THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES DEBATE UNION


The Claremont Colleges Debate Union (CCDU) is a five-college program 
offering opportunities for student participation in competitive and non-
competitive debate and public speaking events. Any undergraduate of The 
Claremont Colleges is eligible to participate in sponsored activities. No 
previous forensic experience is necessary for participation in any CCDU 
program. 

The CCDU is among the largest collegiate forensics programs in the 
country, with more than seventy members. The program is consistently 
ranked among the top competitors in the nation: in 1994, the CCDU 
became the first program to place students in the top ten at national 
championship tournaments in three different debate events, finishing 
ninth, fifth, and first in team cross-examination, parliamentary, and 
Lincoln-Douglas debate, respectively.

The CCDU has a strong commitment to academic excellence and 
competitive success. The advantages of a degree from one of the 
outstanding undergraduate institutions of The Claremont Colleges 
consortium and the acquisition and development of critical thinking and 
persuasive speaking skills from participation in the forensics program are 
evident in an examination of the career opportunities of our graduates. Of 
the most recent, active members of the CCDU,  graduates selected law 
schools at Columbia (3), Harvard (2), Hastings (2), Duke (2), University of 
Chicago, Emory, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and USC. Former students are 
also enrolled in graduate schools at Harvard, MIT (3), Carnegie-Mellon, 
University of Chicago, and USC in government, economics, international 
relations, political science, religious studies, public policy, and 
communications. Among these students are recipients of prestigious 
awards including Truman Scholarship, Keck Fellowship, Harvard 
Graduate Fellowship, National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, and 
National Hispanic Scholarship honors. 

The CCDU is a co-curricular program. Students are eligible to receive one-
half credit per semester for participation in speech and debate activities. 
The course may be repeated four times.



PROGRAMS

FALL  1995

					
Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Debate

The CCDU participates in CEDA-sanctioned intercollegiate team debate 
tournaments. CEDA is the largest of several intercollegiate debate associations. 
Tournament debate consists of a minimum of 6-8 debates per tournament on a 
topic that is selected for the duration of one semester. The fall, 1995 topic area 
involves the relationship of the US and Latin America. 

The event offers competition in research-intensive policy argument. The 
tournament schedule for the year will include approximately 9-12 local, regional, 
and national events. Students have recently participated in tournaments at the 
University of South Carolina, California Polytechnic - San Luis Obispo, 
Sacramento State, Arizona State, Kansas State, San Diego State, Towson State, 
Utah, Kansas, several national round-robin tournaments and the national 
championship. In 1993-94, the CCDU finished ninth in the nation in team debate 
and first in the nation in Lincoln-Douglas debate at national championship 
tournaments. Participating students may compete in the 1995-96 national 
championship and Western States championship tournaments.


National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) & American 
Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) Debate

The CCDU participates in NPDA and APDA parliamentary tournaments, a 
competition involving extemporaneous debate. Students also regularly 
participate in CUSID (Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate) 
events. Parliamentary debate is team competition with a different topic selected 
for each individual debate. Tournament competition consists of a minimum of 5-
6 debates per event. 

The CCDU will attend 9-14 parliamentary tournaments, including national and 
international competition. CCDU students have attended tournaments at 
Colorado College, McGill University, Columbia, Yale, St. Mary's University, 
Princeton, Regis University, Providence College, Bates, Willamette, Southern 
Utah, York University, University of Toronto, Loyola, Stanford, and national and 
world championships (in Scotland, Canada, the US, and Ireland). In 1993-94, the 
CCDU finished fifth in the nation in competition at the NPDA national 




championship. In 1994-95, seven different debate teams have received awards in 
national and international competition. Participating students may compete in 
the 1995-96 national championships and World Universities championship 
tournaments.


American Forensics Association National Individual Events

Competition is available in a number of extemporaneous, original, and 
interpretive public speaking events. Most events require students to deliver 7-10 
minute speeches, featuring original or published text. The CCDU will attend 6-10 
tournaments with individual events divisions. Most CEDA tournaments (listed 
previously) include individual events in the tournament schedule. Several 
tournaments, offering individual events only, are also attended each year.


In addition, the CCDU offers the following non-competitive programs:


Public Debate

The public debate program offers debate on the campus and in the community 
on issues of controversy and concern. The debates/discussions are designed to 
inform and entertain, with a focus on audience participation in the debate 
process.  Students participate as moderators, debaters and floor speakers for the 
events.

 Supplemental, specialized educational programs are included in the public 
debate program. In addition, public debate serves as excellent practice for 
extemporaneous parliamentary debate competitions. In 1994-95, students have 
considered the issues of California's Proposition 187 (immigration reform), 
affirmative action policy, hate speech regulation, and the social and cultural role 
of the media in public debates. Specialized programs included a series of debates 
on environmental policy in coordination with the production of a documentary 
film on environmental issues. 

New events include a debate series coordinated with the Institutes for Hispanic 
and Native American Affairs and the Center for Student Unity, University of 
New Mexico/Gallup, a media information program with Evolving Minds 
Communications, and a public lecture/debate series marking the fiftieth 
anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Spring, 1996, 
the CCDU will produce a weekly public affairs television program of discussion 
and debate on current political and cultural issues.



Speaker's Program

The speaker's program is a demonstration and lecture program. Students 
prepare a demonstration debate and following lecture to educate an audience 
about the topic issues and the critical thinking/persuasive speaking skills 
displayed during the event. An important focus of the program is to promote 
dynamic educational models for at-risk students. Events are scheduled for junior 
and senior high school audiences and are scheduled periodically.


Speech 61: Debate

An introductory class in debate, argumentation, and public speaking. Students 
learn to organize, advance and dispute opinions in a dynamic and interactive 
setting. Techniques of persuasion and nonverbal communication are employed 
and tested to develop oral communication skills for the strongest possible 
expression of information. Different kinds of debate propositions will be used to 
facilitate argument on contemporary and historical issues. Debates are scheduled 
for class and public settings.


Conference Programs

The Debate Union sponsors several conference programs for high schools, 
including instructional seminars, invitational speech and debate tournaments 
(Tournament of Champions qualifying tournaments for team and Lincoln-
Douglas debate), and a summer forensics institute. The Debate Union is a 
recipient of a number of grants and awards for conference programs, including 
support from the National Forensic League/Phillips Petroleum diversity project. 



For information regarding the programs of The Claremont Colleges Debate Union:

John Meany
Director of Forensics
Claremont McKenna College
Bauer Center
Claremont, CA  91711
(909) 607-2667
(909) 621-8249 (FAX)
jmeany@benson.mckenna.edu
Office:
Bauer 31
Claremont McKenna College
ext. 72667
Hours: Tuesday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, and by appointment