Congress

Directed By: Miles Bernson

Captains: Aden Zhang (Novice/House), Elisa Ma (Varsity/Senate)

Email: lowellcongressdebate@gmail.com

Instagram: @congress_debate_lowell

Afterschool Practices: Mondays & Thursdays in Room 139

Congress is the branch where speech truly meets debate! Speaking in front of 15 other students and 3 judges sounds scary, but this is the event that will get you speaking well in front of large crowds the fastest, a skill that will be critical throughout school and the rest of your life.

Unique to Congress, you get to decide which side of a topic (we call it legislation) you stand on, making our branch amazing for passionate speeches! Our topics address a broad range of real-world issues. From housing right here in California all the way up to defense systems in space, you’ll get the opportunity to delve deep into lots of different things. Additionally, you can write and submit legislation so it is debated by 200+ students at our local tournaments, giving a tangible impact for the advocacy you wish to make. 

We have access to bi-weekly online after-school scrimmages, judged by nationally ranked Congressional debaters, and regularly practice with local schools, like Washington High School, ahead of regional tournaments. Congress is the event the Bay Area is known for, and consequently, great for your resume and college applications. In the last few years, our debaters have gone to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and Yale (Lowell’s 2025 Salutatorian speaker!). 

Arguably, we have a lot of fun. Practices are both entertaining with interesting activities, but also educational with lots of deeply focused research. We pretend to be real Congresspeople by calling each other "Representative" and “Senator”, and earn gavels. (Not intended for use as weapons by the way.)