Redhawk Debate Tournament
Students from several area high schools visit the IU Northwest campus to participate in a series of competitive debate events hosted by the Department of Communication. Participating schools from past years include Chesterton, Gary, Hammond, Highland, LaPorte, Penn, Munster and Valparaiso High Schools.
The day-long event usually consists of four separate debate categories. These include Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas, Congress, and Public Forum. The Policy Debate and Public Forum contests feature two-person debate teams who argue different sides of an issue. The Lincoln-Douglas event seeks to emulate the historic debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, taking as their focus various national questions of current interest. The Congress event simulates a Congressional debate, with students arguing over four different bills and trying to persuade fellow participants to vote their way.
Each year more than a hundred high school students compete in both team and individual debates.
