What do we debate about?

This year's topic is:

Resolved: The United States Federal Government should mandate a reduction in
total nongovernmental fossil fuel reduction.

Last year's topic was:

Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should enact one or more of the following:

Withdrawal of its World Trade Organization complaint against the European Union’s restrictions on genetically modified foods;

A substantial increase in its government-to-government economic and/or conflict prevention assistance to Turkey and/or Greece;

Full withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;

Removal of its barriers to and encouragement of substantial European Union and/or North Atlantic Treaty Organization participation in peacekeeping in Iraq and reconstruction in Iraq;

Removal of its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe;

Harmonization of its intellectual property law with the European Union in the area of human DNA sequences;

Rescission of all or nearly all agriculture subsidy increases in the 2002 Farm Bill.

Why should I debate?

Debate is perhaps one of the best activities on any campus for developing marketable job skills on the JMU campus. Not only is debate a fine item to place on any resume, it also is a vital way to develop research and critical thinking skills that are invaluable. Prominent political figures and successful lawyers were once succesful debaters in college; however, they are not limited only to those professions. Those who seek a greater understanding of not only the world, but how they can change it for the better are welcomed in debate.

The debate community is also an invigorating environment wherein the important global issues of the day are discussed to find real solutions to real problems. Debate can magnify and change the way you approach and live life.

Does it cost anything to debate?

No! The only costs associated with being on the debate team is that you will need to pay your own research costs. For example, you will need to photocopy an article. That you will pay for. Everything else is paid for by JMU. Meals, tournament registration, housing etc., are all paid for by JMU.

Do you need previous experience?

Absolutely not! We are actively seeking new members that have no experience at all to form the basis of our novice debate program. JMU competes in many divisions of debate and people with no experience all debate against one another in the novice division. So do not worry if you have no experience. We have a division for you.

How much time does debate take?

That depends on how much time you have to give. Our basic rule is that you get out of debate what you put into it. We do ask that all members attend squad meetings and individual meetings to prepare for tournament competition. There is library research because that is the heart of our activity. It is impossible to have an intelligent discussion without knowledge acquired from reading books and articles. Some debaters can spend between 20-40 hours a week on debate, others spend 10-15 hours a week. We will give you a commitment based on your commitment to us.

Does the University support debate?

James Madison University and the College of Arts and Letters are particularly committed to a forensics program, which provides opportunities for many types of student competitors. The School of Speech Communication welcomed a new director to our program last fall. Dr. Eva McMahan came to us from the University of Alabama (another school with a highly respected forensics/debate program). The forensics program has separate workrooms for both debate and individual events. Each room is equipped with a computer, and access to Lexis-Nexis. The university pays all travel expenses.

Do you do IE’s and am I required to do both?

Yes we have IE’s, but NO we don’t require our students to compete in both events. If you’re interested in trying both—more power to you. Our experience however, is that most students find that the time commitment to participate in both events is prohibitive.

What if I’m tired of debating after high school?

It’s always true that when you get so tired of an activity that it’s no longer fun—it’s time to give it up. However, what you may be tired of is the back-to-back travel for 18 straight weekends. We encourage students to set goals for themselves, whether it’s simply to participate in a great activity that teaches you more than most college classrooms, or to qualify for the NDT. We hope that forensics will enhance your college experience.

How is Harrisonburg to live in?

That depends on what you’re looking for. You will find all sorts of outdoors activities closeby (hiking, canoeing, sailing, and skiing, just to mention a few). Harrisonburg is a community of 35,000 located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. We are less than an hour from Charlottesville, two hours from Richmond, and a little over two hours from Washington, D.C. Harrisonburg is truly a "college town," and has most of the amenities that a college student could ask for. JMU is a residential campus, although many students populate the local apartment complexes.