James Fishback, a former debate team member and coach, laments the desultory state of high school debates, in which students expressing objective truths that challenge leftist propaganda are being systematically censored by judges’ personal beliefs. As a high school student in Broward County, Florida, despite a childhood stutter, Fishback learned to challenge ideas, question assumptions, and think creatively. He went on to place ninth at the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) nationals and later coached a debate team at an underprivileged school in Miami.
Today’s debates are shaped by judges’ paradigms—guidelines that describe their debate preferences. Students consult Tabroom, a database maintained by the NSDA, to tailor their arguments to their assigned judges. This practice can clearly compromise the integrity of debates when judges hold strong partisan beliefs. It can lead to students internalizing these views and conforming their arguments accordingly. This can hinder arguments favoring capitalism, defending Israel, or challenging affirmative action, among others.
The NSDA argues that judges should base decisions on debate topics rather than personal beliefs. However, some judges, like Lindsey Shrodek, still hold biases. For instance, she endorses “Cultural Competency” and discourages white debaters from arguing issues primarily affecting people of color. Similarly, another judge, X Braithwaite, holds a racial disclosure bias, granting black students a competitive advantage.
Such practices have been claimed to contribute to a decline in sportsmanship and camaraderie in high school debate. A prominent incident at the 2018 NSDA National Tournament saw a student ridiculed for conservative arguments, causing her to publicly express her frustrations on Reddit. Such circumstances have resulted in students quitting due to unclear guidelines and perceived biases.
To address these issues, Fishback founded Incubate Debate in 2019. This new league hosts cost-free tournaments judged by impartial individuals from various sectors. It seeks to restore the integrity of debates and encourage thousands of students to engage and learn from each other. The NSDA seems to have recognized these concerns, recently releasing a statement on providing best practices for adjudicating debates. Despite the challenges, there is still hope for a future where debate encourages thoughtful exchange rather than conforming to the biases of the judges, which will ultimately help students learn to critically think, learn, and engage on complex issues impacting diverse communities.
