FOUNDERS
Dhruv, Zach and Kyle are 16-year-old high school juniors at Berkeley Preparatory School. They began policy debate in 8th grade, continuing to research and read on a daily basis. In addition to coaching the younger novices on their team, they have all devoted 60 hours each summer to volunteering at Berkeley's debate camp.
Dhruv Kapadia
As well as his commitment to debate, Dhruv is enthusiastic about tennis, philosophy and trying to teach his parakeets new tricks.
Kyle Shah
Kyle loves to do all things sports in his free time, such as playing for Berkeley's basketball team, rowing team and working out.
Zach Zinober
Has a huge fascination with wildlife and nature, engaging in activities such as fishing and kayaking.
ABOUT US
Throughout our journey in both middle school and high school, we realized that despite our differences, we all shared a common passion: debate and argumentation. We spend countless hours after school researching the current political climate, experimenting with new philosophical positions dating back to Ancient Greece, and discussing topics that exceeded the education taught within our school’s curriculum. No matter the conversation, we realized that debate offered something unique for everyone, a space where students can express their views with no consequence. However, debate programs at neighboring schools was uncommon, restricting students from gaining the invaluable skills that come out of debate. Thus, we wanted to help; we wanted to start something that brought the remarkable experiences of debate to those around us.
OUR MISSION
Given our current political climate, the Tampa Debate League especially values the political and philosophical education that can be brought about through policy debate. Our mission is to connect schools throughout the Tampa Bay area by generating a singular arena for students to express themselves and their beliefs. We hope to cultivate epistemic creativity, public speaking confidence, and a willingness to consider alternative perspectives that students may not have previously considered, all while maintaining an enjoyable and congenial environment.