“We change the world, one word at a time.” – The University of La Verne Debate Team’s vision statement.
The University of La Verne Debate Team is an internationally recognized program, being only one of ten U.S. universities to ever compete at the final round of the World Universities Debating Championships. Nationally, the debate team joins only eight other schools (Harvard, Yale, Bates, HWS, University of Alaska, Loyola Marymount, Claremont McKenna, and Tufts) in owning a National Championship title at the United States Universities Debating Championships. The team debates only in the British Parliamentary style of debate and has open practices for members of the La Verne community. The La Verne debate team also participates in community service, currently coaching the Bonita High School Debate Team.
Opportunity
Academic
We are pleased to award Performance Scholarships to deserving students. These are granted on the basis of talent, industry, and level of commitment.
Competition
In the past few years, we’ve traveled to England, Australia, Scotland, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, Thailand, and Botswana and who knows where else in the near future. We regularly compete against Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, Sydney, Glasgow, Melbourne, Monash, Ateneo de Manila, University College Dublin, and more.
In 2000 and 2001, we were the top-ranked team at the World Universities Debating Championships from this hemisphere. In 2003, we were the only American team that qualified for the elimination rounds of the World Championships. In 2006 we won the National Open. In 2007, we won the United States Universities Debating Championship. In 2011 we won the Americas’ Cup. Each year, we are committed to sending our top teams to the U.S. Universities Debating Championships, the Oxford International Intervarsity Championships and the World Championships.