"There's always merit to having a debate." - Ward Churchill

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the team meet?

We meet Mondays and Thursdays, 6 PM - 7 PM in Kennedy 211.

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Who is on the team?

All Cornell undergraduates are welcome. The team has freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all colleges and majors. Members of the team have diverse economic, ethnic, religious, and gendered backgrounds and experiences. Some team members also work on academic research projects, some are in the Greek system, some are athletes, some perform in musicals and theater, and others work with different political organizations and social activists on and off campus.

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Is the Cornell Forensics Society an exclusive group?

Not at all since we do not have team try outs or a selective "rush" like the Greek system. Every semester new members join and we are always looking for recruits. No stereotypes can describe who we are. We keep our doors open to all who are interested. By traveling and competing with the people you meet, you will learn more about yourself and you will get a unique opportunity to bond with others and be a part of a team effort. You may make life long friends with people on the team.

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Do you need a lot of money to join?

The travel expenses are covered by the team, including transportation and hotel accommodations. You don't need money to pay tournament entry fees for debate or individual events competition. We are fortunate to have the resources to cover photocopying and printing costs. Food costs are kept to a minimum, but you are responsible for paying your own bill. To join the Forensics Society, you will be expected to pay $60 to cover your team polar fleece and the spring team banquet.

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What are the main differences between IE and debate?

First, if you join the IE team and decide to do platform speaking or dramatic interpretation, you will have your events prepared, practiced, and memorized ahead of time. Limited preparation IE events require a broad knowledge of current events and the ability to quickly organize thoughts. As a debater, you will have to prepare a wide range of arguments before a tournament, including an affirmative case and negative strategies. However, you will be randomly paired against other debaters who may or may not have arguments you have seen or thought about before. Thus, you will have to think on your feet during limited preparation time so that you can refute the logic of your opponent as well as find ways of applying your arguments when you speak.

Second, IE gives you a chance to perfect your style of delivery more than debating does. Debate gives you the opportunity to focus more on researching credible evidence and critically analyzing substantive content. You learn about both skills in IE and debate, but each activity has a different emphasis. Ideally, you will learn both the art and science of Forensics so that you do not limit yourselves.

Third, in IE you compete against your own best performance and try to impress judges with your charisma and dynamism. In contrast, debaters compete head-to-head against their opponent in a round where a winner is announced and the decision is explained by the judge. An IE round lasts one hour while a debate takes nearly two hours to complete.

Fourth, in IE professional dress and appropriate etiquette are prerequisites for success. When participating in individual events, it is important to look your best. Most men wear suits with ties and jackets. Most women wear business suits or dresses. On the other hand, the debate community accepts less formal attire and greater latitude in debating styles. When debating, what you wear is usually not as important as what you say. Very few participants wear suits.

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What do you gain from this activity?

Forensics teaches you how to read, write, think, and speak much more effectively than ever before. You will have the opportunity to develop your dramatic and persuasive skills. You will learn how to be a powerful and confident public speaker. You will gain the skills you need to do find research and critically analyze data much more quickly. Joining the team will challenge you and give you a chance to excel while providing you with a chance to travel, meet new people, and explore important issues of our time. Finally, participation in Forensics can help you get into graduate school or land a good job.

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Why compete?

Cornell's Forensics program has a tradition of success and has been consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally. By adding a level of competition, the whole experience of debating or presenting individual speech events is enhanced for participants. Tournaments motivate individuals to constantly improve. By competing against the best national teams, you will learn from their strengths and weaknesses. Competition will challenge you and help you confront your fears about public speaking. Our philosophy is that self-actualization is not possible without struggle. Exposure to the trials and tribulations of performing under pressure imparts a confidence that lasts a lifetime. Our alumni attest to the fact that Forensics was the best preparation for professional careers which all involve significant competition.

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Who judges?

Most judges are either coaches of other teams or alumni of a college forensics program. Judges have typically been chosen because of their dedication to the activity and their experience. They will often give you useful feedback and constructive criticism which will help you improve. By being evaluated so frequently and interacting with a diverse collection of experts, you will gain new insight on how you can better your speaking style and tighten up your content.

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Is there a large audience?

Most debates have only 5 people total, including the four competitors and the judge. Most individual events are presented in front of the judge and six other participants. Anyone can watch these preliminary rounds if they get permission from the judge and the competitors. As you progress in elimination rounds, the size of the audience will grow.

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Will participation hurt my grades?

If you manage your time wisely, Forensics will not trade off with your school work. Most people find that competitive Forensics improves academic performance causing the GPA to go up. You will discover that your ability to read and write more quickly, to think more critically, and to research more efficiently will help in all of your classes. In addition, your oral class presentations and comments will stand out.

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Do you have to do a lot of work?

Both debating and individual events require some time, work, and dedication to improve. No one becomes great overnight or without effort. The coaches are here to work with you and help you learn new skills, while preparing you for competition. The team works together to share research, and as a novice debater, or a new addition to the IE team, you will receive a lot of help from more experienced team members.

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Will I have enough time?

The experience of being on the Forensics team is very intense and extremely rewarding. You decide your level of commitment, so long as you are making steady progress. It does require a heavy investment of time to be a great speaker, but the dividends are well worth it. Ask yourself what you want to get out of your four year Cornell experience. If you want to get an edge on the rest of the Ivy League, there is no better option than the Cornell Forensics Society.

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Where do you go?

We travel to both local and national tournaments. Some tournaments we drive to include Binghamton University, Rochester University, Seton Hall University, Columbia University, West Point Academy, Boston University, Ohio University, University of Vermont, Harvard University, George Washington University, Wake Forest University, and the US Naval Academy. Cornell also competes in larger national tournaments. Hard working team members who have had regional success are given the opportunity to fly at the team's expense to Illinois, Missouri, California, Texas, and many places in between to test their mettle against the best in the country.

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How many tournaments do I have to go to?

You can go to as many or as few as you would like. Once you give the activity a try, you will want to travel as much as you can because you will enjoy it. If you come to one tournament and you decide not to travel again, then you can still contribute by doing community service.

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What about people with special dietary needs?

Members of the team are vegetarian, vegan, kosher, or have diverse eating needs due to allergies. We respect and take into account your dietary preference and do our best to keep everyone well nourished.

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What is policy debate?

The national policy debate community, including several hundred universities, votes for a resolution every year. After the topic is selected in August, squads begin researching to find evidence from every type of credible source. This reliable information is used to support a wide range of prepared arguments covering all the important issues. Teams strategize and get familiar with the literature before competing against college students from around the country. You can compete at the novice level (little or no experience), the junior varsity level (those who have debated before), or at the varsity level (those who have much more experience).

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Do I debate alone?

In policy debating, you have a partner. Both of you will make a constructive speech (where you build your arguments) and one rebuttal speech (where you compare arguments already made and refute the reasoning of your opponent). Each of you will also cross-examine your opponent after they speak, as well as be cross-examined after you speak.

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How many debate rounds?

Tournaments can differ, but usually you will debate six preliminary rounds at regional tournaments and eight at most national tournaments. Elimination rounds usually proceed as follows: Octofinals (the top 16 teams in each division), Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals.

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When are the tournaments?

Usually we leave on Friday afternoon for regional tournaments and Thursday night for national tournaments. However, please check the schedule to see exact dates. Tournaments are held at different Universities all across the nation from September to April.

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How do you argue for the resolution?

As the affirmative, you support the resolution by presenting a plan of action to address a specific problem. A basic case provides evidence documenting harms of the status quo (illness), who is to blame (disease), and what policy can be implemented as a solution (cure). The best cases specify unique advantages and mitigate costs (side-effects).

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How do you argue against the resolution?

As the negative, you and your partner attack the affirmative case in a variety of ways. You try to show that the problem is either too minor to bother with (healthy) or a lost cause (dead). You can also argue that there are no barriers to a remedy currently and that the problem will be corrected without help (immune system). The best arguments show why the plan will have no positive effect (misdiagnosis), but will risk causing serious unintended consequences (fatal surgical error). Some debaters present evidence of a political or economic disadvantage that would occur if the plan passes. Another tactic is to present a counter plan that is a more cost effective alternative. Finally, you have the option of advocating a critical perspective that challenges the mind set of the affirmative team and questions their biases and assumptions.

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