Wave of Generosity

Impact from Cornell Speech and Debate Society crowdfunding this fall will roll out for months through sponsorship of competitions and other events.

The debate program raised $26,170 — 104 percent of its $25,000 goal — through 176 individual contributions. The average contribution was nearly $150 per donor.

It ranked first across 17 crowd-funded Cornell programs in both the amount raised and the number of contributions.

Funds raised will pay for participation in these events next semester:

February

Tournament of Love – Annual policy debate competition offering multiple competitive divisions, matching regional rivals from West Point to Rochester.

Novice National Championship – Worlds Debate Novice National Championship showcases the best first-year debaters from around the country.

Cornell Inter-varsity – Worlds varsity-level competition for experienced students from around the region.
 
Spanish-language Cornell Inter-varsity – Worlds second-annual Spanish competition, featuring top native and Spanish-second-language speakers from universities around the U.S.

March

American Forensics Association District 7 Qualifier – Traditional forensics competition comes to Cornell for the first time in years and will feature the region’s best public speakers.

World Schools Debate Invitational – First competition of its kind on Cornell’s campus for high school students in the pre-eminent global debate format.

April – May

Class of 1894 Debates – Each year, Cornell students compete in a series of debates against one another to be crowned 1894 Champions, receiving modest prize money from the endowment; it was set up by the graduating class of 1894 to ensure that the Cornell campus maintained its rich tradition of critical thinking and free speech.

Annual debate awards banquet – Celebrates and recognizes work by students and coaches, and reunites generations of Cornell Speech & Debate Society members to honor the Alumni of the Year.