Dice Debate Team Fundraiser

My name is Nikhil Saxena and I am raising funds for the Dice Debate Team.

Summary:

We are a passionate and hardworking student-led debate team at Taylor Allderdice, an inner city Public high school, that desperately needs funding to continue to keep debate free for everyone.

Any donation, big or small, to help support this endeavor would be greatly appreciated.

Who We Are:

If you had told a member of the Allderdice debate team two years ago that the team today would consist of 19 highly dedicated debaters, including tournament champions and 7 members ranked top 50 in the state, they wouldn't believe you.

A little over two years ago, a few freshmen entered the realm of debate. Receiving coaching from a junior whose knowledge of debate derived from a one-week summer debate intensive, these freshmen entered tournaments, only to lose badly to their well-trained and professionally coached rivals. Even so, this group persevered, attending tournaments every weekend and putting in countless hours of research and work into an activity they loved.

Today, the team is flourishing, with upwards of a dozen debaters competing weekly. Those former freshmen, now graduated, have helped coach and educate novice underclassmen to debate. The entire team has shown real potential, with higher placements in competitive tournaments and enthusiastic engagement from its newest members. These successes can be attributed to the many hours spent each week extensively researching specific topics, formulating arguments, and competing in practice rounds to prepare for tournaments. Examples of recent topics include drug legalization, cryptocurrency regulation, Turkey’s membership in NATO, space exploration, U.S. involvement in foreign wars, and urbanization in West Africa. The experience of debate prepares these students to think critically, build confidence, develop public speaking skills, and evaluate evidence on controversial and advanced topics. Most importantly, students learn that any topic can have multiple legitimate viewpoints, a skill particularly valuable in today's day and age.

Even with our occasional successes, maintaining a free debate experience comes with its own challenges. Unlike other schools in the area, we do not charge dues for members or have funding from the school. This means we are competing against big schools that have dedicated funds just for debate and professional debate coaches. As dedicated as everybody is, there is a certain amount of money to debate that can only be attained through fundraisers like these. Debate costs a lot of money just for the team we have now. Just a single tournament can cost upwards of 100 dollars per person. With the team increasing in size every year, this cost will continue to grow. We want to keep Allderdice Debate an inclusive and accessible activity for everyone. Since we do not charge dues like many other schools, we must rely on fundraising. We are confident that with this money, we can not only create a sustained environment of excellence, but still stay true to the morals of Dice Debate: inclusivity for all.

Thank you for supporting this team in our effort to enrich the high school experience for any and all students pursuing debate.

Allderdice Debate Team.

Note: If you would prefer to write a check instead, please write it to Allderdice High School and put Allderdice Debate in the memo section.