February 28, 2026
How Speech and Debate Prepares You for Every Career
Written by Mahek Acharya You spend whole Saturdays at tournaments, stay up late writing cases, and argue both sides of issues you don’t always believe in. You learn how to stand in front of a room and make people listen, even if it is about a boring issue. And now, whether you realize it or…
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February 28, 2026
Alumni & Coaches Feature: Leon Wang
Written by Sherry Lin Hello everyone! I’m excited to announce the first feature in a new series spotlighting Potomac Debate Academy’s alumni and current coaches, which will explore how debate has shaped their journeys after high school. Today, we’re hearing from Leon Wang, who is a Varsity and Travel Tournament Coach here at PDA. He…
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February 23, 2026
How to Pick the Right In-Person Tournament to Attend
Written by Sherry Lin Hi PDA Fam! It’s Student Coach Sherry again, and this week I wanted to talk about something that can feel tricky starting out, but is super important in your debate journey: choosing what in-person tournaments to attend. Once you start debating regularly, you’ll notice that there are often multiple tournament options…
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February 21, 2026
How “A Square is a Rectangle, but a Rectangle is not a Square” also applies to you as a Competitor
Written by Jason Stansell I’m certain that many of you are confused as to why I brought in that geometry/shape adage in my title. However, here I’m using it as a metaphor, because honestly, it’s the most apt expression for what I am about to talk about. Throughout your lessons for Speech and Debate, you’re…
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February 21, 2026
I Wish Someone Told Me This Before My First Debate
Written by Mahek Acharya Walking into your first debate tournament feels like stepping onto another planet. Everyone seems to know exactly what they’re doing, throwing around terms you’ve never heard, typing or scribing faster than you thought humanly possible, and speaking with such confidence. However, losing is part of the learning process. You don’t show…
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