Our Mission
Being better in Competition, Conversations & the Community
The mission of the NYU Debate team is excellence at every level with a focus on Novice Nationals, JV Nationals, the NDT and the CEDA National Championships while creating platforms to empower diverse voices. Debate teaches you problem solving, critical thinking, research and information filtering skills. It requires students to debate both sides of the topic fostering respect for other perspectives. NYU debaters become more persuasive through rebuttals, more insightful through cross-examination, and more reflective through evidence evaluation. They also discover a tool for activism, scholarship and finding their voice .
Highlights
Year after year, NYU CEDA debaters excel on and off-campus.
Policy Debate
After finishing the 25-26 season with 4 championships, 11 National Debate Scholars, tons of speaker & team awards, including CEDA Nationals and the NDT. NYUCEDA said goodbye to eleven incredible seniors and began its new campaign with a new Executive Board, new assistant coaches, and over sixty debaters on the roster needing lots of training and lots of practice with a budget hampered severely by fuel prices that increased travel costs by 75-300% for lodging, air travel, ground travel and food costs. Despite these impediments, we've earned top awards at Binghamton, Houston and West Point to start the season. W're excited about our prospects and appreciate the help of our alumni volunteers. Given the challenges we're facing, NYUCEDA could certainly use your support.
IPPF
This year, the Brewer Foundation's International Public Policy Program shattered records as the event attracted over 830 global registrations representing 62 different countries. Since teams have 3-12 students, that represents a global program reach of over 2400 thanks in large part to the work of NYUCEDA Alum and IPPF Program Coordinator Jasmine McClure. Teams are debating the 2026-27 topic is Resolved: Should the United Nations prioritize protecting the rights of women and girls over state sovereignty? NYU will grade over 600 essays in the qualifying round. Director Will Baker was honored to facilitate the enlistment of Cornell University's Debate Team as the latest partner in our IPPF university grading network thanks to their Director Sam Nelson.
In the Community
NYUCEDA forged new global and local service partnerships with the Bridgeport Public School Debate League to host an on-campus debate showcase and chat for its students, with Reaching Critical Will, a UN Disarmament NGO that led to a dozen new UN Fellowships for members thanks to alum Jacqueline Samuel, with the Reconciliation League to film debate production videos for their global program launch, with the Matthew Ornstein Memorial Foundation to use the Immutable documentary to campaign for debate expansion nationally, and with the HBCU National Speech & Debate Program to assist their Executive Director in restarting their Instagram, website and fund development efforts. NYUCEDA is on pace for over 800 hours of volunteer service hours this season.
Why debate with NYU CEDA?
1. Expand your knowledge base. Through research, argument preparation and intercollegiate competition, debaters across the country develop in-depth knowledge and new perspectives about politics, philosophy, current events, social justice and policy decision-making. 2. Foster critical thinking skills. Since teams prepare and debate both sides, debaters strengthen their critical thinking and analytical skills as they refine strategies, evaluate evidence and fortify their rebuttal stories between tournaments. 3. Improve public speaking ability. Students have the opportunity to work on word choice, volume, rate, pitch and other elements of delivery as they gain confidence as effective communicators in and outside of rounds. 4. Enhanced research skills. Preparing for debates requires extensive research on a wide range of topics. This process helps students develop strong research skills and the capacity to locate and analyze relevant information. 5. Improved problem-solving skills. Debating against intellectually-gifted students with excellent coaching staffs can be frustrating at the start. However, debate is an incredible teacher that can help you rise above seemingly insurmountable challenges. Students learn to think on their feet, listen carefully, and use their skills to triumph in intellectual combat. 6. Teamwork and collaboration skills. In CEDA debate, you not only work with a partner but students work together to research, prepare, and present arguments so it doesn’t overwhelm your schoolwork commitments. Learning to communicate and be reliable are great preparations for the workplace. When one teammate wins, it’s a victory for the entire NYU squad. 7. Improved academic skills. The consensus of local and national studies over the past two decades demonstrate that debate significantly improves written and oral communication, critical thinking, research abilities and reading comprehension. The speed of debate also enhances your ability to process information quickly and respond effectively. 8. A 2025 study by Fluid Focus reported that at their current usage rates, teens will spend the equivalent of 25 YEARS of their working life on social media.
Clubfest Recruitment, Team BBQ, Binghamton University, University of Houston, American Academy of Arts & Sciences Immutable Screening,
RCW Addresses to UN First Committee Plenary, Ice Skating Event, West Point, Harvard University, International Public Policy Forum Qualifying Round,
Wake Forest University, Monmouth University, Bridgeport School System Showcase, James Madison University Screening, Big Tent Online, Reconciliation League Filming
