Mightier - High School Debate in Association with NAUDL

Our Mission

Newsweek Mightier supports the next generation of American leaders as they try to find common ground in our fractious, sometimes toxic, national conversation. Mightier will promote high school debate and the debaters, schools, coaches and mentors who are working to keep our Civil Discourse civil for the future.

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Spotlight

Meet Denver Student Debater Marianny Torres-Collado | Mightier

Marianny Torres-Collado, who will be a junior in high school this fall, is a student debater with the Denver Urban Debate League. Learn about the positive impact that debate has had on her life with this video profile.

Trending

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Cuban Immigrant Says Debate Helped Make Harvard Dream a Reality

By Roberto Carmona

2 MIN READ
02

Tulsa Debater Found 'Courage to Grow' Into League Mentor

By Yobani Bustos Catalan

3 MIN READ
03

Portland Debate League Leader Wants Students to Make 'Real Change'

By Lauren Giella

7 MIN READ

Meet the Debaters

Erick Zaragoza

Senior

More
Isabella Long

Sophomore

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Haven Howard

Junior

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Alliton Flores Sanchez

Junior

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Mentors See All

Portland Debate League Leader Wants Students to Make 'Real Change'

Christine Lewis with the Portland Urban Debate League told Newsweek that she is hyper-focused on "making sure we're a sustainable organization."

"I really appreciate that we're getting to work with the nonprofits because that helps us really live the values of serving not only schools who need the support, but the students [for whom] debate can be absolutely life-changing," Lewis said.

Alumna Returns to 'Small but Mighty' Debate League as Executive Director

"Coaching helped open my horizons to how many more kids can be impacted by debate," Nashville Urban Debate League Executive Director Starr Rhee told Newsweek.

"I think one of the things that has been really positive in the debate world is the expansion of debate access for more people," Rhee said, "and that is what the Urban Debate League is all about."

Chicago League Wins National Award for Advancing Equity in Debate

Chicago Debates Executive Director Anthony Bolden said this award will help keep debate teams competing in underfunded Chicago schools.

"We didn't expect to win by any stretch," Bolden told Newsweek. "We recognize that our work is just part of a much larger picture, but to have the opportunity to have some of our efforts highlighted is really cool."

Teams

Miami Debate League's Return to In-Person Debate Was a Matter of Survival

Virtual debate wasn't just detrimental to students—it affected the league's funding, according to Miami-Dade Urban Debate League Board Chair Osvaldo Garcia.

NAUDL 2024 Champions Say Real-Life Friendship Helped Them Win Tournament

"I feel like we both have something that the other one lacks," said Bianca Perkins of Chicago's Kenwood Academy High School.

WUDL Achieves First Tournament of Champions Spot With Sophomore Team

Debater Sitara Mazumdar said "it really took a village" to secure the team's second TOC qualifying bid, including hours of "targeted prep" and league help.

Students

See All

Cuban Immigrant Says Debate Helped Make Harvard Dream a Reality

Roberto Carmona said debate helped him find his voice, and now he plans to "advocate for those who have not yet found theirs."

Tulsa Debater Found 'Courage to Grow' Into League Mentor

High school senior Yobani Bustos Catalan said the Tulsa Debate League opens doors for students to "rise above challenges" and "make a difference."

Silicon Valley Debater Turns Doubt Into Victory at State Tournament

"It doesn't matter where you start or where you came from, anything is possible," high school senior Chloe Truong says of her tournament win.

NAUDL Debater of the Year Calls Award 'Cherry on Top' of Successful Career

Jun Kwon of Port of L.A. High School told Newsweek that the honorific is "a testament to how much I love the activity."

NAUDL Alum Uses Debate Skills to Advocate for the Disabled Community

Olivia Northcutt-Wyly said the debaters must strive for inclusivity and accessibility "so more people can experience the transformative power of debate."

NYU Student Rekindles 'Adventurous Flame' Through Debate

NYU pre-med student Emmanuel Makinde engaged "bizarre ideas" via meaningful discourse when he joined debate at his Washington, D.C., high school.

Five Finalists Selected for 2025-2026 Policy Debate Topic

U.S. military presence, India and the Arctic were among the top five topics picked at the 2024 policy debate topic selection meeting in Iowa last weekend.

SVUDL Debater Says I RESOLVE Features Issues 'My Own Family Experiences'

Junior Chloe Truong told Newsweek that "when I joined the I RESOLVE team, we were talking about issues that were actively impacting communities today."