What we're all about


Welcome home! We're glad you made it!

Many of you have experience with public speaking: giving formal or informal presentations in classes, teaching in schools, or maybe even participating in a speaking competition. Debate will let you use and develop those skills, but it will also help you to develop other skills--close reading, interpretation, critical reasoning, argumentation, rhetorical invention--and all in front of a live audience!

"This house believes" that debate will be an exciting and enriching addition to your university experience. So sign on, jump in, "reach higher," and Speak Up!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Motions: March Debates

Our apologies to the members of the Society who couldn't find us last week: we moved down the hall to room 134 for our training. A notice was sent out to you, but apparently it was not clear enough. When we get the calendar functioning properly, we'll make sure to include information about dates, times, and locations from now on.

Minutes from the meeting

We met last Wednesday for our first general assembly meeting/orientation. Several more students signed up, we reviewed the information available on the blog, and discussed issues/potential motions for our first debates.

It was decided that we would mount two debates for March 4, with several motions being proposed. After careful consideration, Dr. Penny has revised them as follows (students or advisors who wish to suggest changes may do so before Monday):

Motion the first:

This House believes that governance is best reserved for men.

Motion the second:

This House believes that the best boss is a woman boss.

Motion the third (alternate):

This House would require companies to hire women at all levels.


What next?

In the next post, we will present the lists with the names of each squad and their advisor, and indicate who will be the proposition and who will be the opposition for each motion. Advisors will be contacting you Sunday or Monday to arrange a time and a place to meet this week to prepare for the debate.

  • Quick reminder: the debates will consist of two or three 5 minute speeches and one 3 minute summation per side. We will begin precisely at 6:30 (and possibly at 6:00--check here soon) on March 4th in the Cinema Room of MQ80, and will plan to be finished no later than 8:00. Each debate will require 30-35 minutes, and the judges will deliberate for 10 following the debates. 
  • Spectators will have an opportunity to participate following the debate by offering "points of information" or new arguments in a public discussion.  

However, the debates themselves will be restricted to the squads, and each squad will need to choose a team of 2-3 debaters to represent them on stage. Use your small meetings this week to practice, prepare, and choose the best representatives. Argue the motion from both sides to help you prepare.

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