others in the audience gave them a round of applause.

“These guys have never done this before,” said Ashley Seykora, who organized the debate together with Geisinger. “This was their very first debate.”

After discussing each team’s performance with Geisinger and the debaters, Seykora announced Tofte and Lunde’s anti-homework platform had won the debate.

Both members of the team debating against homework said they were nervous, while Bohl and Buckmeier said they hadn’t felt that way as they presented their side.

“How many of you think that homework is important?” Seykora asked the class.

Eighth graders at the front of the room and in the audience shrugged their shoulders.

Then, Seykora asked, “How many of you do not think you should do homework?”

Hands shot up from nearly every eighth grader in the room.

Seykora said Rugby High doesn’t have a debate team.

“We do have a speech team, though,” she said. “There are some components of (debate) in speech.”

Seykora said class A schools typically have debate teams, while most class B schools don’t have debate.

Seykora an instructional literacy coach at the school, said she had collaborated with Geisinger “to work on one of the standards for eighth grade.

“They need to write an argumentative paper,” Seykora explained. “They essentially write two arguments because they have to compare the pro and the con, so each group of students came up with their resolutions. This is their way of proving to Mrs. Geisinger that they can research and cite research in their arguments.”

Seykora said all eighth graders would have a chance to debate on a team. Topics included keeping the penny in circulation in the U.S. monetary system, teaching e-sports as a class, teaching sex education in schools, and arming teachers.

“We talked about how the number one fear in people in the United States is public speaking and I think some of them are pretty nervous to do it,” Seykora noted. “We had some high schoolers come in and watch, then (a reporter) came in. I don’t know if the students knew who the reporter was, but I would have been nervous,” Seykora said, smiling.

None of the first group said they had done any public speaking before.

Seykora asked the group if they had considered becoming lawyers. The students smiled and shook their heads.

“Teachers need public speaking, too. Teachers probably do more public speaking than we ever thought we would,” Seykora added.

The second debate of the series took place in the Tillman Hovland Auditorium, with more teachers and a few members of the public joining the audience.

Students Riley Marshall and Mya Barker argued against having dress codes in school, while Hannah Musser and Trina Adam argued for requiring certain dress standards in schools.

Adam and Musser argued that dress codes kept schools safe from distractions, gang activity, and financial pressures, while Barker and Marshall argued schools without dress codes gave students a chance to express themselves.

Geisinger and Seykora named Adam and Musser’s team the winner.

Barker said her team’s position against dress codes matched her personal opinion “to an extent.”

“You can’t have your stomach hanging out of your clothes, but (dress requirements) should be reasonable,” Barker added.

Musser agreed, saying dress codes were necessary, “but they’re just a little strict.”

Marshall said she thought some restrictions weren’t always enforced.

“The reason they have to prepare both sides of the debate is because in some circumstances, it makes them see the other side,” Seykora said. “So, if they went in having a certain opinion, their minds might be opened up.”