Welcome to Parliamentary Debate at Harvard.
WHO WE ARE
Established in the fall of 1981, the Harvard College Debating Union (HCDU) is a student-run organization at Harvard College and is Harvard's only internationally competitive debate association. The HCDU consistently ranks as one of the top three debate teams in the country. We were formerly known as the Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society (HSPDS).
DEBATE FORMAT
The HCDU debates in both the American Parliamentary and British Parliamentary styles. We travel both domestically and internationally to attend tournaments every weekend.
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
The HCDU is among the most successful debate teams in the world. We stand as the top-ranked debate club in the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) and hold a record eleven national titles, more than any other institution. Internationally, HCDU teams have been in five final rounds of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) and won four world championships.
OUR COMMUNITY
We welcome anyone interested in competitive debate. Our team is committed to being a community of equal access, free of discrimination, prejudice, or bias. Furthermore, our members range from people who were national debate champions in high school to people who did not know what debate was until they joined the team. No previous debate experience is required.
LIFE AS A MEMBER
The HCDU is not just a debate team, but also a family. We train together, with weekly general meetings, practice rounds, and casing sessions. We compete together, from Yale to Oxford to South Africa to Thailand. But we also hang out together, with regular socials, team dinners, and a yearly off-campus retreat. Members also have many opportunities to be involved beyond just competing, including in the organization of our high school and college tournaments, demonstration debates, and travel opportunities as a debate judge.
LIFE AFTER DEBATE
Our alumni have gone on to variety of successes in their fields. They have become Rhodes, Marshall, and Schwarzman Scholars, attended top law schools and PhD programs at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, and worked at companies including Bridgewater, McKinsey, and Goldman Sachs. Membership in the HCDU is for life.