She sits in a small corner of the library, hidden by computer screens and shelves. The atmosphere is calm with the soft hum of studious comments on laws, issues, and beliefs.

Almost going unnoticed, junior Sarvinoz Hasanova buries her head into a book, blending in with the four other freshmen girls surrounding the round table. Three years ago, Hasanova would have never been imagined in this future.

This small yet opinionated group of girls, also known as the only few on North’s debate team, fades into the perimeters of our library walls every week.

One component, however, contradicts the camouflage of these girls. As a first time debater, Hasanova speaks English as a third language.

“Debate helps me with becoming more fluent [in English],” Hasanova said. “My communication is better with my friends on the team.”

Born in Uzbekistan with her first language as Uzbek, Hasanova then went on to speaking Russian as a second language. In 2005, Hasanova and her family moved to the United States and have slowly picked up on English.

“[My family] definitely supports this opportunity for me,” Hasanova said. “They like how I’m improving my fluency and can help them out more.”

Hasanova currently stands as the only junior on the team full of freshmen, putting her in a leadership role as the only one to compete in the debate category, also known as the Lincoln Douglas category. All other members compete in other categories. Hasanova has taken on complex issues such as “felons ought to retain the right to vote” and it “being morally permissible to kill.”

“She has taken on so many new challenges through this [experience],” debate club sponsor Mary Kerr-Grant said. “She has to mentally think words and definitions through in her head to get the concepts before speaking. This has made her so much more confident.”

After joining the freshmen girls at the beginning of the school year, new to their already established friendships, Hasanova quickly was an accepted member of the team.

“Since we don’t know people at other schools during debates, we hangout all the time: on the bus there, before our individual events, after, on the way home, and for our traditional ‘celebration ice cream,’” freshman Kim Warden said. “We tend to work well together.”

Through these newly introduced friendships impacting her life and the transitions she has progressed through with moving continents, Hasanova still works through each frustration and miscommunication with her circle of friends in their hidden table of the library.

“I just love going out there and giving a speech and being able to be heard,” Hasanova said.