February 9, 2026
The Life Skills Debate Gave Me That School Never Did
Written by Mahek Acharya Students spend years in classrooms learning the Pythagorean theorem, memorizing historical dates, and dissecting sentences for grammar errors. But a high school debate team allows students to not just learn about life, but for it. School taught me what to think. Debate taught me how to think. The Art of Thinking…
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February 9, 2026
The Non-Speaking Side of Prepping for a Tournament
Written By Jason Stansell We do a lot to prep for a tournament; we research our topics, write our pieces, memorize far more stuff than we ever thought possible, rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. PDA provides all kinds of classes and resources, like these blogs, to help you in this process. Hours upon hours of material….
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February 8, 2026
Student Leader Feature: Student Captain Zack Lam
Written By Katherine Xue Hello everyone! Here’s another feature of one of our student captains! Today, we’re hearing from Zack Lam, who is a Student Captain for Potomac and a debater, who has been with Potomac Debate since 2017. Zack is currently 18-years-old, and a senior at Richard Montgomery High School. If you do the…
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February 6, 2026
Guide to Safe Debate Researching
Written by: Mahek Acharya In the world of competitive debate, research is your foundation. The quality of your evidence, the credibility of your sources, and the depth of your understanding can make or break your case. Our goal is to help you navigate the complex landscape of debate research while maintaining academic integrity and developing…
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February 6, 2026
Off-Season Strategies: How to Improve When There Are No Tournaments
Written By: Mahek Acharya The competitive debate season has its natural rhythms, intense tournament weekends followed by brief recoveries, then back to preparation mode. But what happens during those longer breaks between seasons? Summer vacations, winter holidays, and extended off-periods can feel like dead zones for competitive debaters. Many treat these times as complete breaks,…
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