As a debater who did not have the luxury of debating in high school, taking on CEDA was a considerable challenge for me. Like with any class, debate has its own set of rules, organization, format, and it's own vocabulary. All of these things take a considerable amount of time to learn for a participant as well as an observer. Nevertheless, CEDA did have its own rewards. I will always benefit from the research methods I learned, and the quick thinking that CEDA required.
Parliamentary debate offers something different.
Instead of relying on research and authoritative sources, we learned to use other types of evidence including analogies, narratives, and persuasion. Instead of relying on speed, we began to count more on delivery. To a student, the most interesting and captivating thing that parliamentary debate offers is the fact that competition is available on the international level. Nothing can compare with the excitement of being able to compete with the world's best debaters. Worlds offer something that no nationals can compete with.