Valley Debate
Nationally competitive, district champions
What is Debate?
Debate is a co-curricular activity at VHS. Debate consists of three main types: Policy (CX), Lincoln-Douglas (LD) and Public Forum (PF). These types are very diverse, but whatever the type, debate is one of the most rewarding and entertaining activities a student can participate in.
Policy Debate
What is Policy Debate?
Policy debate focuses on questions of governmental action. For instance, the topic two years ago forced debaters to argue about whether the US should lift the Cuban Embargo. Each policy topic lasts an entire year long, so debaters have plenty of time to learn and argue about a wide range of subjects pertaining to the topic. Each policy debate is two hours long and consists of two teams, each with two debaters, who are randomly chosen to either affirm or negate the resolution.
Varsity Team
Hunter Hurt
Sean Hilzendeger
Parker Day
Traditional Policy Debate
Policy debate has recently been divided into two main categories, the first is known as traditional.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate focuses on issues of morality and ethics. For example, one topic last year asked if it was moral to presume that deceased persons would consent to donating their organs. LD topics only last two months long each, so there is much less time to focus on one specific issue, but LD debaters will get an insight into many more topics than Policy debaters. Each LD round is about one hour long and consists of two teams, each with only one debater, who either defend or deny the topic.