Join the K-State Debate Family
K-State Debate meets in Nichols 219
- British Parliamentary Debate Meeting - Tuesdays 4-6 PM
- Policy Debate Meeting - Wednesdays 6-8 PM
- If you cannot attend either meeting, reach out to Dr. McVey
Join the Legacy:
The state of Kansas produces more amazing high school talent than any other state in the nation. There is more debate per capita in Kansas than in anywhere else. Here at KSU, the College of Arts & Sciences and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication generously support the debate team with the intention of ensuring that talented Kansas debaters may continue to hone their craft and evolve into nationally ranked college debaters.
K-State debate is a tight-knit group of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff that work hard together, have fun and share the unique experience of representing Kansas State all over the country. Our dedication to our activity and each other positions us as both a team and a family--yet another facet of the K-State Family Tradition.
Unique Talented Coaching:
K-State Debate enjoys two full-time faculty coaches who are dedicated to helping students succeed in debate. Our coaches have decades worth of experience coaching at the highest levels of debate, and are both trained debate educators. With two full time faculty coaches and between 1-2 graduate teaching assistants each year there is no shortage of coaching.
Travel:
Kansas State Debate travels a full regional and national schedule. Hard working debaters will be given the opportunity to compete nationally. We place no restrictions on how many teams will travel nationally; rather, every hard working team will be rewarded with travel. Debaters compete in the divisions in which they wish to or are eligible to compete. Every hard working debater who wants to debate Varsity will debate Varsity.
Scholarship Opportunities:
Generous support from the University and our alumni enable Kansas State Debate to provide modest scholarships for debaters. All inquiries should be directed to Alex McVey before January 15 in order to be considered for the following academic year.
Let Us Know You Are Interested
Contact the Director, Alex McVey.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What if I am not the best debater in the state?
That’s fine with us. We believe that the college years are a crucial turning point in young people’s lives. You are capable of becoming a nationally competitive debater if you want to be. Many of KSU’s best debaters were not even on the radar screen in high school. - What if I have no high school debate experience?
Since 1905 we've been training debaters with little or no debate experience. Several of our students who began debate in college without high school experiences are among the most successful alumni of Kansas State University. - Is your debate team diverse?
Yes, the KSU debate team attracts people from all walks of life. We are finding more and more that incoming first years and non-traditional students are attracted to debate. People from all different socioeconomic backgrounds, experiences and ages represent Kansas State on our debate team. - Is it going to cost me money to debate?
Absolutely not! Because of the generous support of our university, K-State debate will provide you with the majority of your debate supplies, and pay for all of your travel expenses including housing and a per diem for meals. - How much time will I have to spend on debate?
Your time commitment is based on your personal goals. Our coaching staff will work with you at the beginning of each year to identify your personal goals in debate. After discussing your goals we will work together to find a plan that helps you achieve your goals. In addition to our two practices a week, most of our debaters find that the squad room is a cool place to come in between classes. - How big is the debate team?
The KSU debate team between 10-20 members. - With a debate team that big, how can I be sure I will get personal attention from the coaching staff?
K-State debate is lucky to have a full time director and an assistant director. In addition, we have 2-3 graduate debate assistants per year. This means that we have one of the largest coaching staff’s in our region. In addition to meeting with you at the beginning of the year to identify your personal debate goals and developing a strategy to help you reach your goals we also have weekly one on one speaking and research sessions with debaters. - What activities does K-State Debate participate in?
- K-State Debate engages in both NDT/CEDA style Policy Debate and British Parliamentary / Worlds style debate. NDT/CEDA debate is fast, technical, research oriented policy debate, much like what one would expect from national circuit TOC high school debate. BP debate is a more accessible format, which emphasizes public speaking and argumentation skills. E-mail Alex McVey if you have more questions about the two events K-State Debate participates in.
