Read testimonials from our 2022 campers:

 

I think my mechanics got so much better after coming to CDC. This helped me do much better in my rounds as I felt very confident. - AJ Bal, Oak Ridge, California

 

I met so many amazing people and learned so much. I would recommend any high schooler no matter their experience level to go to CDC. - Anushka Chaba, Olentangy Liberty, Ohio

 

My counselors, during free time, ran an extra lab in case anyone had any questions. Being very new to Congressional Debate, and debate in general, I was able to ask a lot of my many questions and they were able to patiently answer. I also enjoyed having independence during allotted free time. It was nice to choose how and where you'd spend your free time. Having special treats every night was also a great chance to meet new people and have fun. - Caroline Jang, Orange, Ohio

 

CDC gave me the tools I need for success in the upcoming years. Specifically, drills and how to flow properly. - Casey Gray, Mentor, Ohio

 

I made new friends and relationships that will have no end. I learned a lot from instructors with perfectly structured lectures. I progressed, felt encouraged, and learned from the best. Even with all the surprises that arise, CDC acts on the fly in an orderly way that lets you know you're ok. I never felt alarmed. I knew Mr. Paik was already armed to fix whatever problem that arose. - Chris Rhodes, New Philadelphia, Ohio

 

The most valuable part of the camp for me was the houses which pushed me to be a leader and help people younger or with less experience than me. - Elandrea Baker, North Kansas City, Missouri

 

I think getting good feedback on cases and on speaking was really valuable because I didn’t get much at school. It really helped me identify my strengths and what I should work on as a debate. - Emily Liu, Ladue Horton Watkins, Missouri

 

The most valuable part of this camp for me was the people. It was really helpful to bounce ideas off of friends and brainstorm arguments. The counselors were always very helpful, and being split into groups forced us to become friends and learn more about each other. I also enjoyed spending time with friends at the restaurants around town and being able to go to office hours together. - Hannes Wiebe, Wooster, Ohio

 

Labs were really fun. The counselors made Classic Debate Camp a fun experience. - Ishaan Tiwari, University School, Ohio

 

I think Miami University is a fantastic location for CDC. Etheridge Hall is very well equipped for our camp, and the single dorm rooms are great. The common areas are well-equipped and plentiful. I think the food was quite good, and I appreciated that there were abundant options for vegans and vegetarians. I also think that having a 15-minute walk between the dorm/dining hall and the instructional areas at McGuffey Hall was good to keep students active and give us a chance to talk to each other. - Jacob Hannan, Wooster, Ohio

 

Classic Debate Camp is an awesome camp that allows you to expand not just as a debater, but also as a person. It teaches you traits and virtues that you can use in your everyday life to become the best person you can possibly be. - Joey Duncan, Louisville, Ohio

 

Classic Debate Camp was a really great experience! I had a bunch of fun and made a lot of friends. I also feel like I learned so much and I can't wait to apply it all during the debate season. The electives taught me specific things I wanted to learn about, especially judge adaptation. The most important thing though was my lab. The activities we did in lab really helped me to do better in terms of time management, flowing, speaking style, and warranting. Overall, CDC was awesome, and I would highly recommend it to any debater! - Lily Oehlers, Oakwood, Ohio

​

Classic Debate Camp has given me the confidence to lead my team and the motivation to share my knowledge. - Lucy Papini, Boardman, Ohio

 

i had so much fun here, even though i was so so so nervous about coming. At the end, i really didn’t want to leave. - Maya Baxter, Louisville, Ohio

 

The campus was gorgeous, but because of how hot it was I couldn't always enjoy the walking. My dorm started very hot and was then lowered to freezing cold upon my request. However, I had plenty of room and the mini fridge was very useful. The dining hall food was excellent, and there was definitely enough room for everyone to spread out during meals. - Megan Kleinhenz, Wooster, Ohio

 

I really liked how everyone in our dorm instantly became friends and hung out together the whole camp. - Mya Colella, Cardinal Mooney, Ohio

 

I loved the residential building! It was very nice to have my own room. - Nat Claybaugh, Ladue Horton Watkins, Missouri

 

Camp allows you to have a community of like-minded people at similar levels (Lab Groups) who can bounce ideas off each other and learn from each other. My favorite night was game night! It allows you to just have fun and bond with other people at the camp, and it really contributes to your ability to form long-lasting relationships with other campers. - Rachel Horowitz, Olentangy Liberty, Ohio

 

Honestly, everything at camp was really valuable. Labs, rounds, houses, electives, the tournament. Even just the recreational activities available helped to facilitate a happier and ultimately more useful experience. The camp was really fun, and I think that helped me to be more engaged and excited to learn. - Robert Einhorn, Oakwood, Ohio

 

i believe my presentation and lay appeal got a lot better which was my main problem throughout the year. - Sachet Pati, Mason, Ohio

 

The office hours were nice, the workshops were very helpful, and the presentation on topics we had questions about was VERY helpful. - Saha Teegala, Beavercreek, Ohio

 

My favorite part of CDC 2022 was game night on Saturday!  - Tristan Williams, Oakwood, Ohio

 

Classic Debate Camp was the best debate experience of my life. - Zayn Cheema, Ottawa Hills, Ohio

 

Classic debate camp was an amazing experience for me. All of the staff was supportive and believed in my abilities. The staff was very knowledgeable about debate and were open to talking about other things besides debate. Overall everything about the camp was amazing, and I would recommend this camp to a debater of any level. - Anonymous LD Camper

 

This camp introduced me to different debate styles and helped me to adapt to different ideas and frameworks of debate. This aspect is really important because as a debater, we don’t know what opponent we’ll go against. - Anonymous LD Camper

 

I loved the lab format, as we were all of roughly similar skill level and struggled with the same things. As a result my growth was exponential and I am already at least a 10 times better debater now than before. - Anonymous LD Camper

 

Doing lots of analytical rebuttals was very helpful. Also, I learned a lot about speech structure through the lectures. Both of these activities made it easier for judges to understand my logic and flow my speech. - Anonymous PF Camper

 

Learning new drills and having instructors review cases and practice rounds let my partner and me realize fundamental flaws in our strategy and gave us ways to fix them. - Anonymous PF Camper

 

I really enjoyed game night and basketball since they both allowed me to talk to people I otherwise wouldn’t talk with and enabled me to relax after learning a lot. - Anonymous PF Camper

 

The dorms were amazing. The dorm rooms were very spacious. Also the dining hall was very good. For example, I loved the chocolate cake at the dining hall. - Anonymous Congress Camper

 

I loved the overall environment, and how welcoming the community was! It was a great environment to improve myself as a competitor and feel more welcome. I also really enjoyed being able to receive individual attention from instructors. It felt like they really cared about me improving, and I felt very encouraged. - Anonymous Extemp Camper

​

​