Welcome to the ESU East Coast High School Public Debate Program!
- Saturday, November 18: Applied Technology High School
- Saturday, December 9: Hackley School
- Saturday, January 20: Dwight School
- Saturday, March 9: Applied Technology High School
- REMINDER: EACH SCHOOL MUST PROVIDE ONE JUDGE FOR EVERY 2 TEAMS.
TOPICS for the november tournament
– Abolish the Electoral College
– Washington D.C. should be granted statehood
2022-2023 Tournaments
- Saturday, December 10, 2022 at Hackley School
- Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Dwight School
- Saturday, March 4, 2023 at Horace Greeley School
- Championship Tournament April 2023 (Date & Location TBD)
- REMINDER: EACH SCHOOL MUST PROVIDE ONE JUDGE FOR EVERY TWO TEAMS.
Past Topics
The UN should have more power to enforce international laws and regulations.
– The United States should adopt a nationalized education system.
– The Biden Administration’s Student Loan Debt Relief Plan does more harm than good.
– New York State should not ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035.
– End Presidential Executive Privilege!
– CRISPR/Cas9 will do more harm than good.
– All currently illegal drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed.
– The US federal government should regulate cryptocurrency.
Impose term limits on the US Congress
– Cancel culture does more good than harm.
– Abolish the CIA!
Additional impromptu topics will be selected from current events & enduring ethical controversies
Tournament Format & Schedule:
The tournament will consist of four rounds.
Two of the rounds will cover two pre-announced topics (usually announced about four weeks prior to the event) and two rounds will include two extemporaneous motions for debate. Impromptu topics, drawn from current events and notable public policy issues, are announced twenty minutes prior to debates. Pre-announced and impromptu topics can be in any round order.
Rounds three and four are power-matched and at some tournaments (time permitting) we will have a final public debate between the top two teams on a third extemporaneous topic.
Please note: the timing of the East Coast tournaments will start at 8am and the West Coast tournaments will start at noon.
Tentative Schedule for the Day
| Time | Activity |
| 8AM – 9AM | Registration |
| 9AM – 9:30AM | General Assembly and Welcome |
| 9:30AM – 11AM | Round 1 |
| 11AM – 12:30PM | Round 2 |
| 12:30PM – 1:00PM | LUNCH |
| 1:00PM – 2:30PM | Round 3 |
| 2:30PM – 4:00PM | Round 4 |
| 4:00PM – 4:30PM | Break/Coaches Meeting |
| 4:30PM – 5:00PM | Publice Debate Finals |
| 5:00PM – 5:30PM | Awards |