There are 3 styles of debate, each with different aspects and topics.

Public Forum [PuF]-
Public Forum is the most recent form of debate. Partner teams debate controversial issues that are "stripped" from the newspaper headlines. Public Forum will test your skills in argumentation, cross-examination, and refutation. Compared to Lincoln Douglass and Policy, Public Forum is the most laidback and easiest form of debate.
- A Public Forum Debate round begins with a flip of a coin between the competing teams to determine your side and speaker position.
-New topics are announced the first day of each preceding month.
-Public Forum debators are probably the laziest people you'll ever meet.

Lincoln Douglas [LD]-
This style of debating has one person on each side. Propositions of value are debated with the emphasis on developing logical argumentation rather than an accumulation of information. You will use values analysis, argumentation skills, sound and ethical uses of persuasion, and clear audience centered communication.
-Sides are predetermined in LD; the negative side always goes second.
-Topics change every other month.
-LD-ers think they know everything.

Policy-
The Policy topic is the current national question. You and a partner will debate both sides of an interesting and controversial proposition for the entire season, using constructive argument, cross examination, and refutation. Skills you will learn include research, policy analysis, case construction, refutation, questioning, organization and communication. Since the topic usually has several sub-topics, a negative case cannot be prepared.
-Sides are also predetermined in policy; affirmative must go first because there is no set case for the negative side.
-You will probably carry large tubs of evidence weighing several tons.
-Policy debators speak extremely fast and articulate at the same time.