Debate calendar
For instructions and rubric, see the handout linked from the main course page.
The following theses are assigned for the debates. Note that this is the opposite position from the one you took in the paper!
| Thesis | Section | Debate position | Debate position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 13 Nov | Doxxing: The US government should(/n't) pass a law making doxxing someone a federal crime. | 3 | Mackenzie "should" | Brandon "shouldn't" |
| 4 | Molly "should" | Lesha "shouldn't" | ||
| School laptops: School districts that distribute laptops to their students have(/n't) got a legitimate interest in tracking their location and verifying that they're used in permitted ways, so the districts should(/n't) be able to remotely access and view images from the laptops' webcams. | 3 | Kylie "have, should" | Brady "haven't, shouldn't" | |
| 4 | Kaitlyn "have, should" | Sally "haven't, shouldn't" | ||
| Thur, 15 Nov | Voter databases: Voter registration databases should(/n't) be linked among jurisdictions and to state ID databases, with matches (showing multiple registrations) and mismatches (showing nonexistent people) automatically removed from the voter rolls. | 3 | Christian "should" | Katelyn "shouldn't" |
| 4 | Lindsay "should" | Meghan "shouldn't" | ||
| Online voting: The Commonwealth of Virginia should(/n't) pass legislation and build a web interface enabling people to vote for town, state, and federal offices online. | 3 | Josh "should" | William B "shouldn't" | |
| 4 | Ian "should" | Kai "shouldn't" | ||
| Tue, 20 Nov | Body cams: On-duty police officers should(/n't) be required to wear body cameras turned on at all times, with the recordings saved for at least a few weeks after each shift. | 3 | Mike W "should" | Alicia** "shouldn't" |
| 4 | Malik "should" | Peyton "shouldn't" | ||
| Red-light cameras: Automated photo-based law enforcement tools, such as red-light cameras, are (a net benefit/too invasive) and should thus be (legal and encouraged/restricted or banned). | 3 | Abby "benefit, encouraged" | Daniel "invasive, restricted" | |
| 4 | Braden "benefit, encouraged" | Will T "invasive, restricted" | ||
| Tue, 27 Nov | Internet access: We should(/n't) consider access to the Internet a positive right, and the US government should(/n't) provide it free or cheap to every household. | 3 | TBA "should" | Zach "shouldn't" |
| 4 | Dylan "should" | Tjyshawn "shouldn't" | ||
| Net neutrality: The US government should(/n't) mandate that Internet service providers handle all transmitted data in the same way without privileging certain platforms over others or charging extra for some content. | 3 | Noah "should" | Gabi "shouldn't" | |
| 4 | Julianna "should" | Grady "shouldn't" | ||
| Thur, 29 Nov | Robots: We should(/n't) ban by treaty the use of autonomous AI/robots in domestic and international military conflicts. | 3 | Matt "should" | Destiny "shouldn't" |
| 4 | David "should" | Estela "shouldn't" | ||
| Abandonware: Books, music, and games that are out of print, and whose owners have gone out of business, should(/n't) be considered "abandonware" and released into the public domain. | 3 | Garrett "should" | Will W "shouldn't" | |
| 4 | Marisa "should" | Alex "shouldn't" |