Frequently Asked Questions

What is Debate?

Woodward Academy participates in policy debate, a rigorous, research-intensive contest between two, two-person teams over a proposition of policy. Each season a resolution is selected by a vote of the nation’s forensic organizations and students across the country debate it on both sides at tournaments from September through June. The 2023-2024 resolution is:

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase fiscal redistribution in the United States by adopting a federal jobs guarantee, expanding Social Security, and/or providing a basic income.

Debaters begin their careers at the novice level competing against other inexperienced competitors before advancing to Junior Varsity and Varsity divisions.

That sounds hard. What’s in it for me?

Policy debate is one of (if not the) most educational activities a high school student can participate in. Debaters learn research, critical thinking, public speaking, and argumentation skills while gaining a remarkable base of knowledge in politics, public affairs, philosophy, language, and current events. College admissions officers recognize the incredible value of competitive policy debate and many of the nation’s finest universities field top-level policy debate teams; many offer scholarships to top high school debaters. Students who participated in policy debate at Woodward have gone on to attend some of the best colleges in the United States including Harvard, Georgetown, Emory, Dartmouth, and Northwestern and have had successful careers in law, medicine, business, and education.

That still sounds hard. Is it any fun?

Yes! Policy debaters develop intense friendships with their teammates as well as their competitors across the country. Hard-working debaters are given the opportunity to travel to state, regional, and national tournaments. In the past few seasons, the team traveled to tournaments throughout Georgia as well as to those in the following cities:

• • Birmingham, AL

  • Chicago, IL

  • Dallas, TX

  • Fort Lauderdale, FL

  • Las Vegas, NV

  • Lexington, KY

  • Miami, FL

  • Nashville, TN

  • Orlando, FL

  • Washington, DC

National tournaments provide opportunities for Woodward Academy debaters to test their argumentation skills against some of the smartest and most talented high school students in America while visiting places they may not otherwise see.

What if I just want to compete in the local area?

No problem. Almost all novice (beginner level) tournaments will be held in the Atlanta area. Hard-working and dedicated debaters may be invited to attend tournaments in other parts of Georgia or in other states to give them a taste of higher-level competition, but such tournaments are never mandatory. Varsity level debaters almost always strive to achieve traveling status but a student can still debate a challenging schedule without ever setting foot on an airplane.

The topic sounds boring. What if I’m not interested in it?

The resolution is just a starting point: debaters will discuss almost everything you can think of during the course of the season, from philosophy to current events to grammar. Students can almost always find something to debate about that resonates with them.

So what exactly is a tournament?

Tournaments are held on weekends from the beginning of September through the end of the school year and are hosted primarily by high schools and colleges. Student travel schedules are established based upon their individual needs and commitment levels with most novice debaters traveling to approximately five tournaments during the fall semester. Travel opportunities continue in the spring and are offered to students based on their work ethic, ability level, and program constraints. Policy debate is a year-round activity.

Local tournaments are held on Fridays and Saturdays and are comprised of between three and six rounds. During each round, all two-person teams debate another two-person team in front of a neutral judge (usually a coach or former debater). A win is awarded to one side and a loss to the other and team awards are determined by win-loss record.

Regional and national tournaments are held over two or three days with most beginning on Friday afternoon and continuing through Saturday night or Sunday. These tournaments consist of between six and eight preliminary rounds with the top eight, 16, or 32 teams advancing to a single-elimination bracket (just like the NCAA basketball tournament).

Information about each tournament will be made available to students well in advance so that they may express their interest in attending and discuss their participation with their parents/guardians. Travel schedules are managed by the coaches to maximize participation and competitive success, reward hard work, and ensure a proper balance between debate and each student’s academic coursework.

When are practices? How long do they last?

The varsity team practices on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45-6:00PM. The novice team only practices occasionally; most instruction is provided during the novice debate class during the school day.

Still sounds hard. What kind of student does it take to succeed in debate?

It is hard, and that’s what makes it so valuable and so much fun. The most important characteristics of a good policy debater are a passion for intellectual challenges and a desire to work hard. Students who wish to succeed at the highest levels of policy debate will need to invest significant time and effort into the activity. If you’re not sure if you’ve got it in you, give it a try—a debater’s novice season provides a good opportunity to test the waters and see if you catch the debate bug. Once you do, you'll be glad you gave it a shot.

When is the debate season?

Debate runs from September through May but almost all novice competitions take place between September and March. Varsity debaters travel all school year.

Can I earn a letter in debate?

Yes. A member of the Woodward Varsity Debate Team in good standing can receive a Varsity Letter by doing any of the following:

• Qualify for state by reaching the top four teams at an in-state tournament

• Clear to elimination rounds or win a top 20 speaker award at Varsity State, Greenhill, St. Mark’s, Glenbrooks, Barkley Forum, Harvard, NDCA, or another tournament that the coaches deem a top national qualifier

• Win an elimination round or earn a top 10 speaker award in the Varsity/Open division at Wake Forest, Ohio Valley, UGA, or another tournament the coaches deem a secondary national qualifier

• Clear at three in-state tournaments in the Open/Varsity division

• Attend 20 tournaments with Woodward Upper School Debate

I have a question that isn't answered here. Who can I contact for more information?

Contact Ms. Berthiaume for more information. Her contact information is on the coaches page.