The Novice Who Would Be Queen- History Made at the CNDI
The CNDI (Cal National Debate Institute) debate camp and tournament are held annually at the Berkeley campus. The CNDI brings together some of the brightest and hardest-working high school coaches, college coaches, and current college debaters to provide students with a variety of educational perspectives. The Cal National Debate Institute is one of the premier debate camps in the country, with a level of vigor and competition akin to a major national tournament.
This year, the CNDI tournament took place from July 7th – July 27th, 2024, and had 64 students in the Novice and Varsity divisions combined. The Silicon Valley Urban Debate League had the privilege of sending Vu Quang (Yerba Buena High School) and Chloe Truong (Independence High School) to attend the CNDI Policy debate camp. Not only were our students able to thrive at the CNDI, but they were also able to make history.
Chloe Truong began her experience at camp in the Novice league, having focused her previous debate career on Public Forum. Beginning a new format as a senior was a daunting task, to say the least. “I remember what it was like starting Public Forum for the first time and eventually reaching a point where I felt some form of clarity and understanding. To be back at square one with a new format was disheartening but also exciting. I was struggling a lot the first week in learning all these new concepts, and I remember being frustrated with myself, but the one thing I am grateful for is learning how to adapt to new environments,” Chloe recounted.
As the days at the CNDI turned into weeks, Chloe turned from a Novice into a true competitor. “During labs, every time I developed a new argument and asked my lab leaders for criticism, I remember getting brutally taken apart. This became routine for that week. (…) I am grateful for the time they spent helping me rework it because the work I put into my case showed. After the practice round, our lab leaders pulled my partner and me to the side and gave us the option to either stay in the Novice division during the camp tournament and potentially win, or move up to Varsity and face greater challenges,” Chloe stated.
Being invited to compete in the Varsity league is an honor for any new Policy debater. For Chloe, however, this would only be the beginning of her achievements. Chloe and her partner were named co-champions of the Varsity Policy division, and Chloe was awarded “First Speaker” and “MVP” of the camp. Before this historic event, no first-year Policy student had ever even qualified for elimination rounds, let alone been crowned co-champion.
When reflecting on what she learned from this experience, Chloe said, “We started Policy debate three weeks ago together, and I never would have imagined any of this. Throughout this entire experience, I learned that it didn’t matter how behind I was, or how much I did not know because I can learn, and I can work hard. It doesn’t matter what format I’m doing, whether it’s Policy or Public Forum, because as long as I have passion and love for this activity, I will succeed.”
Vu Quang of Yerba Buena High School also excelled in his time at the CNDI, leaving the tournament as a proud semi-finalist of the Varsity Policy division. “Overall, it went great! I ended up as the semi-finalist of the camp tourney, and I learned a lot about the topic. I'm very excited to share with the team what I learned about camp, and I've already started to research my AFF.”
Thank you, Chloe Truong, Vu Quang, and the CNDI for your dedication to education and personal excellence! We hope that your stories will inspire others to believe in themselves and face life’s challenges head-on, in debate and beyond!
