Since 2015, the team has roughly tripled in size. Our team motto is "We are a family," and we want to ensure that every member of our team has access to the opportunities that epitomize why we are involved in debate, especially at the prestigious title tournaments of the National, North American, and World Championships. Your gift to the Penn Debate Society will make it possible for us to attend these tournaments - a foundational element for any prestigious collegiate debate team - and is thus an investment in the current and future generations of Penn debaters. Your gift will also make it possible for the team to expand and grow so that we can allow more Penn students to enjoy the invaluable learning experiences that debate can provide.

In 2019, gifts from generous donors allowed our team to attend the World University Debating Championships, where we ranked 16th. More information can be found at this Daily Pennsylvanian article: https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/01/penn-debate-team-south-africa-competition-win-world-universities.

Participation in these tournaments means potentially life-changing conversations and friendships. In 2018, the Penn delegation to the World University Debating Championships met Debi Ogunrinde, C'16, W'16, a Debate Society alumna who is now a Rhodes Scholar. Debi has become an invaluable resource and mentor for many of us. We are so fortunate to have her guidance, and it is unlikely that we would have met her had we not been able to travel to World Championships. Funds from people like you will make these opportunities possible for more Penn debaters.