About Us

The CWRU Debate Society intends to hone students' communication skills and global awareness through practice of the parliamentary and extemporaneous forms of debate. We'll challenge ourselves to look at and be able to argue on both sides of a particular topic, as well as actively listen to and poke holes in an opposing argument. Parliamentary debate has two key attributes: it is a partner debate (two-on-two), which will train teamwork, and it is impromptu, so we will focus on quick thinking and knowledge of current issues. Extemporaneous debate, similarly, is impromptu but is an individual debate format. Debate club will create a space for open, chill discussion, with an emphasis on the definition of discussion being talking between people, not just one person stating their ideas. Eventually, we also hope to participate in intercollegiate competitions, such as the National Forensic Association tournaments and the International Public Debate Association tournaments.