SPAR Topics

SPAR Debate Topics

SPAR, short for Spontaneous Argumentation, offers a unique debating experience that is both accessible for elementary school debaters and intriguing for professional-level competitors. In each round of SPAR, debaters will be presented with a set of three topics. From this set, each debater will have the opportunity to strike (remove) one topic, leaving the final topic to be debated. These topics cover a wide range of subjects, from personal preferences to societal issues, ensuring that every round brings a new and exciting challenge. So, prepare to engage in lively and spontaneous debates, where your strategic choices in striking topics will play a crucial role in shaping the discussion!

All topics used at PSDA tournaments will be randomly selected from this list:

The National Park System should be significantly expanded.
Weekends are overrated.
On balance, the internet has done more harm than good.
Zoos do more harm than good.
Humans would be a bigger threat to dinosaurs than dinosaurs would be to humans.
Youtube is better than Netflix.
Skills learned in speech are more useful than skills learned in debate.
Vengeance is preferable to Justice.
Twitter does more harm than Facebook.
Given the option, being talented is better than being hardworking.
Fires are the greatest threat to economics in California
Colonizing Mars is not worth it.
Science fiction is a preferable genre to Fantasy.
Fiction is preferable to nonfiction.
Automation will do more harm than good.
Super strength is a preferable power to flight.
Time-traveling forwards is preferable to time-traveling backward.
Near Earth Objects are the greatest threat to mankind.
When it comes to employees, computer skills ought to be valued more highly than communication skills.
Schools should prioritize investing in the arts over investing in athletics.
Hacking is the greatest threat to the United States
Jake Paul is good for boxing
Billionaires should pay for their own stadiums
If the U.S. was forced to choose, Mexico is a preferable ally to Canada.
There is no such thing as “private” anymore.
Social media is the greatest threat to the mental health of Americans.
Tenure causes more problems in education than it solves.
Remote classes are the future of education.
The Supreme Court is too powerful.
The United States should surrender the war on drugs.
Athletes speaking out on their beliefs have done more harm than good.
Facial recognition technology does more harm than good.
When it comes to innovation, individualism is preferable to collectivism.
The education system over prioritizes degrees from S.T.E.M. fields.
Capitalism is a preferable economic system to Socialism.
Baseball is no longer America’s pastime.
National Security ought to be prioritized over the right to privacy.
When possible, working remotely is preferable to returning to offices.
Money can’t buy happiness.
The internet should be regulated as a public utility.
Crypto currency is a preferable alternative to fiat currency.
Space exploration is a more worthwhile endeavor than ocean exploration.
Nuclear is a preferable energy source to solar.
East Coast rap is better than West Coast rap.
Trade schools are preferable to higher education.
Public Transit is preferable to personal vehicle ownership.
Internet privacy is a lost cause.
Steph Curry is better for the NBA than Lebron James.
Anime is an important part of our culture.
PC gaming is preferable to console gaming.
California water rights should only be purchasable by entities based in the United States.
Barry Bonds should have made the Hall of Fame.
Tom Brady should have played one more year.
In 5 years Facebook will not be a relevant platform.
NFTs are the future of video games.
Going to community college is a better first step after highschool than going to a university for the average person.
HBO will win the streamer wars.
Survivor is the best reality TV Show on television.
Marvel's next generation of movies will flop.
The chip shortage will make video games increasingly inaccessible.
The internet should be regulated as a public utility.
The Golden State Warriors will win the NBA Championship this year.
Trade schools are preferable to higher education.
Space exploration is a more worthwhile endeavor than ocean exploration.
Going to community college is a better first step after highschool than going to a university for the average person.
When possible, working remotely is preferable to returning to offices.
Given the option, being talented is better than being hardworking.
Twitter does more harm than Facebook.
When it comes to employees, computer skills ought to be valued more highly than communication skills.
Youtube is better than Netflix.
Life would be better if people didn’t need to sleep.
The education system over prioritizes degrees from S.T.E.M. fields.
National Security ought to be prioritized over the right to privacy.
Steph Curry is better for the NBA than Lebron James.
Fiction is preferable to nonfiction.
Athletes speaking out on their beliefs have done more harm than good.
Time-traveling forwards is preferable to time-traveling backward.
Tom Brady should play one more year.
Skills learned in speech are more useful than skills learned in debate.
Marvel's next generation of movies will flop.
Colonizing Mars is not worth it.
Weekends are overrated.
Lebron James has passed Michael Jordan as the NBA G.O.A.T.
PC gaming is preferable to console gaming.
Baseball is no longer America’s pastime.
Billionaires should pay for their own stadiums
The internet has done more harm than good.
Final exams are preferable to final papers.
If the U.S. was forced to choose, Mexico is a preferable ally to Canada.
Humans would be a bigger threat to dinosaurs than dinosaurs would be to humans.
Jake Paul is good for boxing
East Coast rap is better than West Coast rap.
Crypto currency is a preferable alternative to fiat currency.
Homework does more harm than good.
In 5 years Facebook will not be a relevant platform.
HBO will win the streamer wars. Variation”Disney+
The United States should surrender the war on drugs.
Tenure causes more problems in education than it solves.
Vengeance is preferable to Justice.

Survivor is the best reality TV Show on television.
Sports are not as exciting after the COVID-19 Pandemic started.
California water rights should only be purchasable by entities based in the United States.
Science fiction is a preferable genre to Fantasy.
Social media is the greatest threat to the mental health of Americans.
Public Transit is preferable to personal vehicle ownership.
Near Earth Objects are the greatest threat to humanity.
There is no such thing as “private” anymore.
Facial recognition technology does more harm than good.
NFTs are the future of video games.
Barry Bonds should have made the Hall of Fame.
The Supreme Court is too powerful.
Money can’t buy happiness.
The chip shortage will make video games increasingly inaccessible.
Remote classes are the future of education.
Nuclear is a preferable energy source to solar.
Super strength is a preferable power to flight.
The National Park System should be significantly expanded.
When it comes to innovation, individualism is preferable to collectivism.
Anime is an important part of our culture.
Hacking is the greatest threat to the United States
Vengeance is preferable to Justice.
Survivor is the best reality TV Show on television.
The internet has done more harm than good.
We should ban fast fashion
We should ban NFTs
Elected offices should have a maximum age limit
We should adopt a cashless economy
Environmental rights of the future should supercede economic interests of current generations
Pets are useful.
The internet is better for learning than teachers
Is junk food suitable for children?
Students should wear uniforms to school
Children should not be allowed to watch television
Virtual learning is not suitable for young children
Preschool students should be allowed to bring their toys to class
Students of all ages should go on field trips
Outdoor classrooms are better for learning
Aliens are real
Schools should teach advanced math to elementary students
Schools allow students to bring pets to the class
Homeschooling is better than the traditional education system
Students need recess
Mobile phones should be allowed in the classrooms
Computers will replace teachers in the future
Junk food needs to be banned from school cafeterias
The internet should be banned from the school premises
Physical education should be compulsory for all students
Video games are helpful for children
The current generation does not have sufficient role models
Public schools are better than private schools
Middle school students should be required to volunteer for community service
Beauty pageants are good
Artificial intelligence will be good for humanity
Cyber security is a threat to students
Video games are too violent for young minds
Cooking classes are important for all students
History is the most important school subject
Humans are primarily motivated by self-interest.
A hot dog is a sandwich.
Round pizzas are better than rectangular ones.
McDonald’s is the best fast-food restaurant.
Humans should eat to live, not live to eat.
You should never put pineapple on a pizza.
You should put cereal in the bowl first, followed by milk.
All families should have a pet.
Dogs are better pets than cats.
Summer is better than winter.
Candy should be given as rewards in the classroom.
Xbox is better than PlayStation.
Football is better than soccer.
It would be better to be able to fly than to be able to turn invisible.
Fiction is better than nonfiction.
Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
Werewolves are more dangerous than vampires.
People shouldn’t have to go to school or work on their birthdays.
Monday is the worst day of the week.
Robin Hood is a thief, not a hero.
Darth Vader was ultimately a hero, not a villain.
Being famous is actually not all that great.
It would be better to live under the sea than in space.
Are Disney princesses good role models for young children?
Should superheroes wear capes?
Cheesecake is a pie
Shrek is a better friend than donkey
A hotdog is a sandwich
Cereal is a soup
Online shopping is better than in-store shopping.
Self-driving cars will do more harm than good.
Virtual reality is a better form of entertainment than traditional movies and TV shows.
Eating meat is morally wrong.
The use of AI in the workplace will cause more harm than good.
The use of robots in the workplace will cause more harm than good.
The use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture is necessary for food security.
The use of pesticides in agriculture is necessary for food security.
The use of nuclear energy is too dangerous to be viable.
The use of renewable energy sources is not viable.
The use of fossil fuels is necessary for the economy.
The use of plastic should be banned in all forms.
The use of artificial intelligence in the criminal justice system will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in the classroom will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in the healthcare system will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in the military will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in the government will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in society will cause more harm than good.
The use of technology in the workplace will cause more harm than good.
Dogs make better pets than cats.
Summer is the best season of the year.
Candy should be allowed in school every day.
Xbox is more fun than PlayStation.
Fictional books are more exciting than nonfiction.
Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
Werewolves are scarier than vampires.
People should get a day off from school or work on their birthdays.
Monday is the worst day of the week.
Robin Hood was a hero, not a thief.
Darth Vader was a villain, not a hero.
Being famous is amazing.
It would be cooler to live in space than under the sea.
Disney princesses are excellent role models for kids.
Superheroes should always wear capes.
Cheesecake is definitely a type of pie.
Shrek is a better friend than Donkey.
A hotdog is a type of sandwich.
Cereal is a kind of soup.
Round pizzas are superior to rectangular ones