Durant High School Debate Coach Peggy Worden said her debate students have enjoyed visiting the Harvard Campus since 1976 when she first began taking them.
Debate Coach Peggy Worden who has worked at DHS for 20 years said she has been taking students to the tournament since 1976. She said students not only get to participate in a nationally recognized tournament but also get the chance to feel out the ivy league campus.
About 16 students landed in Boston’s Logan Airport on Thursday. Stefani Bench, Dene Bets, Colby Bostick, Michael Bostick, Jacquelyn Carpenter, Caleb Chemait, Stephen Cunningham, Jacob Duraso, Joseph Easley, Peter Hedberg, Kassidy Madison, Kassandra Nagorski, Katelyn Neff, Andrew Shipman, Hailey Siler, Brittany Trent and John Weiland will all be joining Worden and other adult sponsors in Boston.
Last year Worden said many of her students were disappointed when their scheduled trip was canceled due to winter weather in Dallas, TX. This year she said they are excited to be leaving sunny Texoma to arrive in sunny Northeastern United States.
Over the past school year, students have held fundraisers and collected donations from many local businesses in the Durant area. Worden said she and the squad would like to thank those individuals who reached out and helped the program this year.
She also said that the annual trip to Harvard is a gift that really keeps giving because her students have the opportunity to walk around and explore an ivy league campus. “With so many budget cuts around the state this year our students had to miss alot of the tournaments around the state. This trip allows them to debate and experience a trip of a lifetime,” said Worden. She said many of her previous students still contact her today about the trip and that’s how she knows this is a benefit for her students.
When the DHS Debate squad returns from their trip, they will be hitting up regionals where in previous years, they have advanced to state. Worden assures her students that this is not an easy advancement and just because they attended Harvard does not mean they will advance.
She continues to strive for excellence and simply the best with her debate students said one team member.
Students also plan to visit Faneuil Hall, Hard Rock Cafe, the historic Paul Revere trail in Boston, a hockey game and of course riding the subway, which she said was and is always an experience on its own.
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