The Ninth Annual Western Championship

for Novice & Second Year Debaters

March 11-12, 2023

Coaches and Debaters:

The Bay Area Urban Debate League is excited to invite you to The Ninth Annual Western Championship for Novice & Second Year Debaters. The tournament will be held IN PERSON at Bentley Upper School in Lafayette, CA. This year we will offer competition in Policy, Lincoln Douglas, and Public Forum Debate. There will be divisions in each event for Novice and Second Year competitors.

In order to accommodate debaters who cannot attend the in person tournament, we plan to offer online divisions as well.

Because in person competition requires custodial and security costs, entry fees are higher than for the online divisions, though they are still a bit lower than they were pre-pandemic, in recognition of the fact that we will not be able to provide meals for competitors and judges. We do plan to provide packaged snacks, but participants should plan to pack meals. We are also looking at bringing in meals that schools can pre-purchase in advance of the tournament. We will notify schools about this if it becomes an option.

Please note that it is perfectly acceptable to have some of your students attend in person, while others attend online. We recognize that folks may feel more comfortable returning to in person competition with a smaller group and that some schools may have students or coaches who are not able to participate in person, while others with their program are.

Our goal is to provide an opportunity for first and second year debaters to experience a spring championship tournament in an atmosphere that promotes learning and prepares the debaters for more advanced competition. The tournament will also support the Bay Area Urban Debate League, a non-profit organization that provides debate opportunities for hundreds of low-income public school students in the San Francisco Bay Area. By attending the Western Championship you will provide your students with an excellent competitive and educational experience, while also bringing debate opportunities to students who would not otherwise have them. For more information about the BAUDL, please see our website at www.baudl.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Lafayette this spring.

Mya Whitaker Darin Snyder
Executive Director Board Chair
BAUDL BAUDL