Thanks to Senior Debate Club Member Idil Mogeh for her willingness to write a piece on Debate Club for The Lion’s Gazette! 

Debate at Dwight is not only an opportunity to learn and practice valuable public speaking and argumentation skills but also an opportunity to see those skills come to life when competing in monthly debate tournaments against schools from all over the city. The debate league at Dwight participates in follows the parliamentary debate format which is modeled after real-life forms of government. In this style of debate, teams of three compete against each other in order to persuade the judge to their side. Students form teams of three and take turns both providing new information to further an argument and clarifying previously shared points, all in hopes of persuading a judge that their position is the most convincing. From topics like “Corporations should be subject to international human rights laws” to “End peremptory challenges in U.S criminal courts” and “All currently-illegal drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed,” debate resolutions are always an interesting reflection of legality, justice, morals, and the role that every day people play in the complex scheme of it all. Participating in Debate allows students with a variety of experiences and knowledge to join together to practice their public speaking skills, and increase their ability to work in a team. With members that have been competitively debating for up to seven years and members that have just chosen to start, the Dwight Debate Team is an exciting place where everyone learns, supports, and grows together. Whether you’re looking to develop invaluable speaking and critical thinking skills or hoping to pursue a career in justice, politics, or writing, consider joining the team next year!