About Us

Who we are:

The Bard Debate Union is a community of students, faculty, and staff committed to promoting civic discourse, dialogue, and debate on Bard’s campus, in the local community, and across Bard’s national and international networks. We host public debates and events on campus, participate in intercollegiate debate tournaments, conduct debate trainings and workshops, and work with local middle and high schools, the Bard Prison Initiative, the Bard Early Colleges, and our international partners to foster a culture of open conversation and debate throughout our communities and networks. For us, debate is about much more than competition and individual skill building; it is about civic participation and global citizenship.

Whether you like to speak your mind or argue just for the sake of arguing, come check out the Bard Debate Union!

Middle/High School Debate Tournament 2020