The weather outside was frightful, but still being able to have our qualifiers was so delightful….

With the winter storms closing school for much of the week, and uncertainty about the building’s availability with additional Friday night snow, we opted to re-schedule the WUDL Winter Classic later in the Spring, when we can have some good, in person fun for all attendees. 

The race to see who will represent WUDL at the Urban Debate National Championship @ Emory University, however, stops for nobody, so we decided to hold our two qualifying divisions (MS and HS) online on 1/11 anyway. 

The competition was fierce, with students and judges shaking off the cobwebs and remembering their COVID debate lessons (and many new debaters joining us online for the first time). 

After four rounds, we have a few preliminary leaders, though the tournament continues, power-pairing off of Jan. in February @ Deloitte. 

The teams to beat thus far are: 

• BASIS DC’s Saron and Leah
• BASIS DC’s Margaret and Jack
• Walls’ Neuroth^2
• Banneker’s Parker and Henry. 
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In Middle School, we qualify 3 teams via competition, and 3 via application, for UDL MS Nationals. 

Those setting the pace so far are: 

• Stuart Hobson’s Fiona / Marshall (who went last year)
• Hardy’s Isabelle / Jack
• (who went last year)
• Stuart Hobson’s Ian / Zeve
• Eliot Hine’s Louise / Bobby (who went last year)
• DC International’s Addie and Claudia
• BASIS DC’s Caspar and Mia. 
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