College Prep’s nationally ranked Debate program teaches a variety of academic and personal skills, including platform speaking, research, sportsmanship, logic, writing, and performing in competitions.
Debate introduces students to competitive speaking, analytic thinking, the basics of argumentation, and research. At all levels students are involved in one of two categories (Lincoln Douglas or Policy), or an individual event such as Oratory, Dramatic or Humorous Interpretation, or Domestic or Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking.
College Prep is consistently recognized as one of the top debate programs in the country and recently earned a Schools of Excellence award from the National Speech & Debate Association. In addition to the program’s success on the national stage, debate is prized for the camaraderie born of long weekends of competition and late nights in the library, the rush that comes with mastering a difficult challenge, the self-confidence developed through testing oneself, and the humility learned while listening to others.
List of 2 members.
Lexy Green 81
Director of Forensics
510-652-0111 x227
Ian Beier
Debate Faculty
510-652-0111 x227
Being on the debate team taught me how to think critically, organize my thoughts clearly, and present my ideas confidently. It also gave me the chance to become close friends with terrific people at College Prep and other schools.”
The College Prep Speech and Debate Team receives generous support from the Julia Burke Memorial Endowment for Debate, established by Marilyn and Jerry Burke in memory of their daughter, Julia (class of 2000), an outstanding debater at College Prep. The income from this endowment is used to assist with the team's national debate travel expenses, making national circuit debate competition available for all participants.