Comeback Kid: Will Dashe Selected for NSDA National Tournament

Dedham, Mass.— Last January, Brother Anthony Cavet’s 10-minute drive to Dedham felt like an eternity.

Pulling into the driveway of William (Will) Dashe’s family home, he took a deep breath and knocked on their door. Sure enough, Will’s mother answered. Happy to see Brother Cavet, she invited him to join the family for their Sunday brunch. Their brunch offered a side of good news, after all.

Will’s older brother, senior John Dashe, had qualified for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in Fort Lauderdale just a few days before. Even better; Will, only a junior, had qualified for the tournament too.

Or so the Dashes thought.

“Imagine telling a kid that they’re going to Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, of all places, and then they’re not,” said Brother Cavet, Catholic Memorial School’s speech and debate head coach.

“I was thinking to myself that this was going to be the worse news I could give.”

Brother Cavet explained to the family that a computer glitch at the NSDA New England District conference had reported an incorrect score. So, instead of finishing among the top point-getters in Congress, Will had fallen short of joining his older brother in Congress at the Fort Lauderdale tournament.

A year later, no computer glitch stood in the way of Will and his first trip to Nationals when he scored in the top-four of the Congress competition at the New England District conference last month. He qualified to represent New England in the House of Representatives, joining five other Catholic Memorial teammates at this year's NSDA National Tournament in Dallas.

Will and senior Michael McCarthy (of Weymouth) represent the only Knights competing in individual events at this year’s tournament. Meanwhile, senior Brendan Julian (of Needham) joins juniors Rory Redmond (of Wellesley), Marcus Gadsden (of Randolph), and Darius Gadsden (of Randolph) as duo participants.

Looking back on his road to the National Congress competition, Will knows that last year’s setback served as a test to his character. And, according to Brother Cavet, he passed with flying colors.

“They’re always asking on college essays how people react to setbacks,” said Brother Cavet.

“So I wrote, ‘Let me tell you about the ultimate speech and debate setback.’ Will handled it in perfect equanimity. He held his head high and with such grace. It’s impossible not to admire him.”

Last year, as soon as Brother Cavet told him about the computer glitch, Will applied for Nationals through Team New England. Team New England, an independent speech and debate organization, offers students the chance to compete in the World Debate category on the national level. The World Debate category loosely resembles a British Parliament style of debate, allowing different parties to speak during the arguments of another party.

“I really enjoyed this new style because it afforded me the opportunity to engage in impromptu debate,” said Will.

“Competing on Team New England in World Schools Debate challenged me to work under pressure in a collaborative setting. During impromptu debates, with only one hour to prepare, a single encyclopedia, and no internet, I worked with my team to create convincing arguments based on logic.”

Team New England invited Will to its roster in March. Over the next few months, he competed outside of his normal routine but found his growth surprising.

“I learned that things tend to happen for a reason” said Will.

“I was able to learn a good through a negative. From an enormous feeling of defeat, I was able to refocus my energy into a new opportunity.”

From his time on Team New England, Will learned to navigate around interruption. Debating against competing voices forced him to think on his feet and to adapt in the face of adversity. Week after week, he honed his unfamiliar craft. He took the setbacks in stride but still found his voice over time.

Fast forward to today. When Will travels to Nationals this June as a part of the Catholic Memorial speech and debate team, he will compete in Congress. His stint on Team New England serves as a reminder of what it means to fall and get up. But for now, he prepares to reflect on the resiliency he took away from last year’s disappointment.

He’ll need it with him in Dallas. And that, goes without debate.