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¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ will host high school debaters from throughout the U.S. at the annual Bishop Guild Debate tournament Oct. 2-3. The annual competition is a Tournament of Champions qualifying event, meaning that the best teams will receive a bid to the high school national championship tournament.

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Teams will represent about 50 schools, including Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills high schools.

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Students will compete in policy debate, public forum debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, prose/poetry, duo interpretation, impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking.

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Topics for the three debate styles are: that the U.S. federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the U.S. (policy); that public high school students in the U.S. ought not be required to pass standardized exit exams to graduate (Lincoln-Douglas); and, when in conflict, the United Nations should prioritize global poverty reduction over environmental protection (public forum).

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The tournament honors former ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ debate coach Brad Bishop, who directed ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ teams to three national titles and is now a professor at ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ’s Cumberland School of Law.

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