Written by Josephine Grey and Zander Hix, Staff Writers
The Political Debate Club makes waves on campus by holding their first scheduled meeting of the year covering on the death penalty.
On September 1st, Poly’s Political Debate Club came together during office hours in Mr. Zlaket’s room to discuss one of the most widely debated issues surrounding the American justice system: “Should the government ever possess the lawful power to kill criminals?”
The room was structured to divide ideas between the students; on one side were those opposed to the death penalty, and the others were those in favor of it. This allowed for a back and forth debate, in which students looking to participate could respond to arguments from the other side in an orderly manner.
Political Debate Club’s motive is to allow students an opportunity to discuss political and social issues throughout the school year in a respectful environment. Before discussion began, the officers urged students not to videotape, record, or take disagreements outside the classroom. This reminder is to ensure that the peaceful environment is sustained.
As discussion began, co-presidents Zander Hix and Mary Garcia chose students raising their hands to either initiate discussion or respond to the opposing side. The discussion revolved around important ideas such as whether or not an eye for an eye is a just philosophy, whether or not the government could abuse the power to kill, and the cost of keeping criminals on death row, among other topics.
Club advisor Mr. Zlaket routinely posits questions relevant to the discussion at hand to stimulate the debate. Mr. Zlaket carefully mediates the discussions, ensuring that conversations don’t get overly heated, and students can walk away amicably. On this notion, club attendee Maxwell Cutler-Long was asked about tension at the club meeting and following outside the classroom:
“Yes I do notice some tension after meetings, but it usually wears off after a couple days, especially when there are debates that start peacefully, but divulge into much more heated topics.”
This meeting is not the first time the death penalty has been discussed, however. The first meeting of the 2026-2027 school year pertaining to the death penalty is not a coincidence, as the first ever meeting of the Political Debate club was also on the death penalty. Co-Presidents Zander Hix and Mary Garcia who founded the club in 2024 hoped to return to their first debate as a throwback and a tribute to their last year leading the club. Beyond the death penalty, previous Political Debate topics have covered gun rights, capitalism vs socialism, and universal health care.
As the Political Debate Club’s founders and co-presidents will be stepping down this year, co-president Mary was asked her thoughts on a future successor:
“Yes, I have thought of a successor, which is Nate [Firetag], because he has always been an active and passionate member of the club. He really cares about it and as social media [manager] always tries his very best. I hope that in the future the club gets even more new faces but continues the passionate debates we hear at every meeting. I hope political debate can reach people of all different opinions.”
The Political Debate Club plans to continue providing students with opportunities to discuss political and social issues throughout the school year, and expect to meet every two weeks. Students interested in following future meetings, discussions, and club activities can find updates on Instagram at @phs.politicaldebate, or in the Google Classroom.