Logan Noel '15

When I was a freshman, the debate team was very small, but it’s grown quite a bit since. It’s been very rewarding trying to do build the debate team, going to more tournaments, making it attractive to join, making it credible. Debate is a really interesting activity because it helps you with all the other aspects of school life. It helps with critical thinking and analyzing different points of view. Being part of the debate team has helped me grow as a person, to develop my opinions, thoughts, and feelings. I've also become more outgoing—I'm much more confident in my ability to speak and connect with people.

 

Debate was actually one of the main reasons I was looking at the school. I've always been interested in politics and global issues, and I felt that Debate would be a good way to learn more about the things I care about. 

 

Our Debate team has been enjoying a lot of success recently—we currently have 3 teams ranked in the Top 20 in North America. I was ranked 13th in North America last year. 

 

I've also been very involved in the theater community--although prior to sophomore year I had never touched theater! That year I just decided to audition for the fall show. The play looked interesting and I was friends with people involved in theater. It seemed like it would be fun, and also would push me past my comfort zone. I auditioned and got a part! Since then, theater has become a great passion of mine. Jen Coté has helped cultivate my love of performance and theater. I love the chance to learn more about myself by exploring all sorts of characters. The adrenaline rush that comes from being on stage in front of an audience is like nothing else.

 

I like to look at things from as many different angles as I possibly can. I also like to have conversations with my friends outside of classes--to test my opinions against others and in so doing to help shape my own beliefs and opions. SA is an excellent place to talk about things you’re passionate about because you’ll find people who share your views, but also those who don’t. You can talk together constructively and there is real dialogue.

I also enjoy tinkering and building things. A lot of that has been inspired by classes I’ve taken here. Right now, myself and a couple friends are building a nuclear fusion reactor in a garage (yes, it's legal!), which was inspired by physics class.

 

I enjoy every aspect of the academic experience, but my favorite classes were Economics, AP Physics, and AP Calculus. They seem wildly divergent, but I think this says a lot about me. The common theme between them is that they help me understand more about the world, to see things differently than I did before.