Q&A
Do members of the debate team have to go to every tournament during the year?
No. Some students go to 5-6, and others go to 10-15. Some students also participate only for one semester out of the year.
Do students have to choose only one event (type of debate)?
No. Some students choose only one or two, but you can try as many as you like. Some students do one partner event and one individual event, so that they can do the partner event when both can go to a tournament, but then they can do the individual event when their partner can't go. In some tournaments, students can enter in more than one type of debate too.
Can students who participate in other activities be on the debate team?
Yes. Some students play a sport or two and participate in debate during their off-season. Debate is flexible in that you choose how often you attend tournaments. Every student does not have to attend every tournament.
What do I need to do if I miss a practice?
If you need to miss a practice, send an email to the captains and Miss Jacobs in advance, letting them know. If you are absent from practice for an extended period of time because of athletic seasons for the sports that you play, one email for a time period is sufficient as long as you mention the starting and ending dates for the season. Athletes can also arrange to have practice during their lunch periods during the season of their sport. (See Miss Jacobs or Captains.)
What is a tournament like?
Most tournaments are on Friday and Saturday (Overnighters), but some are on Saturday only. You perform your event in 4-7 different rounds in front of judge(s). You are being compared to other students throughout the day, and at the end, the results are calculated and the best students win trophies. After the awards ceremony, we all eat together at a restaurant, where Miss Jacobs and the captains discuss results, ballots, and suggestions to improve for next time, with each individual. We all travel together to and from every tournament. No students are allowed to drive themselves or meet us there.
What do students wear at tournaments?
Boys wear suits and ties, or slacks, a jacket and a tie. Girls wear pants suits, dresses, etc. The clothes should be professional and appropriate for a job interview or workplace.
Where are tournaments?
We go to a few tournaments out of state- in the past, we have gone to several in South Carolina, a few in various other states in the southeast. But about 75% of the tournaments are in Georgia at different high schools or universities. The biggest tournaments we attend are Wake Forest (NC) and Emory (Atlanta). Nationals are in different cities each year: We have sent students to nationals in Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee recently. Last year Nationals are in Houston and Wichita.
Are all students eligible to go to all tournaments?
No. Some of the nationally competitive tournaments are highly competitive and even require applications for acceptance into the tournament. Nationally competitive tournaments (Emory, Wake Forest, etc.) are reserved for the team members who consistently perform well at practice, are reliable and well prepared, and do well at tournaments. These tournaments are usually held on college campuses.
Are there any social activities for the debate team outside of tournaments and practices?
Yes: We have monthly trivia nights at Rancho Grande, we have a lock-in every year, and sometimes the Captains organize fun outtings to a Braves game, to Six Flags, etc.
Does it cost money to be on the team?
Annual booster club dues are collected in August. $100. Students also pay for tournament registration costs and hotels. However, there are a number of fund raising activities throughout the year to help lower these costs. The more active our students are in terms of fund raising, the lower our trip costs will be per student throughout the year. If it is important to your family to keep these costs down, please contribute to our fund raising efforts in any way possible.
What happens when I cancel going on a tournament AFTER the sign-up deadline?
When you drop out of a tournament, many things are affected: the number of hotel rooms, chaperones, drivers, vans, and judges needed will be affected and it is unfair to ask other students to pay for your cancellation when the trip cost has already been determined. Also, we have to notify the tournament host of the cancellation and because of the difficulties involved in changing schedules, judges, rooms and tournament logistics, we have to pay drop fees and nuisance fees to the tournament as well. The drop fees usually range from $50 to $100 per individual. If you do drop out of our trip after the deadline, you are responsible for both the original cost of the trip and the drop fees and nuisance fees. A great deal of planning, paperwork, and preparation must be done before every single tournament. To avoid adding to that for your coach and captains, please do not drop out on any tournaments. In the VERY rare event that you must cancel, you must see Miss Jacobs personally to tell him.
How do I join the team?
See Miss Jacobs the first week of school to pick up permission forms, etc. If you would like to meet the team during the summer, check out our summer events here on the website and come to a car wash or social event.
How do I sign up to go on a tournament?
Sign up on the tournament list on the red bulletin board in Miss Jacobs' room 10 days before the tournament (which is always the Wednesday of the week before). For Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas debate, students need to have theire cases written before they sign up. For Interpretation and Original Oratory, students need to have their work already memorized before signing up.
Friday, exactly one week before the tournament, students come to Miss Jacobs' class to pick up infosheets with the final details of the trip. It includes students who are going, chaperones/drivers, what time we will leave and return, the hotel, the cost per student, and all of the specifics. The exact cost cannot be calculated until we have a complete list of all students going, so we can not give an exact cost before students sign up. Students then bring their checks (payable to LHS) by Wednesday (2 days before the tournament).
What is the difference between Public Forum debate and Lincoln Douglas debate?
Public Forum debate is a tag-team style debate with two two-person teams facing off against each other. The topic changes monthly, and usually has to do with current events, or topics that the public hears about often or recently. A pair of students works together to prepare a pro case and a con case (4 minute written speeches about the topic), and then they use those cases for an entire month, revising and fine-tuning them as the month progresses. The cases should sound persuasive and professional.
Lincoln Douglas debate is a more formal style of debate. The student works alone and faces off against other individual students. The case is 7 minutes long, and the topics change every two months. Topics are usually more philosophical and logiical. The way students write these cases is similar to an outline- very structured in a set format, with specific jargon in the case.
How do I choose a piece?
A piece is an excerpt of literature (a play, a novel, or something in print) that you can perform for humorous, dramatic, or duo interpretation. We are currently building our library of pieces, and the coach or captains can work with you to find something from it. You can also use a book you have read before if it is appropriate. Good peices can capture the audience's attention from the start and keep it for the entire ten minutes. They should appeal to a wide range of people, evoke an emotional response, and fit the actor's personality and ability. Pieces can require actors to speak in one voice for one character, or to speak in multiple voices for several characters.