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Join the team
Five steps from curious to competing. No experience needed, and novices join all year.
First, what is it?
If you have only done public forum or LD — or nothing at all — this is what makes Policy different.
Each round, one team defends a policy change (Affirmative) while the other argues against it (Negative). Teams switch sides each round.
A single national topic is debated all year, letting debaters develop deep expertise in a complex policy area like healthcare, defense, or energy.
Arguments are backed by evidence cut from academic journals, government reports, and news sources, which builds genuine research skills.
Debaters think on their feet, respond to complex arguments, and construct rebuttals in real time under competitive pressure.
The path in
Tournament signups, registration information, and club announcements all land in the members' Facebook group first.
Open the groupPolicy is a two-person event. Ask around, or tell an officer you need pairing help and we will match you.
Meet the officersVarsity meets Wednesday B block and novice meets Friday A block. Sign up on Ion — no experience required.
Novice activity on IonTabroom runs tournament registration and pairings across the circuit. Creating an account is free and takes a minute.
tabroom.comSign in here with your Ion account to see the tournament calendar, register for entries, and track dues and orders in one place.
Open the team portalThe team portal
Members register for tournaments, check dues and orders, and reach the resource library from one place. Sign-in happens on ion.tjhsst.edu — this site never sees or stores your Ion password.
Open entries, deadlines, and your own registration history.
What you owe, what you have paid, and where apparel orders stand.
Evidence, case files, and guides the officer team maintains.
Awards and past entries in one place.
Questions
No. The novice squad starts from the beginning every year — what a speech is, how to flow, how evidence works. Most of the varsity squad started as novices here.
One eighth-period block a week, plus tournaments. Most tournaments are a single Saturday; a few of the larger ones run Friday evening through Sunday. How much research you do between tournaments is up to you and your partner.
No. Come to a meeting first. If you do not have a partner, tell an officer and they will pair you up.
There are club dues for the season and, for some tournaments, an entry fee. Payment goes through MySchoolBucks, and your status is tracked in the team portal once you sign in. Talk to the treasurer if cost is a barrier — it should not stop anyone from competing.
Yes. Novices join throughout the season. The earlier you start the more tournaments you get, but there is no cutoff.
Still unsure? Email tjhsstpolicy1@gmail.com or message an officer directly.