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Individuals on the Niskayuna Debate Team participate in formal debates based on philosophy. The levels of competition are Varsity, Junior Varsity and Novice.

The topic of the debate changes every two months. The topic for November and December 2002 was"Resolved: When in conflict, academic freedom ought to be valued above community standards." The topic for debates in January and February 2003 is "Resolved: When in conflict, globalization ought to take precedence over national sovereignty." Students in the program learn how to research these topics and how to develop effective arguments and rebuttals both for and against the resolution, as the debate topic is called.

The Niskayuna Debate Team has grown significantly over the past few years. Approximately 10 debaters returned this fall and between 10 and 15 new debaters are joining this year, so the team is continuing to grow.

Debate is a wonderful club and exposes competitors to many aspects of argumentation that they do not encounter anywhere else, but are vital to developing sound opinions and effective writing and speaking abilities. Learning proper construction of arguments, appropriate style of argumentation, research techniques, quick thinking skills, how to record main points efficiently, as well as developing analytical abilities and becoming familiar with the works of major philosophers are some of the remarkable benefits of participating in debate. The debate team's coach is excellent and experienced and the team has strong parent support. All these help tremendously to create a terrific program.