The OU Policy Debate Team has a long history of excellence and national recognition. Each year, OU competes in cross-examination style policy debate tournaments. Multiple teams of two debate both sides of varying issues, which recently included the merits of affirmative action, whether to establish a space policy, and the reach of executive authority.
The OU Policy Debate Team is a cross-examination, or cross-ex, style policy debate team typically comprised of 6-12 members. Cross-ex is a type of debate where teams of two advocate for or against a specified resolution/topic, and then take turns questioning or being questioned by the other side. Each team member presents and cross-examines the opposing team at least once. Because a team could be assigned either the affirmative or negative position, preparation of the merits of both sides is key and done as a squad here at home throughout the year.
OU Debate's cross-ex teams use the critical debate argument style. Critical, in contrast to traditional policy debate, known as the kritik style, is a movement that challenges the mindset or assumptions made by the opposing team. Kritik debates confront the foundations of traditional college debate, which has previously been known to be exclusive and lacking in representation and participation outside the upper-middle class elite.
OU's members come from all backgrounds and areas of the country, and are working to earn degrees in biochemistry, women & gender studies, and communication, to name a few. As a kritik team, members inject hip-hop, rap, personal diction and individualized experiences into their debate presentations, making their delivery more performative and impassioned.
Lindsey Shook joined the OU Policy Debate program in summer 2022, having brought with her an immense amount of experience as a debator, coach, and program director. Lindsey received her Bachelors degree from the University of Central Oklahoma while she coached for Heritage Hall in OKC. Subsequently, she received her Masters from the University of Kansas where was also a coach for their lauded debate program.
Lindsey has been a program lead for the University of Central Florida and James Madison University, where she coached national champions in every division including novice, junior varsity, open, and the National Debate Tournament. Her other accomplishments include first round bid teams and round robin particpants, sending novices to NDT qualifiers and out rounds of CEDA Nationals. In addition to multiple coaching and top critic awards, Lindsey has received the Galentine Award for best female coach in the US and has been a judge for the final round the NDT tournament in 2013 and 2018.
FALL 2024
| September 14 - 16 | Northwestern University | |
| September 20 - 22 | Missouri State | |
| September 28 - 30 | University of Kentucky | |
| October 12 - 14 | University of Houston | |
| November 1 - 3 | University of Central Oklahoma | |
| November 16 - 18 | Wake Forest |
SPRING 2025
| March 19 - 23 | CEDA @ Rutgers |
| April TBD | NDT |
Here are just a few reasons students join our team:
