Testimonials
“NSD has top-notch instructors that are not only extremely knowledgeable but also willing to answer any questions that a student might have. The curriculum challenges students, yet they still have time to interact with others and have a relaxed, fun time”. – Kelly Johnson
“NSD is one of the most intellectually stimulating, educational, and beneficial experiences I’ve had. The student to staff ratio is fantastically low – each NSD attendee gets ample time to work with lab leaders. Instructors are qualified and truly care about teaching their students” – Ross Brown
“NSD is without a doubt the best camp I have attended. As a senior, I have been to three other camps all around the country, and they don’t even compare” – Kevin Sipe
“NSD gives you the opportunity to work with the smartest debate minds in the country, no matter what lab you get placed in. It’s hard not to improve while attending this camp” – Matt Kawahara
“It’s a fast-paced, tough curriculum which teaches you so efficiently, not only in rounds but also through preparation. The amount of knowledge and staff member assistance available is astounding, and it’s really accessible to even beginning debaters.” – Max McCarthy
“NSD has the best staff. You’ll work the hardest and improve the most. NSD is unmatched” – Pat Donovan
“The curriculum was fast-paced, but at the same time didn’t exclude any one based off of lack of knowledge. The information you attain within these two weeks is so significant. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the full intricacies of LD.” – Hannah Mattia
“NSD is a great institute – you learn so much. The staff is always willing to help you. NSD really improves your technical skills while simultaneously teaching you how to debate substantively. NSD is really focused on improving debate skills, more than other institutes that didn’t help as much with the application of philosophy and arguments to the round” – Stef Rohde
“The staff is so helpful and you learn about everything you need to know to be a good circuit debater. It is still really fun even though there is a lot of work”. – Maddy Stein
“At NSD, the work you put in generates tangible improvements in both your understanding and execution of debate. Moreover, this improvement will come in all areas of debate. NSD provides not only excellent instruction in the technical aspects of debate but also the knowledge to adapt to any circuit in the nation.” – Ilya Gaidarov
“Not only do you improve on the technical aspects of debate immensely, there is also a large focus on the substantive parts of debate that can apply to any resolution: things like ethics, metaethics, and sociology…the list goes on. The food here is far better than any other debate camp, and I enjoyed that at NSD we had to use what we learned in lectures and integrate that into are cases. Other camps just taught material without making sure the debater knew how to put it into practice.” – Jordan Lamothe
