If you ever get into an argument with Andrew Ferguson, you'll probably lose. This exceptional honors student and recent Silver Knight nominee at Palmetto Senior High School is a debate champion with more than four years of experience.

ANDREW FERGUSON

"It's very interesting to argue a topic, and it's a great way to learn," said Ferguson, who is the current president of the Florida Forensics League of debate. "Plus, all the traveling is a nice perk."

Palmetto's nationally recognized debate team travels all over the country for tournaments with other powerhouse teams. In the past few months, Ferguson and the team have been to New Orleans, Chicago, Harvard University, Emory University, Texas and New York, as well as many cities throughout Florida.

The topics this high school team debates are among the most difficult questions our society is facing today, including the morality of economic sanctions, whether equality or liberty should take precedence when the two concepts come into conflict, and capital punishment.

"I'm most comfortable in debates about ethical and moral issues, because the Lincoln/Douglas style is my favorite style," Ferguson said.

To research a topic, Ferguson said his team goes to the University of Miami library and literally "pulls everything we can find on that topic off the shelves, reads through it all, and prepares briefs and outlines."

"Not every school does this much research," he said. "Some of the schools only ask their teams to think about a topic. But I believe that the level of our research is what makes Palmetto such a great debate team."

He also credits his debate coach and Palmetto High teacher, Jeff Brown, for helping to keep the team at its best.

"He's married and has a family and a life, but he's here till after 5 p.m. every day to help us practice, and he travels with us on all our tournament trips," Ferguson said. "He's an integral part of our team."
Ferguson also is active in community service. One of his favorite activities is coaching hockey for 7- to 9-year-olds at the South Miami YMCA.

"I've been coaching there since the ninth grade, and it's really been fun," he explained. "I used to play hockey there as a kid and I wanted to stay involved. The kids are so excited and innocent. They hug me whether we win or lose."

In his "spare" time, Ferguson is a top executive with a new on-line firm started by two Harvard student entrepreneurs. He is the Business Development Director in charge of investments for collegebeans.com, an Internet-based company that provides services for college students, like selling used books and dorm furniture, finding the cheapest books for class, and listing campus events, etc.

"I'm very interested in a career in business, and this past summer I had the opportunity to attend the Harvard University Summer School, where I met the students who won the university's annual entrepreneur contest," Ferguson said. "Working with them gives me a good chance to learn first-hand what the business world is like."