Columbia BIPOC 2026: Welcome to Mamdanistan!
Schedule
Fri, 13 Feb, 2026 at 02:00 pm to Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
116th Street – Columbia University (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) | Edgewater, NJ
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Come find the love of your life on Hinge and get elected to the New York mayoral office at 2026 Columbia BIPOC: Welcome to Mamdanistan!The Columbia Debate Society is thrilled to be hosting this BIPOC tournament in person on the weekend of February 13th (2/13/2026 - 2/14/2026)! The tournament will consist of five loose-link (cases) preliminary in-rounds, followed by outrounds. We expect to break to varsity quarterfinals and novice semifinals, though this may change based on pool size and judge count.
SCHEDULE: "A New Era for New York City!"
All times are EST. Specific room locations will be announced closer to the start of the tournament.
Friday 2/13
2:00 - 3:15 PM: Registration window
3:15 PM: Tab & Equity briefings
3:45 PM: Round 1
5:15 PM: Round 2
6:45 - 8:00 PM: Rolling Dinner
8:15 PM: Round 3
Saturday 2/14
8:15 AM: Breakfast & Check-in
9:00 AM: Round 4
10:45 AM: Round 5
12:00 PM: Lunch break
12:45 PM: Awards
1:15 PM: Outrounds begin!
REGISTRATION: "Register to vote today!"
Registration will close at 11:59 PM on Sunday, February 1st. If you anticipate having issues with this deadline please reach out to the tournament directors well in advance! Since this is BIPOC, your teams should only include people of this identification. We recognize this is an earlier registration deadline, but attendees of BIPOC 2024 know that we have a ton of security to deal with and need to submit names for registration ASAP.
This tournament is semi-open. All teams must have at least one member with current APDA eligibility (dino competitors are allowed, but dino-dino teams are not).
Please submit registration via these forms:
Institution Reg: https://forms.gle/jQdhk8b6J7oLbb758
Team Reg: https://forms.gle/QfyyNSzBL7vTkNLcA
Judge Reg: https://forms.gle/UkKXaQExrRgZrH7D7
Please complete judge calibration, if applicable, via these forms when posted;
Judge Calibration Code: TBD
Judge Calibration Form: TBD
PAYMENT: "For a New York you can afford!"
The registration fee is $160 per team. This tournament is PAY-TO-PLAY! The payment deadline will be Thursday, February 12th, @ 11:59 PM. I will cut your teams if I do not hear from you with proof/an extension request by then.
Please direct all finance-related questions to Albert Shore at [email protected]. Reg breaks will be given on a case-by-case basis at his discretion. If you have any further questions, please contact Tanya, Ale, or Emma!
PAYMENT METHODS:
Check(s):
Make all checks out to Trustees of Columbia University, and include Columbia Debate Society in the memo. Please send checks to:
Attn: Hameer Deo
Admin & Planning,
2920 Broadway,
515M Lerner Hall MC 2601
New York City, NY, 10027
Credit Card:
https://securepay.cuit.columbia.edu/payment/pub/cds2026/
Credit card payments can be made using the above link for those who do not want to cut a check. Forward your receipt by email to [email protected]. Be sure to include the name of the school you are paying for and the entry number at the top right of your invoice.
JUDGE REQUIREMENT: "Childcare for all!"
We have the standard judging requirement of (n-1)/2 (rounded up); our missing judge fee is $90 per judge for the first two missing judges and then $160 for each subsequent one. Judges must be present for all preliminary rounds to count towards fulfilling a team’s judge requirement. Please get in touch with the tournament directors if you anticipate having issues fulfilling the judging requirement.
HOUSING: "Freeze the rent!"
We are providing crash housing! Details of housing assignments will be provided before the tournament date.
Please fill out the crash housing form linked here: https://forms.gle/WjfQ6LoBJEweqDaM9.
TRANSPORTATION: "Fast and free buses!"
NYC-based Institutions:
If you are an NYC-based institution, we recommend taking the 1 train to 116th St—Columbia University. If you have any questions, contact the Tournament Directors.
Non-NYC-based Institutions:
If you are not an NYC-based institution, we recommend arriving at Penn Station (whether via bus or train) and taking the 1 train to 116th St—Columbia University. If you have any questions, contact the Tournament Directors.
CONTACTS: "Join the transition team today!"
In general, we prefer contact on Facebook Messenger over phone/email.
Tournament Directors:
Tanya Chatterjee, [email protected], (609) 647-2363
Emma Listgarten, [email protected], (650) 422-4299
Ale Avila, [email protected], (479) 263-8394
Tab Directors:
Tanya Chatterjee, [email protected], (609) 647-2363
Emma Listgarten, [email protected], (650) 422-4299
Our full tab policy will be posted soon.
Tab Observer: TBD
Equity Officers: TBD
COLUMBIA EMERGENCY RESOURCES: "Department of Community Safety!"
Columbia University Emergency Medical Service (Ambulance staffed by certified EMTs that provides free emergency medical treatment and transport, 24/7): (212) 854-5555
**The number calls Columbia Public Safety, which will dispatch CUEMS
**Most other NYS ambulances charge a 500-1000 fee. If CUEMS is unavailable, public safety will dispatch a NYS ambulance.
We highly recommend calling CUEMS over 911 for most medical emergencies because NYC’s EMS service will take longer to respond.
Closest Emergency Room: Mount Sinai Morningside Emergency Department at 113th St and Amsterdam Ave, open 24/7
Closest Urgent Care: CityMD West 104th at 104th St and Amsterdam Ave, open 8 AM - 8 PM on weekdays and 9 AM - 5 PM on weekends
**Call CUEMS (above) if you are seeking urgent care after CityMD’s hours
Please don't hesitate to contact the tournament directors with any questions (including questions about judging or finances).
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Where is it happening?
116th Street – Columbia University (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line), 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-7060, United States, EdgewaterEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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