What does a debater look like? If you have never been to a debate, you might have a clear picture in your head. Someone confident, someone articulate and someone who can stand up without hesitation and produce a perfectly formed argument on almost any subject. Perhaps they have always enjoyed public speaking. Perhaps they study law or politics. Perhaps they are the sort of person who has an answer before everyone else has finished asking the question. But this isn’t every detail in the picture, as there is no single way to be a debater – it is difference that creates the differences to discuss and debate.
You can be the person who loves standing up and speaking. You can be the person who would much rather research the motion than deliver the speech. You can be the person who enjoys chairing. You can be the person who asks the question nobody else had considered. Or you can actively listen. The key is that there is room for participation at different levels.
That matters particularly in a university such as the Open University, where students come to study with very different experiences and expectations. Some may have years of various professional experiences behind them, and/or returning after a long break. Some may be naturally confident speakers; others may need time before they feel comfortable contributing.
A debate doesn’t require everyone to arrive as an expert. In fact, sometimes not knowing everything is an advantage.
You can be curious. You can ask why. You can discover that an argument you initially dismissed has more to it than you thought. You can find yourself defending a position you did not expect to support. You can change your mind. And you can disagree.
This last part is important. A healthy debate community isn’t one where everyone eventually reaches the same conclusion. It is one where people can hold different conclusions while still sharing the same space.
That is easier said than done. We live in a world where disagreement can quickly become personal. Online discussions can turn into arguments between people rather than arguments about ideas. Sometimes the easiest response to an opinion we dislike is to dismiss the person expressing it. Our community offers debating opportunity to separate the person from the proposition and realise the screen is not a barrier, it’s the link of our community.
We can argue for something without necessarily believing it. We can listen to an opposing case without accepting it. We can challenge an argument while remaining interested in the person making it.
And occasionally, we can discover that our own position needs changing.
That, perhaps, is why I don’t think the future of the OU Debate Club should be measured simply by how many people can be persuaded to become “debaters”.
The more interesting question is whether we can continue creating a place where people feel able to participate.
A place where experienced speakers can stretch themselves and newcomers can have a first attempt.
A place where serious subjects can be discussed without taking ourselves too seriously.
A place where winning matters enough to make a debate exciting, but not so much that it prevents us from listening.
The club has developed considerably from its beginnings, but it isn’t finished.
Every new member changes it slightly. Every new motion creates a different conversation. Every person who chairs, speaks, questions, researches, or simply turns up contributes something to what the club becomes next. There are opportunities for involvement beyond the membership participation.
Come with a question.
Come with an opinion.
Come because you disagree.
Come because you aren’t sure.
Come to hear what other people think. Come because you want to be involved in deciding motions, finding guest speakers and nurturing our debating society for many more students in the future.
There is no single way to be a debater. There is, however, one thing that every debate needs people with willingness to join the conversation.
