Synopsis:
Since the inception of the National Forensics League in 1925, high school students have been competing and using their voice to argue opposing ideas regarding current social, national, and global topics.
DEBATABLE will take an in-depth, emotional roller-coaster look into the lives of high school students who jockey for position on select debate teams across the United States throughout the school year. The one-hour, ten-part series features diverse students of all ethnicities and all economic backgrounds who learn to compete and be challenged. As students win competitions and progress, our core focus will shift depending on which teams continue to win and rise to the top of the debates, ultimately traveling to the National Championships.
How are the students identified for the team? How do they compete with each other and train? What friendships do they form and who are their fiercest competitors? How do they treat each other and support each other? How does a shy wallflower emerge to compete on the national stage – using a strong and confident voice? And how do students gain self-respect, stamina, and a clear vision of who they are and their ideas of the world?
And finally, what do the students think about as they consider the topics they are debating? Being challenged by the pros and cons of the subject matter forces them to see both sides of an issue. As a result, the audience becomes witness to both sides as well, perhaps providing an opportunity to expand consciousness for us all.