Connecticut Debate Association * Connecticut Middle School Debate League * Collegiate Invitationals at Yale & University of Pennsylvania * Model United Nations at Yale and in NYC.

These are the places we’ve competed this year.

Yes, we win awards. Lots of them in fact. We earned 9 spots at CDA State Finals and garnered 5 top three speakers awards and 6 top three team awards over the course of six tournaments. Where we didn’t earn trophies, we often were still in the top 10!

We also made friends, shared meals, judged tournaments, held our parents’ hands when they judged, and argued <er, discussed> politics. We’ve grown as students, debaters, and as human beings living together on this tiny planet.

We learned to think through issues of national and international concern. We learned to advocate for a position. We learned to compromise for the sake of the better whole. We also learned compassion and reality by temporarily stepping into the shoes of “the other side”.