The 2016-2017 Speech and Debate program is as strong as any of US’s previous Nationals-bound teams.  Lincoln-Douglas, or LD for short, is one of just several types of Speech and Debate competitions offered through the program.

The Lincoln-Douglas style of debate is named after Abraham Lincoln and then-Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, who engaged in seven debates in 1858 regarding the spread of slavery.  LD is a popular extracurricular activity across the United States, and debaters are given the opportunity to face other competitors on district, state, or national levels.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate is an individual event in which  participants debate one-on-one against opponents. Every two months, the National Speech and Debate Association releases a new resolution which students prepare to debate for either the pro or con sides.

Taken as a whole, LD is essentially built off of “values”. Each debater chooses an abstract value and defends why it is the most important thing in a society.  For instance, common values include justice, liberty, and equality. The debater must argue for or against the resolution while talking about how the value is not being achieved right now or how it will be achieved if the resolution is affirmed or negated.

University School’s Lincoln Douglas team, coached by James Lewis of the History Department, consists of several of the state’s most talented debaters. On Saturday, October 29th, 4 of the 13 man team went to Edison High School in Milan, Ohio, where Andrew Gilmore ‘17 received 1^st place and Omer Ashruf ‘17 was awarded 4^th place out of 37 competitors. The other half went to JFK High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where Karchen Lhatoo ‘17 won 1^st place, Isaiah Paik ‘18 won 2^nd place, and Daniel Ryan ‘18 won 3^rd place. There were 29 debaters at JFK.

Also, on  Saturday November 5^th, Karchen Lhatoo ‘17 won 2^nd place and Isaiah Paik ‘18 won 6^th place at Laurel ( out of 41 competitors) while Andrew Gilmore ‘17 came in 2^nd at Perry ( out of 71 competitors) in Perry, Ohio. Next weekend, the team is traveling out to Brecksville-Broadview Heights.