Debate tournament ends at IU

When it comes to the largest collegiate debate tournament in the country, practice and preparation is neverending.

Over three days of eight debate rounds, each lasting two hours and 45 minutes, George Lee and Rashid Campbell spent even their down time getting ready for the next opponent.

“Lil Wayne has a quote: He says ‘repetition is the key to perfection,’” Lee said. “I go to the case list and see which arguments you’ve had in the past and try to guess how you’re going to come at me.”

Lee and Campbell, from Oklahoma, were joined by 79 other college debate teams from across the country at IU this past weekend for the 68th National Debate Tournament.

Lee said this isn’t just another debate tournament.

“It’s kind of like March Madness basketball,” he said. “You have to qualify for it. You have to be invited. The NDT is literally the best debaters the country has to offer, so the competition is fierce.”

Debaters arrived on campus Thursday morning, competition began Friday and concluded Monday night.

This is IU’s first time is host to the tournament. It was host last week to the Cross Examination Debate Association tournament.

Debate teams spent all year with the issue of having congressional or judicial restrictions on presidential war powers.

Lee said a strategy is to scout out the other teams’ previous arguments.

“If the individual is talking about the economy, I’m going to read a whole article about capitalism and socialism,” he said. “Or if it’s a question of race, I have to read a whole bunch of African-American literature to be able to engage with that particular debater.”

Sophomore Linda Pei, from Northwestern, said to get to this point takes a lot of time committed throughout the year, including giving up her spring break.

Pei said the competition at the NDT is unlike any other she has seen.

“Every debate you have is going to be tough because it’s against the best teams in the country,” she said. “Not only are all the teams better but they put more into it.”

Universities represented at the tournament ranged from Dartmouth and Georgetown to University of Texas and University of California, Berkeley.

Campbell said the tournament is a great opportunity to meet a diverse group of people.

“The biggest advantage of debate is you’ll meet people in debate you never would in real life,” he said. “That education in itself is beneficial when you understand how the world sees you. It makes you a better person.”

Though winning the National Debate Tournament makes a team the best in the country, Lee said it’s about much more than that.

Not only does it make you a better student, but it’s beneficial to your future as well, he said.

“Debate is like a collision sport,” Lee said. “It’s a lot of things colliding throughout the whole debate — different ideas, different morals, different ethics. It makes you understand the world.”