I want to be in a Debate Club in high school, but what does a Debate Club have?

[Dulcina Jinx]

Can you tell me specific info about a Debate Club? I know it's a club of a formal argument, but what else???

 

[Brett K]

An issue is given, and there are two sides. For example, if the issue were Iraq war, the debate could be for the war, against the war. Each side prepares an opening statement, then an argument. Each side can have a rebuttal, or a response to the argument. Finally, a closing statement.

 

[Reba Leung]

It depends on your own school's debate club, as each varies. For my school's debate club, our meetings are lesson-oriented. Our coach lectures us on whatever debate technique/skill we're focusing on that day, and then we play an activity that focuses on that new skill. For example, if we're focusing on rebuttal summaries that meeting, we would divide into groups and come up with our own 'themes' surrounding the given resolution. If there's time afterwards, we have practice debate rounds, and our coach critiques us.

There are very few major debate tournaments in our area, but when they are, our lessons revolve around prep for those tournaments.

I highly encourage you to join debate club. As bizarre as this seems, I honestly believe my life would be a lot different today had I not done debate. It has seriously honed my ability to think, to write and to speak exponentially. I'm not a very intelligent person, but debate has taught me to perceive and analyze problems very logically.

Also, debate is the equivalent of a verbal bitchslap and it feels GOOOOD.

 

[Homeslice]

debate is about politics & comunity action/ current events. You can learn good skills there; I recommend it.