Debate Team

Debating provides hands-on experience speaking on important issues. You collaborate with team mates building a supportive group of friends that share your interests. Students regardless of experience and from any major are welcome to participate. With supportive coaching, our program builds your communication skills, allowing you to take on new challenges and accomplish the goals you want to achieve. Many of our debaters, with and without prior experience, have been extremely successful. Over the past five years, we’ve won dozens of beginner and experienced awards including Top 4 in the nation first year team, First Place Hatfield Tournament, and USU National Championship quarterfinalists. 

We will be debating online in the fall. You’ll be able to connect and talk with other students. We will debate and we will socialize—you and other students get to do most of the talking. You’ll find the experience engaging in a way you likely haven’t experienced in most zoom meetings. Director Jim Hanson has directed 50+ online debate programs including tournaments, summer camps, afterschool programs, and debate training and practice. Students have repeatedly said they were highly engaged, loved talking with other students, and learned a great deal. In person is best but we make online work well.

We’ll participate in IPDA debate (one person and team format) where you and your opponent choose one of 5 debate topics provided by the tournament for each debate. We’ll also move to BP debate (team format) where you compete against 3 other teams debating a topic provided by the tournament. Topics you debate might include “Police should be defunded very significantly,” “We regret the commercialization of hip-hop” and “The US should implement a carbon tax.”