What does the UWODS do?
On top of running debate meetings twice a week, the UWO Debate Society organizes three annual tournaments, hosts social events for our members, and competes at debating tournaments on a national and international level.

How does debate work?
That depends on the format. In our most popular format, British Parliamentary (BP), you and a partner will be given a motion to discuss, and after a period of prep time, each team will take turns giving 5 to 7 minute speeches explaining their specific case. You can find starting resources here.

Why do debate?
Debate is a wonderful opportunity to increase your public speaking and critical thinking skills. It gives you a space where you are able to practice speaking in front of a small group of people who you are comfortable with, giving you an opportunity to become more confident and well-spoken in a safe environment. Debate also teaches you how to construct and deconstruct arguments in a short time span - building tight arguments looking for logical gaps or inconsistencies in your opponents' - in a way that helps your analytic thinking become stronger. Most importantly, it's a deeply exciting, satisfying activity and a great chance to meet other passionate people.

I have never debated, is this club for me?
Yes! As a club, put a lot of emphasis on creating an environment where people of all skill levels can have a fun, social time. We have a skilled team of upper year debaters who can explain the activity work with you, and give feedback along the way. Prior experience is not at all necessary, and some of our best debaters didn't get into the activity until university.

How do I get involved?
Our meetings are drop-in friendly. Feel free to come by during one of our weekly meetings - our executives will happily get you started. We make the activity accessible, so you can start debating as soon as you feel comfortable. We meet Monday and Wednesday 5:30pm in Talbot College rm 201.

How do I go to a tournament?
If you are a member in good standing, you are eligible to bid for tournaments. Our executive decides on who will be sent to a torunament, trying to make sure everyone has a chance to attend. If the tournament is in-person, we usually leave Friday morning and return by Sunday night. Transportation and overnight housing is generally free, though sometimes we ask people to pitch in for gas money. For the World's University Debating Championship (WUDC), our club has a specific qualification process to determine our contingent.