Northwest University
Debate In America Program
Spring 2015 – Professor Gary Gillespie, Director

*Earn six to nine credits in the study of debate and public speaking with Northwest University's Debate in America Program.

*Live and study ten miles from down town Seattle in Kirkland, Washington state -- one of the most intriguing and innovating cities in the nation. 

*Perfect your debating skills by taking part in a top American debate team.


*Spend spring semester learning the art of debate from a highly experienced debate coaches. 

About the Debate in America Program

You are invited to debate in America!

Join us Spring semester 2015 for intensive training in debate. We will also enjoy our time together with fun actives, sightseeing and making friendships. Students new to debate are welcome. Our goal is train you to be a successful competitive debater. 

You will attend four tournaments at regional universities competing against top students from other institutions. 

We will also offer a Saturday training event and a tournament on our campus that will fully prepare you to become a winner.  That means that students debate at six events. 

Beginning students with no debate experience are encouraged to apply. We will train you. Students may observe as "wing" or beginning judges at tournaments if you choose. 

The debate format we use is the British Parliamentary or 4 team "World Style" debate -- the same form of debate used for the World Universities Debating Championships. 

Live in student housing on the Northwest University campus. Eat at our cafeteria. You will have easy access to sightseeing on your own and local sightseeing will be included on weekends when we don't have debate tournaments. See the Boeing plant, Boeing Flight Museum, the Space Needle, Microsoft, and Google headquarters. 

Optional excursions such as hiking trips is the mountains or visiting art museums or gardens in the area. We will arrange a debate for the Microsoft Political Action Committee that will feature Chinese students debating. 

All students will take the course COMM 2253 Debating Controversies. The Debating Controversies course meets three times each week and focuses on learning how to debate. There is a textbook, online open book quizzes, lectures and learning activities and debates. 

Students will take the Debate Team course for three credits. This course meets three times a week and includes training and practice debates. Fridays will be set aside just for Chinese students. You will join with the American debaters on the team on Mondays and Wednesdays. Each student will be given a subscription to the Economist (news) Magazine each week o study current events. You will write one page debate briefs. There are not exams. 

Then visiting students may take one other three credit elective course such as:

Analysis of Famous Speeches
American Government
Identity and Vocation
Human Communication
Mass Communication Interpersonal Communication
Art Appreciation
Sales in Business
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Advanced Public Speaking

See our Web Page: World Wide Debate http://worldcollegiatefriends.blogspot.com/

More about the Northwest University Eagle Debate Team http://eagle.northwestu.edu/groups/debate-team/

About Northwest University
Video about Northwest University

More About the Debate in America program
*Our experienced professors coach students in the art of debate to become winning competitors in this international format of debate.
*Learn first hand about American culture, current controversies and history and way of life.
*Improve your conversational English.
*Each student will be assigned an American peer mentor who will meet with you weekly to practice English and gain tips for debating.
*Travel with the Northwest University Eagle Debate Team to four weekend tournaments in Washington and Oregon state. Then you may choose to join us at the US National Tournament at Hawaii Pacific University in Oahu, Hawaii. The trip to Hawaii will include days set aside for sightseeing.
*You will debate top students from major universities in the United States and Canada. We will attend tournaments at Seattle University, Portland State University, Western Washington University Lindfield College (Oregon), and Willamette University (Oregon).
*Additional long distance tournament competitions to California, Colorado, Vermont, Texas or Vermont can be arranged if you choose.

About The Director of the Debate in American Program

Professor Gary Gillespie is the second most senior debate coach in the five Northwest States and has coached successfully for 29 years. He has evaluated more than 5,000 speeches in his career. He has hosted Chinese debater visiting the United States seven times.
Other visiting international debaters hosted by the Northwest University debate team include:
Harvard University, Yale University, Oxford University, the Irish National Debate team as well as teams from Canada. There is a limit of 18 students to ensure that you receive personal attention. 

Inquire about costs here