Policy Debate Program Descriptions
1 Week Skills - 6/22-6/28 - $1175
This program is designed for students that compete in Policy Debate debate in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and/or Texas Forensic Association (TFA) competitions. Students will receive a set of evidence for the 2025-2026 Arctic Circle topic at the beginning of June. The week workshop will focus on practice debates for the upcoming topic. Students will spend Monday at a Topic Lecture and will orient themselves to the other workshop members. Students will spend Tuesday-Friday participating in at least one full-length practice debate per day.
3 Week Comprehensive - 6/22-7/12 - $3350
This program is designed for students that compete in Policy Debate debate in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and/or Texas Forensic Association (TFA) competitions. Students will receive a set of evidence for the 2025-2026 Arctic Circle topic at the beginning of June. The 3-week workshop will focus on wholistic policy debate preparation and training. Students will receive a Starter Pack Evidence set at the beginning of June. Students will receive a series of lectures for the upcoming topic as well as lectures regarding common arguments and policy debate theory. Students will learn research skills and produce new files during the course of the workshop. Students will develop skills through practice speeches and full-length practice debates. The camp will conclude with a full-length tournament.
Meet the Staff
Ari Davidson, Curriculum Director
Students will learn from curriculum director Ari Davidson. Ari Davidson (she/they pronouns) is joining the University of Texas as a graduate teaching assistant this fall. She is a recent graduate from Wake Forest University, where she participated in Policy debate for four years. Ari was the 2023 American Debate Association national champion and the 2023 Cross Examination Debate Association national champion. She also received invites to multiple prestigious Round Robins such as at Dartmouth and Weber State, was a 3-time First Round At Large Bid to the NDT (honoring the Top 16 teams of the regular season), won multiple major national tournaments including Gonzaga and the American Debate Association National Championship, and was a Top-10 speaker at every tournament she attended her senior year. In high school, Ari competed for Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, CA, primarily in Lincoln-Douglas debate. In her senior year of high school, Ari reached the elimination rounds of the TOC, won several major national tournaments including the Octafinals-bid St. Marks, and was a leader of a squad that still holds the LD record for the most team bids to the TOC in a single season. While Ari primarily specialized in Kritikal arguments throughout her college career, she has always valued flexibility in both argumentation and knowledge in order to help debaters become the best versions of themselves that they can be. Ari is very excited to work with everyone at the UTNIF this summer!
Ralph Anderson
Ralph Anderson (he/him) will continue his studies at the University of Texas at Austin as a graduate teaching assistant this fall. He has recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where he participated in policy debate for four years. Here, Ralph was a 3-time NDT Qualifier, the 2023 American Debate Association quarterfinalist, champion of the UCO Joe C. Jackson Memorial Tournament, and back-to-back champion of the District III NDT Qualifying tournament his junior and senior year. In high school, Ralph competed in policy debate for 4 years at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. In his senior year, he was in Octas of the TFA State Championship Tournament and was the UIL 6A State Champion in Policy Debate. Ralph has also coached high school teams to Finals of the NSDA National Tournament (Policy) and multiple UIL State Championships in Policy debate. Ralph values the fundamentals of policy debate and believes there is pedagogical value to every level of competitive debate. Ralph is very excited to work with everyone at the UTNIF this summer!
Ella Williams
Ella Williams (she/her) just finished her junior year at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where she studies computer science, geography, and critical theory. She participated in college policy for two years at Macalester and high school policy for four years at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) in Austin, TX. At Macalester, she qualified for the NDT and was a Quarterfinalist at the 2023 CEDA national tournament. In high school, she was a three-time TFA State qualifier, finishing in quarterfinals her senior year, a two-time TOC qualifier, and spent two years on the coaches poll. Ella continues to coach high school policy debate and is head coach of public forum debate at Edina High School. She values building community, love of research, and joy in the activity for her students!