Lincoln-Douglas debate utilizes a one-on-one format, named for the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.  During the school year the topics for LD debate will change every other month.  This gives students the opportunity to debate on a range of topics that emphasize values questions: individual freedom versus collective good, economic development versus environmental protection, free speech protections versus societal protection.  Students delve into complex issues and develop arguments that are persuasive and clear.  The emphasis on ethics and philosophy encourages students to focus not just on the desirability of policy outcomes but to explore the rationale that underlies policy choices.  Lincoln-Douglas debate requires a critical view of the world and our place in it. This style of debate strengthens student skills in presentation, critical thinking, research, and value analysis.

LD rounds last for approximately 45 minutes and consist of constructive speeches, rebuttal speeches and cross-examination.  At the HDW students will learn how to analyze and research a topic, how to research and prepare an affirmative case, how to prepare negative strategies against possible affirmative cases that other debaters will present, and most importantly, how to present themselves in an assertive and confident manner.