GDI Novice Program

The 2008 Gonzaga Debate Institute

The Novice Program

Two Week Program: July 12th - July 26th, 2007

One Week Commuter Program: July 19th - July 26th

"The GDI novice lab was one of the greatest experiences of my life. This lab set me on the path to a very successful high school debate career. Plus, James and Cate were the best teachers imaginable. I would recommend this lab to any beginning debater who wants to get the most out of their involvement in debate."

- GDI Alum

Thinking - Analyzing - Understanding - Advocating

James Roland, Director of the GDI Novice Program

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Students: Are you looking for a challenge that combines the intellectual atmosphere of a graduate class with the competitive environment of organized sports?

Parents and Teachers: Do your students like to argue and you are looking for some way to positively channel those emerging advocacy skills?

Welcome to the Gonzaga Debate Institute Novice Program. The GDI is pleased to offer a lab tailored to the needs of beginning and inexperienced debaters. Camp is becoming more and more important to a students competitive success and its never too early to begin learning the fundamentals. This lab experience will be designed for students with little to no experience in debating. The Novice program will focus primarily on teaching students the fundamentals of academic debate, while also preparing them for competition on the 2006-2007 National Forensics League Topic.

   The Novice Program is directed by James Roland. James is an outstanding debate coach at Emory University. He is also involved in the Atlanta Urban Debate League and teaches at a number of other institutes throughout the country. James earned his BA from Southern Illinois University and a MA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. James has taught at the GDI for 9 years and is one of our most valued and experienced lab leaders. James has always been one of the most effective and popular instructors at the GDI.

    Assisting James will be Cate Morrison. Cate has over 10 years of experience coaching and debating in both high school and college. Cate earned her BA at James Madison University and is currently working on her PhD in Rhetoric at The University of Pittsburgh.

    Debate is an invaluable experience and students will leave the lab with all the fundamentals to effectively compete in the ranks of high school debate. Without a doubt you will win a lot of trophies as a results of your GDI education. But more importantly, you'll leave GDI with a set of skills that you simply can't attain in the traditional classroom setting. Debate will teach you not only important critical thinking, analysis, speaking, advocacy, and research, but it will also expose you to a wide variety of topics including philosophy, government, science, economics, and sociology to name a few.

The skills learnt through debating are many:
1. Confidence to speak in front of a room full of people

2. The Ability to present an argument persuasively

3. Vision to understand that there are two sides to most arguments

4. Respect for others, to let them have their say

5. The sense of timing, to prioritise your material and speak in a given time period

6. Structure to order your thoughts, to introduce, develop and summarize your points

7. General and specific knowledge of many current affairs topics, learnt through research and debate

8. Flexibility to react quickly to new ideas, and to remain unflustered in crises

There is little doubt that students who participate in high school debate are more prepared for college and life in general. We invite you to attend the GDI and explore what debate can do for you.

Contact us at

AD Box 20 - Gonzaga University - Spokane, Washington - 99258 - 509 323 6654