Who can join the Williams College Debating Union?

Everybody! We’ll teach you everything you need to know about debate, so don’t worry if you have no previous experience.

Is debate fun?

Yes.

Does competing cost money?

The Williams College Debating Union uses its student organization funds to cover any competition-related expenses such as registration fees, required travel, etc.

How do I join?

Attend a few meetings or a tournament. That’s it! It’s never too late to join, even if your first meeting is halfway through the spring. To stay updated about the team, fill out our interest form.

Who gets to attend tournaments?

Anyone who wants to! As long as you express interest enough days in advance, we’ll register you for a tournament. Emails will be sent regularly to inform members about upcoming tournaments and registration deadlines. The only exception is the World Debating Championship; all other tournaments are fair game!

When/where do you meet?

[TBD]

What types of debate do you do?

We compete in parliamentary debate. The team mainly focuses on American parliamentary debate, also known as APDA (American Parliamentary Debate Association). There are also a few tournaments, including the World Debating Championship, for British parliamentary debate (BP).

What topics do you debate?

That’s the beauty of parliamentary debate: you never know until you’re competing! Unlike other forms of debate, parli doesn’t require you to prep and research about one and only one topic for a given amount of time. The rules of APDA can be found here. The rules of BP can be found here.

Who do you normally compete against?

Mostly East Coast schools (i.e. those that attend APDA tournaments). A comprehensive list can be found here.