Warner Robins GISA Debate Tournament results were quite good for the Westminster Debate team:
Christian Neal - Novice Champion
Emily Mecredy - Novice Champion
McCamy Pruitt - Novice Semi-Finalist, 2nd Place Novice Speaker Award
Alyssa Cameron - Novice Semi-Finalist, 4th Place Novice Speaker Award
Westminster Debate Program
The Westminster debate team was started in 1987 by Dr. John Bartlett (Interim Headmaster). Through the years it has offered Westminster students the opportunity to develop their skills in critical thinking, research, and argumentation. Our hope is that they will use these debate skills and experiences to serve the Lord in His kingdom. The following information provides a snapshot of what Westminster’s program entails. The current debate coach is Craig Johnson. .
Policy Debate
The GISA debate teams compete in policy debate. In this debate format, a team of two debaters competes in each tournament by arguing both for (affirmative) and against (negative) a predetermined annual resolution. These resolutions focus on U.S. government policy (either domestic or international) and are selected by a coalition of several national debate organizations each year (see below). This debate format requires teamwork and intense research preparation. Debaters are expected to both provide current evidence to support their arguments and organize their positions in a standard format.
2005-06 Resolution
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially decrease its authority either to detain without charge or to search without probable cause.
Novice Debate
This semester course covers the beginning elements of policy debate. It is reserved for 9th graders who have an interest in pursuing debate at some point during their secondary school years. Emphasis is placed on training in debate theory and on argument covered by the current high school debate topic. The course also includes debate research and coordination needed for attending debate tournaments during the debate season.
