Students file in one by one through the door into Debate Teacher Jessica Reynolds’s room, where they begin to take their seats and set their bags down. Everyone looks around, anxious to see their friends and some new faces too. With everyone settled in the room, the new debate team is formed.

As UIL teams get off to a blazing start, the debate team is sharpening their pencils and preparing their cases for competition. Mrs. Reynolds, the speech and debate coach for Argyle stands at the head of all the action.

“I really like the students I get,” Reynolds said. “My debate teams are always lots of fun and I enjoy spending time with them, so getting to spend the weekends with them at competitions is always a lot of fun. ”

Not only does the debate team have fun, but they work diligently and learn essential skills for the real world.

“I think that debate is a great class to get them informed about what’s going on in our government and how our government works,” Reynolds said. “It has a lot of real-world applications.”

The team has a reputation of stopping at nothing to win a case, which is driven by their main source of inspiration, Reynolds. 

“I think my competitiveness rubs off on my team,” Reynolds said. “I think they see how much I care about winning and so it ramps them up. I think the opportunities to go to Austin and travel with us are a huge motivating factor for the kids to want to do well.”

Reynolds is passionate about debate and helping her students succeed. She cares deeply for each team that comes through her doors every year and strives to achieve excellence.

“I’m so excited, we went to debate camp this summer and they were lots of fun,” Reynolds said. “I can tell they all work hard and I’m super excited for this upcoming year”.