Student News & Events

WUDL Advances 5 Teams To Elimination Rounds, Introduces KIPP DC Shaw, MacFarland, to regional debate The whole WUDL squad at Pennsbury 2026, from Banneker, BASIS DC, DC International, Duke Ellington, Eliot Hine, Charles Flowers, KIPP DC Shaw, MacFarland, Oyster Adams, School Without Walls, Seneca Valley, and Stuart Hobson The Pennsbury Falcon is the last stop

WUDL has 7(!) ToC Bids this season The whole WUDL squad at Lexington 2026, from Academy of Health Sciences, BASIS DC, Duke Ellington, Eliot Hine, School Without Walls, and Seneca Valley WUDL’s longest weekend of the year has us on the road for 20 hours, a long snowy road up to Boston and back for

WUDL’s Season Opening Workshop a big success Stuart Hobson debaters take notes and get ready to move to Varsity! The cold rain and sleet pounded down outside the building, bouncing off the windows, but debaters from across the region were warm inside, kicking off the 2026 competitive season with gusto! WUDL hosted a second workshop

WUDL Holiday Classic(s) Kick Of Conference System We were thrilled that DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson could stop by to judge a round at the NL Holiday Classic. Pictured here with Amelia and Emma of MacFarland Middle School, the Chairman had many fond memories of his own debate experience in Ohio to share. Washington Urban

WUDL Qualifies 2nd Team to ToC! Daniella speaks during the ToC Qualifying round – this is BASIS CM’s 4th ToC bid in their career This past weekend, WUDL took 44 students and 11 adults up to New York for the NY Fall Face-Off. This tournament brings together the best competition from the NE and the

Free DC Takes Center Stage at Regional Tournament This past weekend, during the elimination rounds of a major high-school debate tournament, I witnessed something remarkable — an unmistakable moment of young people using debate to speak truth to power. Our students were debating a team from Bronx Science. The opposing side presented a long list

WUDL Thanksgiving Throwdown Table (and School) Packed! DuVal High School Alumni Jonathan Collins (National Urban Debater of the Year 2019) and former Coach Dr. Omar Price hang out at the Thanksgiving Throwdown. Jonathan is an engineer working in Silicon Valley now, and is off to graduate school in the Fall at Stanford! After a long

Debate en Español ¡Comienza la temporada regular! DEE trailblazer Dennis Martinez with a number of intrepid DEE debaters En Español: (English below) La Liga Urbana de Debate de Washington se enorgullece en anunciar el lanzamiento oficial de la división de Debate en Español. Después de años de explorar la idea en distintos torneos, realizamos con éxito

I-Resolve Public Debate on AI and Economic Inequality Best Yet! The stage was set at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center for a great public debate! Last year, Congressman Raskin proclaimed that “those two speeches would be in the top ten best speeches of the 118th Congress.” Look out 118th Congress — the consensus from the

WUDL, Boston UDL Qualify for ToC @ Dragon Invitational! Norman and Nichole (foreground) went to their first regional competition. They started debating a year ago for MacFarland Middle. These rising stars are joining a deep bench of great Varsity debaters at Banneker like Maddie, Rohan, and Henry (beyond), The “Tournament of Champions” conjures images of