Frequently Asked Questions About Policy Debate at the University of Mary Washington
What types of debate does the Mary Washington Debate Program participate in?
The debate program at the University of Mary Washington participates in two types of debate. The first type is intercollegiate policy debate. In policy debate, one or more two-person teams (consisting of UMW students) travel to other schools (primarily on the East Coast) to debate the national policy debate resolution. Policy debate is highly competitive and research intensive and the focus is American public policy. The second type of debate is public debate. Here, one or more students works with the University's Director of Debate to stage a debate event on campus aimed at a public audience. Topics for these debates are student driven with the goal of stimulating civic engagement about the important issues of the day. These debates seek to promote awareness and understanding of significant issues, to exhibit the art of debating, to entertain, and to provide a forum for a variety of parties to engage in civil discourse.
Which takes more time?
Public debate takes less time (although it takes time). Policy debate is research intensive and very competitive and the commitment of time and energy is at least as much as you would invest if you were a member of one of the University's intercollegiate athletic teams. It is not unusual to spend many hours each week researching and practicing for tournament competitions. If you are looking to make a commitment to a challenging, rigorous, educational enterprise, with many competitive rewards that will prepare you for law school or some other type of advanced study, policy debate is the way to go. If you are doing many other things on campus, you might want to start with public debate to get your feet wet. Then, if you find that your academic work and other activities don't consume all of your time, and you want the opportunity to compete with the best from other schools, policy debate is the way to go.
When does each start?
The policy debaters will return to campus on August 14th for the preseason retreat on campus. The retreat will begin at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 14th. Students interested in public debate will meet shortly after the beginning of the school year in late August or early September.
Tell me more about the pre-season retreat for policy debate!
Students will stay in the dorms and should arrange to pay for most of their meals (the dining halls will be open, although meal plans won't be working). The Debate Program will pay for a few group meals during the retreat. The schedule will be intensive, but profitable. We will meet everyday from 9 am to 9 pm (with appropriate breaks, some fun activities, group meals, etc.) until the orientation for new students begins. After that, we will meet at various times until the first day of classes. The retreat is designed to do three things: work on debating skills, research the upcoming debate topic, and discuss debate theory and strategy. We do a lot during this period because it is just about the only time during the year when other things aren't going on. If you plan to attend the retreat, you need to let me know so that I can make arrangements for you to get into the dorm.
When do we meet during the school year?
Weekly meetings for policy debate are every Tuesday (7:30-9:30). These meetings are not negotiable and you should avoid scheduling classes during this time. It is the only opportunity each week where every member of the team is present in one place. Smaller group meetings and practices are scheduled around class schedules. We also have Saturday work sessions on those weekend that we are not traveling, especially early in the year. Public debate meetings are on Wednesdays (6:00 – 7:15).
What if I don't have any experience?
No experience is necessary to join the UMW debate program. In fact, we are specifically looking for a few dedicated individuals with no prior formal debate experience. Our program is designed to prepare students to debate successfully regardless of their experience level. We compete at tournaments that offer divisions for new debaters and we have had success doing it. In recent years, our first-time debaters won the American Debate Association's National Championship two years in a row.
Who goes to debate tournaments?
All academically eligible and actively contributing members of the policy debate team are eligible to travel to debate tournaments – assuming they have invested the time to prepare to compete successfully. Ultimately, if you work hard and have a good chance of being successful at your ability level, you will have travel opportunities. At the beginning of every semester, each member meets with the Director of Debate to devise an appropriate travel schedule that maximizes your opportunities for success individually and as a team..
Is there a minimum GPA to be eligible to travel?
Yes. School comes before debate. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible for a full travel schedule. Students whose GPA falls below this minimum will meet with the Director to plan a travel schedule that is compatible with individual academic needs.
How often would I travel to a tournament?
The typical travel schedule involves 3-5 tournaments per semester, or 6-8 tournmanets per year. First year students travel no more than 3 or 4 times in the first semester and travel slots go to those who maximize their chances for success through hard work.
Where do we travel?
Most tournaments are no more than a six-hour drive from Fredericksburg. This year we will have one or more teams at tournaments which include : King's University (Wilkes Barre, PA), Georgia State (Atlanta, GA), University of Richmond, (Richmond, VA), Catholic University (Washington, D.C.), West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV), Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA), Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC), George Mason University (Fairfax, VA), and Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) as well as the year-end national tournaments.
How long is a tournament and will I miss class?
Most tournaments start on Friday afternoon and conclude on Sunday evening. There are usually 2 debates on Friday (2.5 hours each), 4 debates on Saturday, and elimination rounds (for the teams that were most successful during the preliminary rounds) on Sunday. We typically depart on either Thursday evening or Friday morning. When you are planning your schedule, you should try not to load it up with classes that meet on Friday. If you will be missing a class, you should inform your instructor early in the semester so that you can plan accordingly. Since our debaters have a reputation for being excellent students, most instructors are willing to work with debaters to accommodate their travels schedules.
Why do policy debaters talk fast?
Debaters who do policy debate do, in fact, talk really fast. There are several reasons for this. First, there are time limits on all of the speeches in policy debate and these debaters have more to say than time will allow. The faster you talk, the more ideas you can fit in to a speech. Second, in policy debate, arguments that you fail to refute or reply to, are counted against you. So, there is a strategic reason as well – if you can talk fast, and your opponent can't, they are unlikely to answer all of your arguments. Competitive policy debate is about training an elite group of people capable of processing enormous amounts of information. If you are looking to hone your public speaking skills, you may find public debate more to your liking.
Why is there only one topic for the whole year in policy debate?
The primary educational objective endorsed by having only one topic for an entire year, is the idea that there istremendous value in studying an issue in-depth over time. In education circles, it is an age old question: should we learn a little about a lot, or a lot about a little? Policy debate, at least, believes that the critical skills cultivated by studying significant issues of public policy are enormously beneficial.
What are some of the topics that have been debated in recent years?
* international treaties (2002-2003)
* federal control in Indian Country (2001-2002)
* development assistance to Africa (2000-2001)
* economic sanctions on rogue states (1999-2000)
* discrimination and civil rights (1998-1999)
* security assistance to Southeast Asia (1997-1998)
What is the 2003-2004 debate topic?
U.S. foreign policy toward Europe. The final resolution is announced on August 1st.