The Debate Society helps students grow on and off the podium
By Anna Maxwell, September 30 2025—
The University of Calgary Debate Society (UCDS) welcomes students to sharpen their public speaking, find community and rise to the challenge of competitive debate.
UCDS offers weekly practices led by its executive team, giving both new and experienced debaters the chance to sharpen their skills across multiple debate formats. Members can travel to tournaments across Canada and abroad, testing their abilities on a larger stage.
“We are a very active club,” said Azrina Hossain, the club’s president. “You get to debate lots of different types of things, from like philosophy to politics to more fun [and] light things.”
Former president Tanzim Hossain (no familial relation to Azrina Hossain), a fourth-year software engineering student, said the club has two main focuses: competitive growth and community.
“One is to grow as a competitive debater, just like any other sport,” he said. “The other is building the community around it… you meet a lot of people across Canada and then see those people at future tournaments.”
For the upcoming semester, UCDS will hold an open house and its annual pumpkin-carving social in October.
“It’s a good way to unwind, especially during the fall when it’s very busy competitively,” A. Hossain said.
When it comes to competition in the next few months, the club will host the Western provinces novice championship “under the Canadian debating society,” bringing in teams from all over Western Canada.
“It’s a novice tournament, so it’s really good for people who have zero debating experience,” A. Hossain remarked.
The club will also run high school qualifiers to help bridge the high school and university circuits. Travel is on the calendar as well, with planned trips to out-of-province tournaments, including the University of British Columbia and Hart House at the University of Toronto.
Joining UCDS is designed to be easy.
“The first thing I would say is just come to practice,” A. Hossain explained. “Practice details are on our Instagram. Our Discord is linked in the bio. You don’t have to pay, you don’t even have to be a member. You can just show up and we’ll get you debating right away.”
A $20 membership unlocks socials and eligibility to compete.
Both the current and previous presidents highlighted how debate skills translate beyond tournaments.
“It teaches you critical thinking in such a unique way that it starts helping you in all the other things that you do,” T. Hossain said.
For many students, public speaking and persuasive communication carry over to helping them with classes, interviews and future jobs.
The club also sees itself as contributing to a healthier campus discourse.
“Debate is inherently an activity that encourages discussion,” said T. Hossain. “When you go into a debate, it forces you to think of things you’d never consider,” he continued, adding that those skills benefit broader campus conversations.
For A. Hossain, the community the club has provided her with has been one of her highlights during her time as an executive.
“I’ve met so many great people,” she said, noting the friendships formed at practices and tournaments. “At university, it can be quite hard to meet people, and clubs are probably the best way to go.”
Students interested in the UCDS can find practice times, the Discord link and membership details on Instagram.