Debate Team

The Debate Team is a beneficial extracurricular activity for the students of Bordentown Regional High School for many reasons. Included below is a list of such reasons and the details needed for students on how Debate will operate.

How It Works: Each school will provide a two-member team for the Affirmative side and a two-member team for the Negative side for each match. Mr. Tobias plans to use a rotation of 8 – 15 members so they can experience both sides of the competition.

Debate helps to develop skills in leadership, investigation and analysis, critical thinking, open-mindedness, oration, critical listening, teamwork, cooperation and self – confidence.

Debate provides concrete, interactive learning experience which cannot be obtained solely through textbooks or a typical classroom experience.

Preparation: Begins in early November and competition runs from December through February.

Past Topics: Topics of past Debate seasons have included; educational reform, U.S. policy with China, the search for alternative energy resources, weapons of mass destruction, stopping poverty, foreign aid to sub-Saharan Africa, space exploration, Latin American foreign policy, and ocean exploration.

The 2023-2024 Policy Topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase fiscal redistribution in the United States by adopting a federal jobs guarantee, expanding Social Security, and/or providing a basic income

**BRHS students that have competed for Debate have gone to or been accepted by the following colleges: Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Boston University, NYU, Penn State, Wake Forest, UNC - Chapel Hill, Delaware, TCNJ, Rutgers, Ursinus, RPI, Seton Hall, Washington and Lee, Drexel, Northeastern, Monmouth, American, John Jay, Pitt, Maryland, Notre Dame, Amherst, Villanova, Rider, Williams, Purdue, South Carolina, Fordham, George Washington, Georgia Tech, UMiami, Temple, Georgia Tech, RCBC and many more.**

Team Best Speaker

2001 - Jenelle Welch

2002 - Drew Weller

2003 - Jenelle Welch

2004 - Shweta Singh - League Co-MVP

2005 - Courtney Sirak

2006 - Lindsey Martin and Candice Patraju
  2007 - Lindsey Martin

2008 - Sarah Dougherty

2009 - Livia Popko

2010 - Austin Tamatus

2011 - Austin Tamatus

2012 - Austin Kruger

2013 - Megan Villarin

2014 - Megha Talur

2015 - Seraphema Menna

2016 - Timothy Sherrier

2017 - Timothy Sherrier

2018 - Ifeoma Eleazu

2019 - Keeler Robinson

2020 - Keeler Robinson

2021 - Anush Nandyala

2022 - Summer Roberts

         Maranatha Paul

2023 - Kush Gandhi

2024 - Rudy Sen

Student Testimonials

Debate taught me how to research very niche things in a comprehensive way, while also honing my rhetorical skills. It also trained me to become a confident public speaker, especially when it comes to speaking extemporaneously.

Eliza Peterson

BRHS '18

Rutgers '22

Debate is easily one of the most valuable clubs offered within Bordentown Regional High School. Throughout my four years of High School, Debate has shaped and influenced both my way of thinking, and my ability to speak publicly. Debate prompts any student to think logically and analytically about a specific problem, allowing them to engage, and troubleshoot, the problem from multiple perspectives.  In the end, debate is a team which bolsters one's ability to present ideas vocally, while simultaneously shaping their ability to deal with complex issues and problems in the future.

Aaron Bower

BRHS '11

Johns Hopkins '15

Joining the Debate Team at Bordentown Regional was definitely one of the best decisions I have made.  Initially, I was unsure if I wanted to dedicate myself to such a demanding extra-curricular activity, but after watching the upperclassmen debate as a sophomore I was convinced.  Observing how confidently they could embrace a podium and eloquently speak without a formal speech was astonishing.  I can still remember how impressed I was by my older peers and how much I wanted to be in their place one day.  Debate demands both quick thinking and problem solving under a vast amount of pressure.  There will be times when you have a few minutes to either form or defend an argument, and other instances when you must speak without any preparation. Personally my time on the Debate Team has proven to be an asset both within and outside the classroom.  It has shown me how to critically analyze a problem under a time crunch while never letting the pressure of a situation diminish your confidence.  After three Debate seasons quick thinking became natural for me, and is an asset in everyday life and even more importantly, on college interviews. 

Mark Ezzo

BRHS '10

Cornell University '14