Most people think that the Debate Team is just that, a team that debates. But what they don’t know is that there are multiple events in Debate.

“There’s obviously the debate events; but there’s also Public Forum, which is a partner debate,”  junior, and the Interpretations Captain Mallory Blue said. “Then there’s Lincoln Douglas, which is a single debate. Lincoln Douglas is more moral and Public Forum is more factual. There’s also the speech events. Public speaking, which is persuasive. And then there’s interpretation which is like acting. Then there’s current events.”

During the team’s practices, the teammates split up into their different events.

“An average practice kind of looks like organized chaos,” senior and Debate Team Captain Jordan Checketts said. “It’s a lot of fun. We all get together, and everyone kind of branches off to do their own individual events. So you’ll have some people arguing about something in the corner, while someone else is in another corner staring at the wall, talking to themselves. It’s organized chaos. If you walk in, it looks crazy, but it’s a lot of fun.”

In the debate events, teammates have to build up a case and then defend it, all while trying to tear apart their opponents case.

“You have to think on your toes a bit and adapt your case to the opponent,” senior and Assistant Captain Alec Hale said. “Because you’re not going to know exactly what they’re going to say. They’ll try to tear your case down, and you have to build it back up. It gets really hard, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Teammates participating in speech events must write and memorize a speech which they then use multiple times in the season.

“I have to write and memorize a ten minute speech, so my preparation consists of me staring at the wall talking to myself, running over the speech over and over again.” Checketts said. “But, depending on the events, it will depend on whether you practice by arguing with people or going over notes; the world of debate is huge and spans largely.”