HWS News
5 September 2024 HWS Debate Prepares for Most Competitive Season Ever
HWS Debate’s goal is to qualify for international tournaments in the United Kingdom and Panama City.
After a record-breaking year, returning members of HWS Debate and nearly 30 new recruits are preparing for a competitive debate season.
Last year, HWS Debate broke records in the international and national debate arena. Lamia Nur Rahman ’26 and Sandeep Tissaaratchy ’26 made history as the 17th best team in the world during their performance in the open division of the World University Debate Championship held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They had the best results of any U.S. liberal arts college and placed ahead of other U.S. teams from Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Cornell universities.
In their first year of collegiate debate, Hudson Chou ’27 and Fairooj Suhita ’27 became semifinals at the United States University Debate Championship and qualified to the final round of the Novice National Debating Championship, Colgate University Open Final and the Novice Finals of the North American University Debate Championship.
Tissaaratchy, the President of HWS Debate, says the team has big ambitions for the fall semester. “I am so proud of the dedication and commitment that our team has had in preparing for our competitions and building community. This semester is the toughest yet, and we are hoping to break the record we set previously in Vietnam as we head to Panama.”
HWS participates in the most competitive format in university debate known as British Parliamentary style. Teams of two are given 15 minutes to prepare their case in support of or against a motion.
Coming up, HWS Debate will take on:
- Princeton IV, hosted online, Sept. 21-22
- UCLA IV, hosted online, Sept. 28-29
- Novice Weekend, Bard University, Sept. 27-28
- Western IV, hosted online, Oct. 4-6
- Hart House IV, hosted by the University of Toronto, Oct. 18-20
- Zagreb Pre-WUDC, hosted online, Oct. 26-27
- Oxford IV, hosted by Oxford University, United Kingdom, Nov. 9-11
- Cambridge IV, hosted by Cambridge University, United Kingdom, Nov. 16-17
- Penn Pre-WUDC, hosted online, Nov. 23-24
- World University Debate Championship, Panama City, Dec. 25- Jan. 4
New members are invited to join the team. Debate practices are held on Monday and Thursday from 5-7 p.m. in Stern 103.
Top: Michelle Mangione ’27, Lamia Nur Rahman ’26, Hudson Chou ’27 and Sandeep Tissaaratchy ’26 table at the Involvement Expo.
