January 12, 2026
A Step-by-Step Guide to Researching a New Topic
By Sherry Lin When that new resolution drops on the first of the month, it can feel like you’re suddenly expected to quickly understand and become an expert on a policy or organization you’ve never heard of. But, don’t fret! The good news is that effective research doesn’t mean working harder every month; instead, it…
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January 11, 2026
How to Write a Speech for School
Hi PDA fam! It’s Student Coach Sherry again, and for this week’s blog, I’ll be talking about something that every student ends up doing at some point — whether for English class, student government elections, Model UN, or even a club presentation. What could this mystery task be? Writing a speech for school, of course! …
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January 8, 2026
December Tournament Results; Berkley, Winter Cup, & More!
By Jason Stansell This December, PDA students put aside their excitement for the then-upcoming winter break and focused intently on competition. The Con leaning resolution of “Resolved: The United States federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications” certainly challenged even the most varsity of teams. Congratulations to all of…
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December 22, 2025
PDA November Tournament Debrief: Harvard & UCLA Results
By Sherry Lin This November, PDA students shifted their focus quickly, from the U.K. rejoining the European Union to the question of whether or not the U.S. federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications. Across early rounds, students wrestled with core tensions like economic growth versus crime crackdowns. These…
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December 11, 2025
Intramurals to External Tournaments: Making the Transition
By Sherry Lin Hi PDA fam! This is PDA student coach Sherry, and this week, as a follow-up to my previous blog “A Guide to Signing Up For External Tournaments”, I’ll be walking you through what it looks like to level up from PDA intramural tournaments to external tournaments! If you’ve been competing in PDA…
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