Overview: NYC Debate is a social organization intended for young professionals (ages 22-35) living in NYC who are seeking to improve their public speaking and persuasion skills through a debate style format. This is a relatively new organization, and it may take several weeks or more to build-up a meaningful membership base.
To attend a meeting, join our Telegram channel (HERE) or message us on Instagram (HERE), and confirm your intention to attend. Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, August 16th in Midtown Manhattan. Exact location TBD.
Debate Structure: Each debate consists of 2 teams: the Affirmative (Aff) and the Negative (Neg). Each team has 2 members. The structure of each debate is as follows: A motion is provided to both teams. Each team has 20 minutes to conduct research and prepare arguments ahead of the commencement of the debate round. Once the round begins, each member is allotted 5 minutes to give a speech. Each member speaks twice during the debate round, with speeches alternating between the Aff and the Neg (for a total of 8 speeches). There are 4 cross examination sessions (each lasting 3 minutes) during the debate round. Each round lasts 52 minutes in total.
Meeting Structure: Debates are held once per week (typically on either Saturday or Sunday), though scheduling may be flexible depending on the needs and availability of members. Debates are typically held in Midtown Manhattan. For redundancy purposes, at least 10 people must commit to attending a particular meeting before a room (typically within a commercial building) in which the debate is held is officially booked. At least 3 attendees who are not participating in the debate will be asked to judge the debate and determine a winner.