Garden State Debate League

 

Welcome to the ESU Garden State Debate League! 

2024-2025 Academic Year

Middle School Debate Registration Open Now!

Click Here to Register View Topics Archive

2024-25 TOURNAMENT DATES & LOCATION 

  • Saturday, December 7, 2024 – Stonebridge School
  • Saturday, February 22, 2025 – William Annin Middle School
  • Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Cedar Hill Prep
  • Saturday, May 3, 2025 – The Hun SchooL

 

TOPICS FOR THE FEBRUARY 22, 2025 TOURNAMENT

  • The International Criminal Court is obsolete.
  • Artificial Intelligence does more good than harm.
  • Ocean exploration is more beneficial to society than space exploration.
  • Lower the voting age.

 

PAST TOPICS

TOPICS FROM THE DECEMBER 7 , 2024 TOURNAMENT

  • The Electoral College does more harm than good.
  • Extinct species should not be resurrected.
  • School grading should be restricted to Pass/Fail.
  • Hate speech is a first amendment right.
    •  

 

2023-24 TOURNAMENT DATES & LOCATION: 

  • Saturday, December 2, 2023 – Stonebridge School
  • Saturday, February 3, 2024 – Cedar Hill Prep School
  • Saturday, March 23, 2024 – William Annin Middle School
  • Saturday, April 27, 2024 – Broad Street School
  •  

2022-23 Tournament Dates & Location:  

  • Saturday, December 3 – Saddle River Day School
  • Saturday, February 4 – Cedar Hill Prep School
  • Saturday, March 25 – William Annin Middle School
  • Saturday, April 29 – The Hun School

 

PAST TOPICS:

  • Americans should be required to provide one year of national service
  • Organ donation should be compulsory for all US residents.
  • School attendance should be voluntary.
  • Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.

The topics for the March 25 Tournament were:

  • ChatGPT does more harm than good.
  • Space exploration should be privatized.
  • Abolish the U.N. Security Council
  • Energy drinks do more good than harm.

February 4th Tournament were:

  • Ban single-use plastic water bottles.
  • The internet should be a public utility in the United States.
  • Facial recognition technology does more good than harm.
  • Eating meat is unethical.

 

December 3 TOURNAMENT:

  • Homework does more harm than good
  • Tik Tok is a bad influence
  • Raise the minimum wage in NJ

 

FEBRUARY 8, 2020 Debate:

  • All U.S. Presidential primaries should be held on the same day.
  • Disney movies do more harm than good.
  • Major League Baseball’s plan to cut minor league teams is justified.
  • Ban single-use plastic bags.

JUDGE Training:

TBA

For more information or to register, contact debate@esuus.org.

 

Participating Schools:

  • Saddle River Day School
  • Bridgeton Middle School (Bridgeton)
  • Cedar Hill Prep School (Somerset)
  • The Hun School (Princeton)
  • Our Lady of Sorrows (Hamilton)
  • Stone Bridge Middle School (Allentown)
  • The Wilberforce School (Princeton)
  • William Annin Middle School (Basking Ridge)
  • Roosevelt Intermediate School (Somerset)
  • Broad Street School
Program Contact

Alice Uhl, Director of International Scholarship, Shakespeare & Debate 

auhl@esuus.org

(212) 818-1200, ext. 212

 

 

LOCAL CONTACT

Vivekanand Balija 
President, ESU Garden State Debate League
VBalija@bernardsboe.com

 

 

DEBATE AND LEADERSHIP

“Girls I knew who would freak out before every presentation were now walking with their heads held high. Debate took shy, timid students and turned them into forces to be reckoned with. “

Mary Purcell, Middle School Student, Barkalow Middle School, New Jersey

Read full story here