What is High School Debate Like?
Important
debates occur every day in all walks of life.
Scientists and politicians, for example, debate solutions to our most
serious problems. There is no doubt that
good debates help us to better understand issues and to arrive at well-reasoned
decisions.
High
school debates have set formats to create a fair and challenging contest for
both sides. Debates are centered on a
resolution (a controversial statement).
Resolutions are about a variety of topics.
In
every debate the affirmative side speaks in favor of the resolution and the
negative side speaks against it. A
debate takes about an hour and consists of a series of speeches for and against
the resolution. There is also
cross-examination.
Each
debate has a judge who listens carefully to the arguments presented and chooses
a winner. Most debate competition takes
place at tournaments held from October-December. Many schools attend each tournament. The debaters who compile the best won-lost
record are usually recognized and awarded trophies.
Why Join the Debate Team?
Debate
offers a wide range of benefits and appeals to many students. The best way to know if you’ll like it is to
try it. Here are some benefits that
current and former debaters often mention:
Ø Build Friendships—Debate is
a great chance to meet people with common interests.
Ø Develop Self-Confidence—As debaters learn to defend their arguments and to persuade
the audience, their confidence soars.
Ø Public Speaking—Public speaking is both highly
feared by many people and highly valued by employers. Debate helps students to become comfortable
and effective public speakers.
Ø Research Skills—Do you ever get frustrated and confused with a research
assignment? You’ll learn to master the
research process in debate.
Ø Note-taking & Listening
Skills—Former debaters have a big advantage in college because they can quickly
identify and record key information from lectures.
Ø Teamwork—Being
part of a team is rewarding by itself.
Through debate you can letter and represent
Ø Fun—The
bottom line for most members of the debate team is that it’s fun. When you win your first debate, you’ll
understand why!
How Much Time Does Debate Take?
Like
other sports and activities, the debate team has regular practices and
competitions. Because debate is more
individually based, there is more flexibility in scheduling. Time commitment depends on the student. If
you want to debate, we want to make that opportunity available.
Typically,
debaters practice two days per week.
Practices usually run from
Debaters
choose which tournaments to attend.
Highly involved team members will usually go to about 6-8 weekend
tournaments. Tournaments are held during
the day on Saturday in October-December.
Some November and December tournaments also occur Friday afternoon and
evenings.
Overall,
most students find that their time in debate is well invested. Spend some time to find out more about the
debate team—attend a meeting or talk to a team member or coach. Don’t miss a golden opportunity.
What Others Say About Debate
“For me debate…was the
single most influential course among the scores of classes I took in 21 years
of schooling.”
-- John Brandl, former
state legislator and professor at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
“Debate provides students
the opportunity to develop important skills in reasoning, speaking and
listening, critical thinking, researching, problem solving and writing.”
--Dr. Polly Reikowski,
“Debate is the jewel in the crown
of analytical reasoning.”
--Michael Stipe, REM
“Freedom is hammered out on
the anvil of discussion, dissent, and debate.”
-- Hubert H. Humphrey