The British Parliamentary (BP) format puts teammates into groups of two to debate against other teams on a topic that everyone receives shortly prior to the actual debate.
International Public Debate Association (IPDA) puts individual debaters against each other.
We will show you how to prepare and present effectively for these debates. Examples of motions (topics) for debate include:
“This house” simply refers to the team in the debate that supports the motion.
Interested students are always welcome to join regardless of their prior experience. Many of our debaters have been extremely successful in college without any high school experience at all.
Debating provides hands-on experience that increases your critical thinking, grows your knowledge of the world, and improves your written and oral expression. Students from any majors are welcome in the program and everyone learns valuable information and communication skills. With many opportunities for collaborative work in teams, along with supportive coaching, our program helps you to build your debating skills, allowing you to take on new challenges and accomplish the goals you want to achieve.
Participating on the Seattle University Debate Union is great training for any vocation but especially for lawyers, educators, business people, scientists, and anyone who needs to communicate effectively.
