July 03, 2003 :: No. 4

High School Students to Learn the Art of Debate

More than 100 high school students are expected to participate in the Southern California Debate Institute (SCDI) at Cal State Fullerton July 13-19.

Students are coming from such school districts as Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Pomona and Sanger to spend a week at the university attending workshops.

“The SCDI prepares students for the world of high school debate as well as challenging their analytical, public speaking and reasoning skills,” said Sylvia Beltran, executive director of the Southern California Urban Debate League, which is based at Cal State Fullerton.

Students will receive instruction on such topics as basic argument, topic introduction, winning strategies and skills.

Since its launch in 1996, the Southern California Urban Debate League has instructed participants, who range in age from 14 to 18, on debate techniques. These teens have debated such topics as privacy, weapons of mass destruction and foreign policy.