Marist Debate is an extracurricular activity that consists of undergraduates who wish to engage in discourse, argument and critical thinking. Marist Debate is housed in the Department of Communications in the School of Communications and the Arts.
Marist Debate has a long tradition of public advocacy, civic responsibility and competitive success. The Marist Debate team participates in three major areas, competitive debate, public debate, and outreach. All of which are intended to provide Marist students with the skills needed to succeed in the world and provide service to help others.
Competitive Debate. The Marist Debate team engages in two-person competitive policy debate. The team travels across the United States challenging students from other schools. The emphasis is on strong reasoning, good argument, compelling research and critical thinking. Marist debaters debate at NDT and CEDA sanctioned tournaments.
Public Debates and Forums. Marist Debate is committed to engaging the community of Marist with critical discourse. Marist Debate sponsors debates, public forums and discussions that are intended to spark discussion and further education.
Debate Outreach. Marist Debate helps to bring debate to needy communities. Debaters are committed to developing new debate programs at area schools and assisting Urban Debate Leagues in teaching and coaching high school and middle school debate activities. Marist Debate also works with the local campus community to assist instructors in bringing debate into classroom environments and help student organizations plan, publicize and carry out debates and persuasively minded activities.
