When the nine-minute countdown begins, the words tumble out fast and furious from the mouths of the members of the Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum. To cram in as many points as they can and stump the opposing team, they make their case at 350 to 400 words a minute. Most of us carry on our conversations at about 150 words per minute.
Those minutes are intense, even at a practice session. Papers fly everywhere -- across the table, from the debaters podium and back -- as debaters and partners take notes for their three-minute cross examination or six-minute rebuttal. The debater continually glances at a handheld stopwatch -- two minutes, one minute, just 30 seconds to convince judges that the United States should be more aggressive toward Iran.
The adrenaline is pumping, the debaters forget to breathe, and beads of sweat are trickling down their foreheads.
For the average Joe, the high-speed banter can be hard to follow, but that rush of intellectual repartee isn't nerve-wracking to Michael Eisenstadt. "The adrenaline that I get when I debate is a lot more positive," says the freshman majoring in political science. "Doing debate changes your attitude toward things a lot. It changes your confidence level. Your personality changes, you feel more empowered when you're speaking."
After a 10-year absence, UNLV's program returned last fall thanks to a donation from the teams namesake. The 14-member team has traveled to universities across the country engaging and winning in competitive policy debate -- a structured format that focuses on one yearlong topic.
The team already is ranked 34th in the nation, ahead of Arizona State, Michigan, and Stanford universities, by the National Debate Tournament, one of the two major governing bodies for college debate.
Students spend at least 20 hours a week researching and preparing evidence to defend both affirmative and negative sides of the policy. They also practice speaking with daily reading exercises and drills under the guidance of "disciple of debate" Jacob Thompson, director of the debate forum.
His strategy is "baptism by fire." UNLV is unique because it offers the opportunity to all students interested in debate. Experienced or not, the sooner students plunge into the world of critical thinking, fast talking, and public speaking, the better debaters they become, Thompson says.
"You only debate as your well as your competition," says Thompson, who previously directed the University of Northern Iowa debate team.
A debate team "heightens academic prestige" and helps attract top students to UNLV, Thompson says. Cory Anderlohr, a freshman communications major with high school debate experience, says that he would have chosen another college had UNLV not resurrected the debate team. "There's a lot of opportunity for me to grow and for the team to grow," says Anderlohr, who plans to become an attorney. "There's a lot of cross application with debate. You can use it in any field."
Before the fall semester began, the team spent 12 hours a day for two weeks researching and practicing. "We worked as a team, getting to know each other and working from the ground up," Anderlohr says. "I learned more in those two weeks than the three years in high school debate. It was a lot of work, and it really paid off."
Thompson also encourage the UNLV team to get involved local high school and community debate programs. Two graduate students in the communication department are assistant coaches to the team. The team is establishing an urban debate league for students at underprivileged high schools in Southern Nevada. Team members also volunteer to judge high school tournaments and assist students in preparing for debates.
The UNLV students say they are pleased to have a venue that enhances their ability to break down complex issues, encourages open dialogue, and gives them the opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds. "We all understand each other through debate," Anderlohr says. "The debate community is very open and unique. It has its own style."
The experience prepares students to become "critical consumers of information," Thompson says. "They become informed citizens and public advocates."
