The Coolidge Foundation is setting out to find the top debaters in America. The Coolidge Cup National Debate Tournament begins in winter 2017 with regional qualifying tournaments. Top placers from these qualifying events will earn the right to compete in the Coolidge Cup Championship Tournament taking place July 3-4, 2017 in President Coolidge’s historic village, the picturesque town of Plymouth Notch, Vermont. Qualifiers earn a free trip to Vermont to compete. More than $10,000 in scholarships and prizes will be awarded to the winners of the 2017 Coolidge Cup.

The Dallas Qualifying Tournament will take place on April 15 at Southern Methodist University, hosted by the SMU Forensics Team. Interested students may register here. Please also download and fill out the Coolidge Cup Waiver form at the bottom of this page. Once the form has been signed, please scan it and email it to Rushad Thomas at Rthomas@CoolidgeFoundation.org.

The debate resolution will be  “A significant tariff on imported goods from Mexico is a good policy for the U.S. economy.” You can access the debate brief at this link. The debate format will be as follows:

DEBATE FORMAT

Two-person teams

6 minute constructive speeches

2 minute cross examination

4 minute rebuttals

5 minute preparation time for each time

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Waiver Form

Coolidge Cup Waiver