October 2, 2018
By Rebecca Kielar
Lexington High School is home to many high-achieving academic clubs and programs, including the debate team. Each year, the team excels in local, statewide and national competitions at both novice and varsity levels.
While anyone can join the debate team, students must first enroll in the debate courses offered at LHS. There are three styles of debate: Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum and Policy, each differing in rules and topic content.
While Policy and Public Forum debates are executed in teams of two, Lincoln-Douglas debaters compete individually. In Lincoln-Douglas debate, topics change once every two months. Debates in this division are often centered around logic and ethics.
Public Forum debate, conducted in pairs, requires brief speeches followed by three minutes of questions and answers with the opposing team. Topics for this debate style alternate once a month. Debaters in this category are exposed to a wide range of issues, thus allowing them to become knowledgeable in a broad scope of subjects.
Unlike the Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate styles, Policy debate focuses on a single topic for the entire year.
“The lack of change requires us to go in depth on the topics we talk about, and to really understand the logics and laws behind the topic,” Justin Lin, a Policy debater and junior at LHS said. Debaters compete in two-person teams, and each debate includes a series of three-minute question-and-answer periods called cross-examination, or cross-ex for short.
Regardless of debate style, members of the LHS debate team garner a more sophisticated understanding of current world issues and further develop skills in research, speech and persuasion.
“I like debate because it forces me to think outside of the box,” Lin said. “Not only do I have to think of arguments that are outside of what I believe, but I also need to articulate and convince a judge about an argument that I could fundamentally disagree with.”
Aside from its academic benefits, the debate team serves as a close-knit community within the dense LHS student body of more than two-thousand.
“It sounds cheesy, but the people in debate… are some of the nicest people ever. Truly, [debate] contains some of the most open-minded and kind people,” Lin said. Just like any sports team, LHS debate provides a supportive network that fosters healthy competition and growth.
It doesn’t hurt that the team has a stellar track record. The LHS debate team has won the state championship every year for the past 40 years, and is one of the most highly respected teams nationally.
Comments