Debating the Debate

Sitting around a boardroom table scattered with notebooks, pizza, soda and chips, members of the university’s nationally ranked debate team listened to the candidates with well-trained ears and an appreciation for argument. Some took notes, while others let out an occasional “ouch” or “nice jab” in response to a candidate’s answer. The students repeatedly emphasized that the debate format used at college competitions is vastly different from the kind of political debates seen on television. “They have to win over the American people. We only have a judge to win over. But the judge is very knowledgeable of the subject,” says debater Nathan Gagnon.