HDC Opens Season at Northwestern University

EVANSTON, IL — On September 12, the Harvard Debate Council (HDC) officially opened its 2026–2027 competitive season at Northwestern University.

It was a successful opening weekend across the board, with every HDC team securing enough victories to qualify for the elimination rounds.

The tournament marked the Harvard debuts for First-Years Russell Howard ’30, Jimmy Lin ’30, Salma Ghieth ’30, and Sitara Mazumdar ’30. Meanwhile, returning debaters Jayden Bodet ’28, Seiji Aoki ’28, Nanjaran Deshpande ’28, and Agastya Sridharan ’28 kicked off their junior campaigns with strong performances.

Debate Coach Dr. Rebrovick praised the team’s performance:

"I'm extremely proud of the hard work and effort the debaters showed at Northwestern. We look forward to building on this momentum and seeing the team's continued growth as we head to the University of Kentucky in a couple of weeks."

Congratulations to all our debaters on a great start to the season!