FAQ
Why Parli?
Parliamentary debate involves only fifteen minutes of preparation, no outside sources, and timely, engaging, and fun debate topics. Debaters are able to improve their rhetoric, logic, critical thinking, and knowledge of global events! Parli is also a participatory form of debate, allowing for real-time questioning of speakers. If you are interested in learning more, please fill out our Contact form or visit our Resources page.
How do I join the league?
Whether you are an interested student, teacher, coach, or business looking to work with the league, joining is as easy as emailing us or filling out our Contact form. If your school does not have a Parli team yet, we are happy to provide you with guidance and resources to help you start one!
What is the advantage of a student run league? How can I join the Board?
With an entirely student-run board, the NYPDL is able to creatively and efficiently run tournaments, address equity and logistical issues, and cultivate incisive debates. During a Parli tournament, you will find our board members in the thick of the action, either debating, judging, or managing Tabroom. Being debaters ourselves, we understand the strengths and areas of improvement of the league and through collaboration are able to come up with successful improvements. Our student-run league puts into practice the democratic values we seek to foster through debate.
Board applications are released at the end of each school year. We look for students with a demonstrated dedication to Parli and the NYPDL.
Is there a cost to being a member of the league? How much does it cost to attend a tournament?
There is no fee for becoming a member of the league or for attending our online tournaments! Being a member simply means that you are updated with information about tournaments and initiatives. You can view our member schools on our Who We Are page.
How often does the league host tournaments, and how have they been affected by COVID-19? How do I sign up for tournaments?
Due to the pandemic, the league currently hosts monthly online tournaments for students from across the country. In normal times, the league hosts monthly tournaments at schools across New York City.
You can sign up for our tournaments and check our tournament schedule on the Schedule page. To stay updated with news about tournaments, please fill out our Contact form to join our email list.
Can I go to a tournament if my school does not have a Parli team?
Definitely! We encourage all students to come to our tournaments. Students without an official school team can debate "unaffiliated." We would also love to share our resources to interested students, so please fill out our Contact form if you would like to start a team at your school.
Is there a championship? How do debaters qualify?
The NYPDL is excited to announce a new system to determine qualifications for our end-of-year championship tournament! Information about current debater rankings and qualifying points can be found in our Rankings and Championship page.
I’m from Connecticut or New Jersey. Can I still participate in the NY Parli league?
Yes! Especially while our tournaments are online, students from across the country are invited to compete for free!
When we are able to resume in-person tournaments, we will look into reducing registration fees for new teams and teams traveling long distances. We also hope to expand our tournament locations outside of New York City.
Is the league only for high schoolers?
This year, we are actively looking to expand Parli to middle school! We hope to offer free workshops to teach students Parli basics, and eventually add a Middle School division to our tournaments! If you are a middle or high school student, teacher, or coach who is interested in starting a middle school Parli team or teaching middle schoolers Parli, please fill out our Contact form!