The Coolidge Debate League at the Luddy Schools is a debate league for high schoolers and middle schoolers in the greater Raleigh region of North Carolina. It is jointly run by the Coolidge Foundation and the schools founded by Robert L. Luddy (Thales Academy Apex, Thales Academy Rolesville, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy). Throughout the year, the Coolidge Foundation organizes debate tournaments at these schools. These tournaments are open to all students in all schools in North Carolina and South Carolina, grades 6 through 12.
Information About Our Next Tournament
Date: March 6, 2021 Time: Check-in from 8:30am to 8:55am Tournament day goes from 9:00am to approximately 5:30pm Location: Online, with STMA as the "host-in-spirit" Eligible: All students grade 6 through 12 in NC and SC Cost: FREE for students of Luddy schools (Thales, Franklin, STMA) $10 for teams from other schools and homeschools Register: If your team/school uses Tabroom, then register via Tabroom
If you don't have an account, you can register here:
https://www.coolidgefoundation.org/debate/luddy-schools/
Attire: Business Professional Schedule: Schedule for the Day
Rules: Coolidge Debate Basic Rules (2v2 Format)
Resolution and Research Brief
The resolution for the next tournament is: Resolved: The U.S. government should end its program of federally subsidized student loans.
The research brief can be downloaded here. The purpose of the brief is to help you get started on your case preparation. You are welcome and encouraged to use the brief as a starting point and build upon it by doing your own research and case-writing. You are not limited to the arguments and sources in the brief.
Tournament Overview
You will begin the day with a seminar on the debate topic delivered by a subject matter expert. Then you and your partner will debate against other teams in multiple rounds throughout the day, getting a chance to argue both sides of the resolution. We ask that you find a partner in advance and and register as a team. If you do not have a debate partner, you may register solo and we will attempt to pair you with another solo debater, but we cannot guarantee that there will be someone to match you with.
All students grades 6 to 12 from any school are eligible to compete, including homeschool students and students from schools other than the ones named above.
Format and Style
Students will compete in the Coolidge 2v2 Debate Format. If you are new to debating in this league, we highly recommend you review our Debate Guide, which provides information about this particular format, style, and rules.
Divisions
The tournament will have three divisions: middle school, high school novice, and high school varsity. High school teams with no experience or minimal experience may elect to participate in the novice division. (We define a novice as a debater who has participated in no more than two tournaments in his or her lifetime.) Teams with experience debating in either the Coolidge Debate League or other leagues should participate in the varsity division.
Judges
We need volunteer judges for our debate tournaments! We welcome citizen judges of all types, including parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and other members of the community. Experience with debating or judging is not necessary. If you are interested, please take a look at our Information for Judges. On the morning of the tournament, we will hold a brief judge training session, where we will give you all the guidance you need for the day and will answer all of your questions. To volunteer as a judge, Register to Judge.
Relation to the Coolidge Cup
For 2020-2021, the Coolidge Debate League tournament that will serve as a direct qualifier for the Coolidge Cup will be the fourth tournament at Franklin Academy in the spring. The other tournaments in this league throughout the year are not direct qualifiers for the Coolidge Cup. In order to receive a bid to the Coolidge Cup from the qualifier tournament, a debater must have participated in at least one other Coolidge Debate League tournament this season. If a debater is a top placer at the qualifier tournament but has not participated in any other of our tournaments that season, the bid will go to the next-highest-placing eligible student.
Questions
If you have any questions about the tournament, the league, or about judging, please contact Coolidge Foundation Debate Director Jared Rhoads (jrhoads@coolidgefoundation.org).