Webster Club students compete in three debate events: Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and Public Forum. While each offers a unique format and emphasizes different skills, all three debate events provide students with the opportunity to hone their research, argumentation, and speaking skills. Members of the Webster Club can choose the event that best fits their interests, commitment level, and goals. The following provides more information about each debate event.
Webster Club’s flagship event, Policy Debate is a rigorous, research-intensive battle between two, two-person teams over a proposition of policy. Each season a national resolution is selected which students debate on both sides (affirmative and negative). This year’s resolution is:
Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a policy substantially increasing the number of persons serving in one or more of the following national service programs: AmeriCorps, Citizen Corps, Senior Corps, Peace Corps, Learn and Serve America, Armed Forces.
Policy debate students begin their careers at the novice level competing against other inexperienced competitors before advancing to Junior Varsity and Varsity divisions. The most intense activity offered by Webster Club, Policy Debate requires students to dedicate many hours per week to research, preparation, and practice.
Unlike policy, Lincoln-Douglas (or LD) Debate is a one-on-one debate over a value proposition. Instead of debating about what policies should be enacted by a government, LD Debaters discuss ethical and philosophical issues like the morality of capital punishment, the balance between free speech and national security, and the appropriate balance of powers between branches of government.
Named for the 1858 debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, LD Debate emphasizes strong analytical and refutation skills, articulate and efficient speaking, and construction of persuasive arguments using logic and research. Webster Club students who compete in LD Debate travel to local, regional, and national competitions.
Topics change very two months (September/October, November/December, January/February, March/April) and debaters defend the affirmative and negative in alternating rounds.
A relatively new event at the national level, Public Forum (or PF) Debate will be offered for the first time this season to Webster Club students. Like Policy Debate, Public Forum is a two-person, switch-sides event that pits two teams against one another in tournament competition. Topics change each month to reflect newsworthy issues and the event emphasizes persuasive public speaking rather than in-depth research and analysis.
Created in 2002 and modified in 2003, Public Forum Debate trains students to quickly and concisely communicate their arguments to an untrained audience. With a much lower barrier to entry, PF Debate allows students to participate in local competitions without sacrificing other extra-curricular activities or interests. Public Forum is offered primarily for Hilltoppers who would like to reap the benefits of Webster Club participation but who cannot dedicate the time and effort required by Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, but regional and national travel opportunities are available to those who excel at the activity.