Congratulations to the undefeated 177Q Panthers, high school debate champions (4-0).
723X, Middle School Champions of Debate
Congratulations to the undefeated 723X Golden Hawks, middle school debate champions (3-0).
Where are the Dining Sheds?
Students may or may not have seen outdoor dining sheds in person, and it probably depends on the borough they live in. Here is an interactive map that lists all the outdoor dining sheds, by borough and more.
Open Restaurants NYC
Read about the official New York City program, entitled “Open Restaurants,” which explains how and why restaurants are allowed to use “curbside roadway space in front of their businesses for outdoor dining.”
Shed Go Bye-Bye
A New York City driver crashed into this outdoor dining shed. Thankfully, no one was eating there at the time.
Tie Score!
The 177Q Panthers debated the 373K Fire Debaters in a round 3 matchup. They debated whether school should start later. The Fire Debaters were pro and the Panthers were con.
And there was a tie score! 92 points for pro and 92 points for con. This has not happened in seven years, and never before for high school teams!
Congratulations to debate coaches Leor Samuels (177Q) and Todd Wilson (373K) on your wins!
Congratulations to the Fire Debaters and the Panthers on your wins!
The Trophies Are In
Here is a photo of the 2020 trophies that were never given out. We didn’t have a championship that year because of the pandemic. In fact, even though our debates continued throughout the pandemic and a year and a half of remote and hybrid learning, the last time that D75 Debate trophies were awarded was in 2019! Well, that is about to change! Behold the new 2022 Middle and High School Debate trophies, to be unveiled this June. Which teams will be come away with the Championship title? Check out the Round Three debates beginning on April 1 to stake your claim!
News: Teens Getting Covid Shots without Parents Knowing
Once again, the D75 Debate program is ahead of the headlines. The article in NPR tells how teenagers are getting covid vaccinations without telling their parents. This was our first topic for 2021.
Team Names
Here are the official team names for the 2021-2022 debate season
723X Golden Hawks
17X V01 Squad
17X V05 Warriors
396K Debating Eagles
368K Brooklyn’s Finest Debaters
721K Knights of Reason
373K Fire Starters
94M Amazing Team
177Q Panthers
Welcome Visitors
396K brought in so many spectators and well-wishers to their first-ever debate! Talk about school spirit!
Season 16 Wraps
What have we been up to all year? Glad you asked! Check out our flipgrid topics from the past year and see for yourself! (Choose login with google and enter your school email and pw). This year, many students were fully remote, others were hybrid, and some eventually went back to school full time. Whether remote, in-person, or somewhere in-between, our debaters remained persuasive in their arguments and committed to researching their topics thoroughly. Congratulations, D75 debaters on another amazing season of debates!
See you in the fall for season 17….
Debate Season is Officially Underway!

Debate Live Opener Nov 17
Greetings, Debaters! The Debate Live Opener will be on Tues, Nov 17 at 10am. All teams and individual debaters are invited to join. You do not need to have a whole debate prepared- just one statement for either the pro or con side is enough to participate. There will also be a drop-in session in the new debate zoom room on Nov 13 at 10am to test things out. To participate, please have your teacher fill out this form.
New Debate Topic on Flipgrid
Hello Debaters! There is a new topic on our Flipgrid page: Should Instagram get rid of likes?
Let us know what you think by recording your response in 60 seconds or less. You will need to login with your school email account. Let’s go!
Live Debates are Back!
Live debates are returning this fall, back and better than ever to accommodate students at home, at school, and those doing blended learning. Wherever you are joining from, start getting your team together and get READY TO DEBATE!
Oil Pipeline Debate, revisited
Do you remember the Dakota Access oil pipeline debate (“The US should immediately stop construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline,” 2016-2017)? It pitted the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in South Dakota with an oil company who wanted to build an oil pipeline near their land. When we debated this topic several years ago, the pipeline had the “green light” to be built. Now, that light has turned “red.”
D75 Students Join Peaceful Protests
D75 student debaters joined the peaceful protests in Brooklyn and around the city this week to show their support for Black Lives Matter and for equal rights and justice under the law. We are proud to see them raising their voices and joining in the call for action.
Protests Across America
There is a new topic on our Flipgrid page for students to share thoughts, feelings and opinions about the protests happening around the country in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police Officer. All debaters are invited to head over to the grid to record a response. Please stay safe, everyone.
New Topic Announced
Calling all Debaters! The new topic is: What should be done to save the US Postal Service (USPS)? You can check out some resources on the topic and record your response on our new Flipgrid page. You will need to sign in with your school email account. Looking forward to hearing your ideas and arguments!
Breaking News for Debate and NYC
It was just announced that the MTA Will End Overnight Subway Service For Duration Of the Pandemic.
When the Round 3 Topic was announced, we could not have imagined a situation whereby NYC would actually shut down 24 hour subway service in the near future. It was more of an intellectual exercise to explore the potential benefits and costs of taking a drastic step in order to improve service, cleanliness, and the infrastructure of a very old subway system. This is why debaters stay ahead of the curve. Our students have already weighed the pros and the cons, and know what considerations, steps and procedures need to be taken to put the closure into effect and secure the subway system overnight. They also know that busses and dollar vans will be more important now than ever, as they transport our essential workers from 1-5 am.
How does this news change your perspective? How would you refine your arguments in light of this new reality? What other information or sources are needed to enforce your positions? Head on over to the flipgrid and let us know where you stand.