The Maryland Parliamentary Debate Society ranks 13th out of more than 80 participating schools in its circuit. 

The University of Maryland’s parliamentary debate team is nationally ranked among schools participating in its circuit, topping even some of its Ivy League competitors.  

According to the American Parliamentary Debate Association, this university is ranked 13th out of more than 80 participating schools, standing above institutions such as Georgetown, Cornell and Columbia.

The Maryland Parliamentary Debate Society, a group of about 20 students, competes in tournaments up and down the East Coast, said Geneva Kropper, vice president of operations.

Kropper, a senior government and politics and history major, said this university’s team has not seen this level of success since the 2009-10 season.

“It’s amazing to know that we can compete with teams that are better funded than us,” she said.  “It’s really empowering as students at a public university.” 

In the parliamentary debate style, two teams made up of two people compete. The round begins with one side making a proposal or discussing an idea based on a prepared speech, Kropper said. After their presentation, the opposing team has to issue a rebuttal idea without any time to prepare, she said.

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The opposing side often has to discuss a topic they have never heard about, which requires students to think on their feet, Kropper said. 

“It’s an incredible learning experience,” she said. “I’ve learned more from debate than I have from maybe some of my classes in college.”

Members can write about any issue they are interested in, Kropper said, and she has written about education, health care policy and history.

Senior Jeffrey Zboray said this style of competition is stressful but fun. 

“It’s pretty tough. It can be really nerve-wracking at times, but I think it’s really rewarding,” the biochemistry and history major said. “It’s a very rigorous mental exercise, and you feel really clever when you do it.”

Kropper and Zboray debate as a two-person team and are currently ranked 15th, tied with a team from Brown.  

Members of the team compete at tournaments each weekend, Kropper said. While this can be a lot to manage, it “never feels tiring,” she said

“In fact, you go home from a tournament and you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s unfortunate that I’m not there anymore,’” Kropper said. “Kind of a debate hangover.”

The team is preparing to host its own tournament this weekend, which about 80 teams from colleges nationwide are attending, said Nathan Hitchings, the tournament’s director. The tournament is an important fundraising opportunity, as students attending pay to play, which funds the group’s travel to other tournaments, Hitchings said. 

Hitchings, a junior government and politics major who has been debating for nine years, said debate allows students to learn about a wide variety of topics, meet new people and forge connections across the country. 

The team’s success this season has been “validating” and can help attract new members and cultivate more success in the future, he said.   

Moving forward, Hitchings said he hopes to see a team “break at nats,” or place in the top 16 teams at the final national tournament.

“A team that breaks at nats is a team that’s well-recognized and well-respected, and I think that once you have a team that breaks at nats you finally enter into, like, a much higher level of competition,” Hitchings said. “It could happen.”

CORRECTION: Due to an error, the photo caption incorrectly stated that the Maryland Parliamentary Debate Society is currently ranked 11th in the nation. It is ranked 13th in its circuit. The caption has been updated to reflect this correction.