Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Wyoming Speech and Debate Union:

• To provide participating students a valuable educational activity with a primary emphasis on intercollegiate debate competition;
  
  
• To present public debates, host debate competitions and instructional institutes, and to expose the University and the surrounding community to the democratizing and dialectical educational benefits of debate;
  
  
• To offer debate activities which improve critical thinking, research skills, ethical argumentation, advocacy, analysis, persuasion, oral presentation, listening, organization, teamwork, group problem solving, citizenship, and leadership.

Debate is a valuable alternate to the violence of physical conflict and the silencing effects of totalitarianism. To that end, UW debaters are instructed to demonstrate self-discipline, maturity, responsibility, solidarity and respect for all participants at all times.