PROS & CONS: SEMO TEAM DEBATES THE ISSUES

Debate participants must speak as fast as possible to introduce as much information as possible in a given time.

All parts of the debates are timed.

Genetic screening, the use of technology and medical advances, to determine future health problems -- Is it good or bad? Right or wrong? The key to a perfect future or the end to life as we know it?

No matter what their personal opinion on the subject may be, members of the Southeast Missouri State University debate team can make a strong case for and against its use. That's what debaters do, the students explain.

"Debate is about critical thinking and thinking on your feet," said Lisa Schlueter, a member of the winning debate team.

Amanda Wiechert said debate trains you to look at both sides of an issue and to defend either point of view.

Wednesday the Southeast debate squad will present an audience debate as part of the university's Common Hour programs. An audience debate differs from a competitive round in that debaters turn down the speed of presentation. They also allow a time for questions and answers at the end.

The topic for Wednesday's debate is genetic screening. It starts at 12:30 p.m. in the University Center third-floor lounge. The debate will last until 1:15 p.m.

On Thursday and Friday, the team squares off against Harding University from Searcy, Ark. It will debate fetal tissue research and genetic engineering.

Collegiate debate tournaments are set up in timed rounds. Each team has a chance to present its argument. The opposing team has a chance to question the assumptions and then teams wrap up their arguments. The key part of the round is the cross-examination. The opposing team has a chance to ask questions about the arguments and point out apparent contradictions or lapses in logic.

In competition, speed is another key to success. Since each part of the round has a specific time limit, debaters are experts at speed reading and speed arguing. In fact, they practice reading as quickly as possible and develop a rhythm to keep the speed going.

Listening to a debate competition is a little overwhelming for a novice. But when the speed is slowed down, the outline of the presentation is apparent.

Wiechert explained that debate is a combination of persuasive speaking, solid evidence, logical thinking and reasoning.

At Southeast, the debate program is part of the speech department, but at other universities, debate is housed in the political science department. Often debaters are students who hope to become lawyers. They want experience listening to an argument and then poking holes in it. Debate competition focuses on out-thinking the opponent and debaters find it addictive.

"I think I'm forever a debater," said Rebecca Congo, a member of Southeast's team. "I love arguing and I love talking and I love the competition, outsmarting the other team." Congo plans to attend law school. The school she chooses must have a debate program.

"It's like running," said Schlueter. "No matter how good your are at the start, you can get better."

Schlueter plans to be a teacher and thinks the speaking experience along with the logical thinking will help her in the classroom.

Wiechert, who plans to go to dental school, said her experience with debate has made her a better problem solver.

Chip Barnhill hopes his experience on the debate team will help him in a career in public relations. But, Barnhill said, it's the friendships he has made as a debater that keep him coming back. "I've really bonded with the team," he said. "We have a good time."

A good time includes trips to tournaments across the country. Rigdon said team members gather in her hotel room the night before a debate, eat pizza and practice speed reading and trying out their arguments.

The average debate round lasts about an hour. Debaters have 8 minutes of prepared information. "Each time is very different," said Schlueter. "You never know what to expect."

Debaters search for evidence on the topic everywhere. Pieces of information as compiled and organized by topic. Information in favor and opposed to any particular argument is collected.

Congo said it's possible to find evidence from some expert to support almost any position. Barnhill says the common joke among debaters is that, given the right chain of events, almost any premise can be shown to lead, eventually, to nuclear war. But, Congo added, that some experts claim a limited nuclear war would be good.

The debaters fill a plastic tub with their evidence, neatly organized in file folders, each labeled with the argument the information supports or refutes.

As the opposing team lays out its argument, debaters listen for key words in the argument. They make notes in color-keyed pens, to help them find the evidence that supports their case. "If you end up with hand-written evidence by Bec, you're in trouble," teased Barnhill.

The team practices once a week for four and a half hours.

Jenny Rigdon is director of debate and forensics at Southeast and is a former Southeast debater. Like her students, Ridgon said debate is addictive. Coaching the team is a pleasure.

She has developed friendships with many of the team members. "Other professors don't get this," Ridgon said. "I'm so fortunate to have a relationship like this with my students."

Barnhill added. "We never stop laughing and winning trophies."