ND Debate was just named World Champion in the 2019 International Public Policy Forum competition. The Notre Dame High School Debate Team bested a field of high schools from around the globe, winning the 18th Annual Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate competition and a $10,000 grand prize. The final debate was held at The Harold Pratt House, home of the Council of Foreign Relations, in New York City. The teams that competed at the IPPF Finals on Saturday, April 27, were the final “Elite Eight” teams to emerge from a field of 165 teams, representing high schools in 15 countries and 25 U.S. states. The teams debated the topic: “Resolved: U.S. abdication of international leadership creates dangerous global instability." The champion team of Simon Callaghan ('20), Jack Daggenhurst ('20), and Patricia Suico ('19) was coached by Christina Phillips. In addition to the oral competition in NY, several ND debaters researched and wrote competitive essays to qualify the team to the Elite Eight in NY, including Evette Chokler ('19), Austin Compton ('19), Osose Egbase ('21), Michelle Mar ('19), Grace Parker ('21), Hunter Rice ('21), Natalia Rosenfeld ('21), and Mikhail Tupaz ('21). If you would like to watch the final round performance,
you can find it here:
Additionally, after qualifying three teams to the National Debate Coaches' Association (NDCA) Championships, the team of Sarah Davidson ('21) and Nikhil Navare ('21) placed in the top 32 teams. This national championship showing of two sophomores in policy debate shows great promise for the future of ND Debate.