Civic Debate at Patrick Henry College

Civic Debate

PHC teams participate in Civic Debate, which is a research-based competition that provides students with opportunities to contribute policy solutions for a global civic society and aids in their development of professional presentation and leadership skills. Intercollegiate debate tournaments are organized by the Civic Debate Consortium and are used as a tool for engagement with leaders on social justice and religious freedom issues, U.S. and European Union issues, and other cutting-edge domestic and international issues.

PHC students have debated or made presentations before panels of qualified experts, including Ambassadors at the European Union and French Embassies in Washington, DC, and civil rights leaders at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Patrick Henry College students are frequently complimented for their thorough preparation, outstanding presentation skills, and their winsome speaking style. There are typically two competitive Civic Debate formats: present and defend or cross-examination. Our students excel in both arenas. For more information, visit the Civic Debate Consortium website here. PHC competes in the Social Justice Debates and the Transatlantic Dialogues, as well as the Schuman Challenge hosted by the European Union in the United States. 

PHC Wins International Debate Tournament!

PHC debaters took first place in the Transatlantic Dialogues debate competition in Paris in 2024. This was the first time that the Civic Debate program had traveled internationally for an event of this caliber in about a decade, and PHC won by beating the U.S. Air Force Academy in the final round. “PHC students are exceptionally situated to conduct really deep and effective research,” McDonald said. “Part of why we won is that we had an answer to every question.” 

Read the story and watch the debate here.

PHC Debate students win the 2023 Schuman Challenge Championship!

In 2023, four Patrick Henry College students competed for the title of Champions in a prestigious academic competition hosted by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America. The Schuman Challenge is an annual competition that invites teams of 3-4 undergraduate students to respond to a topic impacting transatlantic relations and present before a panel of judges.

Read the story here.