The Paly debate team will host a debate tournament to raise money for the Bay Area Urban Debate League from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday at Paly.

BAUDL is a non-profit organization that helps Bay Area students from under-funded schools have access to debate, according to the organization’s Web site, http://baudl.org. Paly hopes to raise over $3000, according to debate coach Jennie Savage.

“The organization (BAUDL) is critically important because it provides opportunities for students in struggling areas to have the benefits of debate,” Savage said. “BAUDL debaters see their GPAs rise by 10 percent and their graduation rates rise to nearly 100 percent, and these are at schools where at least 60 percent of the student population receives free or reduced-cost lunch and where graduation rates are the lowest, under 50 percent.”

Junior Avi Arfin, the state champion Lincoln Douglas debater and a volunteer at the tournament, agrees with Savage.

“I want to help the debate team and the cause,” Arfin said. “Joining debate is one of the best decisions I ever made, and everyone should have that opportunity. BAUDL helps underprivileged people in the Bay Area do debate…debate doesn’t seem expensive, but travel and tournament fees can cost a lot.”

Arfin is not the only member of the team to contribute to the tournament. Freshmen Uma Veerappan and Anjali Ahuja and sophomore Chloe Chen helped publicize the tournament and have solicited donations. Arfin, freshman Gregory Dunn, junior John Olson, and sophomore Scott Zhuge will be helping to run the tournament on Saturday, Savage said. There is a $150 entry fee which goes entirely to BAUDL, and tournament judges have donated their time. Corporations such as Tesla Motors and Crystal Instruments also sponsored trophies, according to Savage.

Junior debate team member Jujhaar Singh said that the debate tournament is for freshmen only, and is for Lincoln Douglas debate. It will be held on a round robin style, with no eliminations, and every competitor will debate every other competitor at least once, Savage said.

According to Savage, freshman Alex Carter was chosen to represent Paly in the tournament.

Savage believes that the tournament provides an opportunity for the Paly community to make a difference.

“Paly students can help by raising visibility about the importance of not just debate but educational equity across all the communities in the Bay Area,” Savage said. “We [the Paly debate team] are extremely fortunate to have a thriving, active debate team with a supportive and active parent community, not to mention top-notch coaches from Stanford University. Every school should give its students the opportunities that we have at Paly.”