Representing Western Kentucky University, Damon Brown approached the podium, ready to present his argument in the Lincoln Douglas event. With high hopes to lead the team towards another national title, he faced his fiercest competitor and biggest rival, Audrey Brown. As the sole debater for Central Michigan University, Audrey came prepared and determined for a victory. Their tournaments consisted of one-upping the other’s argument; they came to every new meet with an argument ten times as powerful as the last. As they presented their arguments, the competition grew in its intensity. Beating out his rival, the judge announced Damon as the winner and champion of the tournament. Although they were rivals and hated each other at the time, little did they know that a few years later they’d be married and about to experience their first year as high school debate coaches.

“Before this we were competitors, so we would just compete against each other,” Damon said. “Now we’re going to be collaborating and integrating some of her things and integrating some of my things.”

While Damon was the only one who originally interviewed for the position, both his and Audrey’s high aim for success in the debate program heavily showed through when talking about what they hoped for in the future of the debate team.

“Damon just blew my mind during the interview,” assistant division head for curriculum and instruction Ellen Carmody said. “He was able to really think about how coaching at Sion would be different. He even brought up the idea of how women were underrepresented and how he and Audrey wanted to change that during their time at Sion.”

The idea that women are underestimated and not represented as highly and strongly as others in the debate community is a huge aspect of high school debate that Damon and Audrey hope to change. 

“I’ve always been a big proponent for women in debate,” Audrey said. “Women are really underrepresented in the debate community, so for me it’s super important to foster and build that confidence.”

Not only does the administration see great potential in Damon and Audrey, but the students are also looking forward to the success the next year will hopefully bring with their new coaches.

“They are really determined to help us,” junior debater Elicia Baranowski said. “They’re focused on helping the girls build their argument and really helping us see both sides of the prompt and how we might approach it.”

Damon and Audrey hope to bring home more victories than before and to see the debate team not only excel as individuals, but also as a team.

“Coming to Sion, we get the opportunity to prove that we’re not the little sister,” Damon said. “We want to rebrand ourselves and become a powerhouse on the circuit. When we come to tournaments, we want them to know that Sion is there.”