Debating space in DeMoss: Liberty University hosts their 30th annual debate tournament

Students from around the country debated United States space policy and space cooperation with China and Russia this weekend at Liberty University’s 30th annual debate tournament held in DeMoss Hall. 

Schools in attendance included University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Miami, James Madison University, and several others.

“We see our mission as training the students we have and equipping them for whatever sort of kingdom work they’re called to do when they leave school,” Director of Debate Michael Hall said. “Specifically, there are sets of skills that we’re trying to hone in our students to sharpen their skills, such as; critical thinking, research, and communication skills.”

In past years Liberty University’s Debate Team has ranked No. 1 for the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA), the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and the American Debate Association (ADA) overall rankings. 

Liberty University remains the only school to be awarded first place in all three of the nation’s policy debate organizations’ final overall rankings in a year. They have received these rankings nine times, competing with some of the top schools in the nation.

Rachel McClamroch | Liberty Champion
ARGUMENT — Daniel Gibson and Sidney Johnson shared their debate.

This year’s debate topic focused on whether the government should increase its international space cooperation with the People’s Republic of China and/or the Russian Federation in one or more of the following areas: arms control of space weapons, exchange and management of space situational awareness information, joint human spaceflight for deep space exploration, planetary defense, space traffic management and
space-based solar power.

Each debate round takes roughly two hours, according to Hall. Teams of two are prepared by debate coaches to argue both sides of the topic assigned by the national debate organizers.

The University of Pittsburgh won the varsity division and George Mason won the novice division. 

The Liberty Debate team is known as being one of the more inclusive university debate teams in the nation. They require no previous high school experience, just a passion for learning and working hard.

“We don’t want our team to be something that’s only available to people who have a high school experience and basically just had the fortune of being in an area where they had a debate team,” said Hall. “We want debate to be available to all Liberty students.”

Debaters are divided into three categories: novice — having no previous experience, junior varsity — the transition division from novice to varsity and varsity for the more experienced debaters.  

Being such an accepting debate program, Liberty University usually has a large number of novice debaters.

“I think that the biggest thing about [debate] is that it’s such a learning experience,” freshman debater McKayla Swan said. “Every round I’m learning so many new things about the topics, or space, or corporations, or things like that, or just how the (debate) game works strategically. I just feel like I learn so much.” 

Tarr is a news reporter. Follow her on Twitter.

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