Two teams, 15 minutes to prepare, three supporting arguments, and seven minutes to speak.
"It's nerve-wracking and a bit intimidating, but also very empowering because you're always advocating for some type of change," says Natalie George, president of the Odette Debate Club.
The 2025 North American Debating Championships (NorthAms), hosted by the University of Windsor's Odette School of Business and SEED Debate Academy on Jan. 18 and 19, will spotlight this art of fast-paced debate. The event will bring together 75 elite teams representing leading institutions across Canada and the United States as they vie for the championship title.
Teams will debate a range of topics in the realms of economics, politics, current affairs or social issues. Each assigned an opposing side, teams will have 15 minutes after learning the motion to craft their arguments and seven to eight minutes per speaker to present them to the judges, followed by closing arguments and rebuttals.
"That's the fun part," says George, who has been a member of debate teams since high school. "While you only get so much time to determine what you'll present, behind the scenes there's a lot of preparation involved. Most competitors have years of debate experience and knowing the structure is kind of easy, but it's about quickly finding the relevant points to this case."
A fourth-year business and computer science student, George has previously competed in the NorthAms but this year, in addition to being a key organizer for the tournament, will take on the role of emcee.
"I think what's so important about debate is that it pushes you to understand both sides of an argument," she says. "A lot of people who participate in debate aspire to influence politics or take on leadership roles in the future. For leadership to be effective, I think it's important to be engaged and open-minded, and debate helps develop those qualities."
Ashish Mahajan, interim dean of the Odette School of Business, highlights that debate is a valuable opportunity for students to develop essential skills.
"Debate allows students to refine their communication, critical thinking and leadership abilities," Dr. Mahajan says. "It also helps them gain clarity on the direction they may want to pursue in their careers."
Uniquely positioned to host the tournament, Windsor is the only university that competes on both the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate and the American Parliamentary Debate Association circuits.
"We have successfully participated as a Canadian school in these Ivy League debate circuits in the U.S., and now it's our chance to welcome those same schools to come to us," Mahajan says.
This year will mark the first time in five years the NorthAms are held in person, and a first for the University of Windsor to host the event, which will see more than 175 students from universities across the continent, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, as well as McGill, the University of Toronto, and others.
"The Odette School of Business is proud to host this event and demonstrate our ability to produce students who excel in these competitive environments," says Mahajan. "We're excited to showcase our vibrant campus and city, and to highlight the important role that smaller institutions like ours play in developing outstanding business students."
The 2025 North American Debating Championships will kick off on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8:30 a.m. in the Odette Building's Room 104 with a full day of debate, and will continue Sunday, Jan. 19, for the finals.
