Mastering the Art of Debate: A Look at SMU Debate Society’s Rigorous Preparation
Written by Carmen Garcia
Thumbnail & Banner Photo by SMU Debate Society
If mastering the art of debate is of interest to you, I recommend joining the SMU Debate Society! It is open to individuals of all skill levels looking to gain experience in debating, and is a recognized society under the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate (CUSID). CUSID is responsible for both governing and representing university debating, in which the SMU Debate Society is heavily involved. With that being said, the SMU Debate Society’s involvement in these tournaments hosted by CUSID takes an immense amount of preparation, and what better way to highlight them than through conversation with the Communications Director of the SMU Debate Society, Jessica Graham. Graham was able to share with me the preparations that take place throughout the year for their members, which contribute to helping them put their best foot forward in the various tournaments they compete in annually.
Preparation
Weekly practice sessions every Monday and Thursday from 6-8 pm in LA 274 are either dedicated to debate rounds or informative lectures on tactics, strategies and general information that members can utilize to master the art of debate, states Graham. With these practice sessions comes the benefit of gaining experience in crafting effective debates that can later be applied to the various tournaments the society takes part in annually and beyond the world of debating; improving public speaking, boosting confidence, developing critical thinking skills, increasing oral and written communication, and bettering presentation skills. Graham goes on to say that prioritization of effective communication, when speaking on the motions given through analyzing the key actor and understanding the motions’ relevance, allows for debaters to weigh both sides of an argument and answer the “why” behind them. As F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function,” which directly correlates to Graham's statement on the art of becoming familiar with the ability to weigh both sides of an argument and being able to deliver an effective response to the “why” behind them.
The SMU Debate Society’s weekly practices serve as a chance for members to replicate how a debate round would play out in a tournament, says Graham. The members are provided with a motion and create groups according to the British Parliamentary style of debate. The British Parliamentary style of debate is not to be confused with the Canadian Parliamentary style of debate though, which are both used in preparation and in competition for the SMU Debate Society. Graham let me know that the style in which these replicated debate rounds play out in practice for the first semester follows the British Parliamentary style of debate, and as they move on to the winter semester, they will see a switch to the Canadian Parliamentary style of debate. According to the CUSID, what separates the two from already sharing the same basics of debate, like beating your opponent, is the complicated and traditionally stronger emphasis on judging when it comes down to the fulfillment of your role and knowledge in your responses in British Parliamentary style debating.
Alas, with the SMU Debate Society’s weekly meeting being set for Monday and Thursday nights from 6-8 pm, Graham did let me know that in light of the Canadian Universities Debating Championship, taking place November 23rd at the University of Waterloo, in which they will be competing, the society has gone on to extend their practice times. This, in turn, will ensure everyone is ready and feeling confident for the rounds going into competition, says Graham.
Preparation Translated into Success
In tournaments, debaters are given the motion, or in other words a topic, and then 15 minutes to formulate their arguments and rebuttals, says Graham. This means that going into the tournament, debaters are not given hours on end to formulate said arguments and rebuttals, and instead are intended to pull from practice and formulate these within the given time frame they have been using for debates on various topics used in practice during their meetings.
With that being said, I should note that the SMU Debate Society has an impressive track record in tournament outcomes, including 3 Novice titles,- two of which were won back-to-back in 2019 and 2021 (due to COVID there was no competition held in 2020) - showing the SMU Debate Society’s dedication to their rigorous preparations truly paying off. The members’ commitment is clear, and is awarded in notable achievements, but it is their consistent efforts during weekly practices that make this possible. Although the extension of practice hours in preparation for upcoming tournaments can at face value seem burdensome, it ultimately serves the best interest of the debaters. By looking beyond the rigorous efforts as time-consuming, we can come to appreciate them as serving great value in watching these individuals master the art of debate while yielding impressive results!