IMPORTANT NOTE - We will not be accepting registration through Tabroom; please find all the necessary information regarding registration on our main page, Facebook, and Invite!

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Columbia WSDC Invitation Letter

The Columbia Debate Society is pleased to invite you to the inaugural edition of Columbia WSDC, to be held online from the 3rd of May to the 4th of May 2025. Since our return to international debating, we have distinguished ourselves as a formidable competitive force and are eager to foreground the creation of competitive opportunities in our work. Our hope is that Columbia WSDC will be a premier WSDC-preparation tournament, while allowing exposure of high school students to WSDC debating. While this tournament is a fundraiser for the society, we will put quality and accessibility at the forefront of our organization, including generous fee waivers and a sizable IA budget. For more information, please contact the organizers via Facebook Messenger. See you there!

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Tournament Staff:

Organization Staff: Columbia Debate Society

Tournament Directors: Mukudzeiishe Madzivire, Zoran Jeffrey Curgus and Alejandra Avilla
Adjudication: TBA

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TOURNAMENT LOGISTICS:

Format: WSDC, with 8-minute speeches and 1-hour impromptu preparation time

Structure: 5 preliminary rounds, open break to Octofinals, and Novice Break to Semifinals

Eligibility: Debaters who have not commenced post-secondary education and are under the age of 20; Debaters must be in their first year of competitive debating to qualify for the Novice Break

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FEES AND PAYMENT INFORMATION:

Registration Fees:$100 (USD) per team if registered by 1 April 2024; $120 (USD) per team after 1 April 2024

Judging Requirement:N = 1, $75 (USD) is our missing judge fee

Fee Waivers: Available for teams from underrepresented regions, for institutions bringing N+ major breaking judges, and for institutions registering more than three teams

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SCHEDULE (All times are in GMT-1):

3 May 2025
07:00 - Check-in
07:30 - Round 1 (Prepared)
09:15 - Round 2
12:00 - Break
13:00 - Round 3
15:45 - Round 4
18:30 - End of Day 1

4 May 2025
07:00 - Check-in
07:30 - Round 5
10:15 - Break Announcement
10:30 - Open Octofinals (Prepared)
12:00 - Lunch
13:00 - Open Quarterfinals + Novice Semifinals
15:15 - Open Semifinals + Novice Finals
17:30 - Open Grand Finals
20:00 - Closing Ceremony -

LINKS:
Team Slot Reservation Link:
https://forms.gle/DQG6PA8NUPg5V7MP9 Fee Waiver Request Link:
https://forms.gle/VWNPxYh5NMdhNBVM9 Institutional Judge Registration Link:
https://forms.gle/CYA2uF2vdaZniQqH7 Independent Adjudicator Application Form:
https://forms.gle/3AMfAQrisKbRHgK5A