FOR MYSELF:

• I will research my topic and know what I am talking about.
• I will respect the subject matter of my debates.
• I will choose persuasion over coercion and violence.
• I will learn from victory and especially from defeat.
• I will be a generous winner and a gracious loser.
• I will remember and respect where I came from even though I am now a citizen of the world.
• I will apply my criticism of others to myself.
• I will strive to see myself in others.
• I will, in a debate, use the best arguments I can to support the side I am on.
• I will, in life, use the best arguments I can to determine which side I am on.

FOR OTHERS:

• I will respect their rights to freedom of speech and expression, even though we may disagree.
• I will respect my partners, opponents, judges, coaches, and tournament officials.
• I will be honest about my arguments and evidence and those of others.
• I will help those with less experience, because I am both student and teacher.
• I will be an advocate in life, siding with those in need and willing to speak truth to power.

—From INTRODUCTION TO THE WAY OF REASON, Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont