PDAB Mission

BUILDING MOMENTUM

New goal of $3500! Thank you all so much for your unwavering support. We are excited to keep the momentum going and raise our new goal to $3500. The parliamentary debate community is one of the best to be a part of and your support is proof of that.

WHO ARE WE

Parliamentary Debate at Berkeley is dedicated to fostering transformative educational experiences through competitive parliamentary debate (https://calparli.vercel.app/). Our organization helps students develop critical thinking, public speaking, research literacy, and ethical argumentation skills. Our mission is to make high-level debate accessible to all Berkeley team members regardless of background. Two of our teams excelled by receiving first round bids to the National Championship and we anticipate that at least two more will receive  second round bids soon! We'd love to compete on the national stage, so funding this campaign will directly support travel and entry costs for the upcoming National Championship in Macon Georgia. Previously, PDAB has achieved 10 Championship titles, making it the most competitively successful student-run parliamentary debate program in the country. We are seeking support to continue our tradition of excellence and provide debaters with the opportunities that they worked hard to earn.

Given the student-run nature of our team, we receive very few institutional funds compared to other debate teams. PDAB is kept running by the constant effort of our members and the generosity of former PDAB debaters, who volunteer their time and skills to contribute to the the continued success of the team. This year, the organization may not be able to fund any or all of its debaters to attend the National Championships. This is both a capstone moment for many seniors who have been competing for years and will graduate this semester, but also an invaluable opportunity to be challenged by the strongest teams in the country. Even partially meeting our goal will allow us to provide some assistance to get our debaters to the championships.

Community Involvement

All of our National Championship attendees currently or have coached at local high schools. We also volunteer judge, providing constructive feedback to students, at the National Parliamentary Debate Invitational (NPDI). That is the tournament we host annually to help high schoolers access the NPDA-format of debate. Our students emphasize the educational value of technical debate formats and work to preserve a forum for curious and hard working students around the Bay Area. NPDI is one of the few remaining regional tournaments where students expect to practice technical debate skills as opposed to the rhetorical skills that other tournaments prioritize.  

With the support of our wonderful alumni who graciously volunteer their time, PDAB also hosts a regional college debate tournament called Golden Gate Invitational (GGI) every year. This year both NPDI and GGI reached a record high number of entries indicating that Berkeley has a lot more to continue contributing to the community. However, campus room prices and the cost of hosting these tournaments have substantially increased recently which has constrained our ability to afford hosting and participating in tournaments. Any additional funds raised will go toward paying NPDI venue fees next years then to hiring qualified judges that provide students the best experience possible.

A donation toward PDABs travel to nationals not only supports their ability to compete, but also supports the community as our students bring back invaluable lessons to teach to the next generation of advocates. 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

Throughout the year we focus on providing students with opportunities to engage in debate at the regional, local, state, and national level. An example of a tournament schedule may appear as so: 

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Our estimated expenditures for nationals are as follows:

All estimates are rough only, and actual expenditures may vary.

• Flights = $4,000
• Housing = $2,600
• Rental Car = $1,200
• Gas = $300
• Entry Fees = $2750
• Trophy Shipping = $445

Total Estimated Cost = $11,294

Thank you for your interest and support! Email us at calparli@gmail.com or (714) 866 - 2388 for mobile inquiries.