Local Urban Debate League Champions meet in New York for
The Urban Debate National Championship
April 15 - 17, 2011
On April 16 and 17, 2011, seventy-six of the best and brightest urban high school debaters from nineteen cities across the country gathered in New York City for the fourth annual Urban Debate National Championship tournament. Selected from among more than 7,000 urban debaters nationwide, these debaters earned the right to compete in New York by winning local qualifying tournaments. For two days they debated whether the United States should significantly reduce its military involvement overseas. We are pleased to share the results of the 2011 Urban Debate National Championship and to recognize these talented and committed young people and the many individuals and organizations that helped make this Championship one of the most exciting debate tournaments since the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) began hosting the event in 2008.
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Read the official National Championship Report (PDF). |
Highlights of Urban Debate National Championship Results
Shagun Kukreja and Amna Tariq from University High School of Humanities in Newark, New Jersey won the 2011 Championship on a 3-0 decision. Their coach is Mr. Kurt Shelton. This is the first time that two young women have won the Championship. Kukreja and Tariq also recently won the New Jersey state championship and will represent New Jersey at the National Forensic League national tournament in Dallas in June.
Second place went to Devonte Escoffery and Stephon Adams from Metropolitan Corporate Academy in New York City. Their coach is Linda Bond.
All four finalists are graduating seniors.
Devonte Escoffery, Metropolitan Corporate Academy, New York |
Shagun Kukreja, University High School of Humanities, Newark |
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Visit our page on Facebook to see photos from the entire weekend. |
Joshua Rivera of Lane Technical College Prep High School in Chicago won the Boies, Schiller & Flexner Top Speaker Award. His coaches are Ms. Edwina Gholston and Mr. Chimine Okere.
Verizon College and Career Day
On Friday, April 15, with underwriting support from Verizon, the NAUDL hosted College and Career Day for the debaters, featuring programs on financial aid, the college admissions process, and post-college career options. Debaters also had the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from fifteen colleges and universities, including Amherst College, City University of New York, Drew University, Iona College, Macaulay Honors College, Manhattan College, Marymount Manhattan College, New York Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Trinity University, Wake Forest University, William Patterson University, and Vassar College. This event taught the debaters, that a college education is within their reach.
Debaters attending the College and Career Fair also donated their old cell phones to Verizon’s HopeLine Project. Verizon will recycle this equipment and donate it to domestic violence shelters.
The Urban Debate National Championship concluded on Sunday, April 17, when the debaters and their coaches returned home with trophies, awards, and memories. Their skills and effectiveness as debaters will serve them well as they work to find their futures and develop their intellects. We are grateful to the many individuals, corporate partners, and other supporters who help ensure that this opportunity exists for these young people, and we’re proud to be able to share the a recap of the 2011 Urban Debate National Championship with you. Thank you for your interest.
Complete Urban Debate National Championship Results
National Champions
University High School of Humanities, Newark (Shagun Kukreja and Amna Tariq)
Finalists
Metropolitan Corporate Academy, New York (Stephon Adams and Devonte Escoffery)
Semi-finalists
Lane Tech College Prep High School, Chicago (Owen Jones and Joshua Rivera)
Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago (Sydney Doe and Marcel Roman)
Quarter-finalists
American History High School, Newark (Jazir Beckford and Quamir Johnson)
Baltimore City College High School, Baltimore (Dikshant Malla and David Neustadt)
North Houston Early College High School, Houston (Robert Torres and Misi Turrubiartes)
South Senior High School, Minneapolis (Izak Gallini-Matyas and Oskar Tauring-Traxler)
Octo-finalists
Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Los Angeles (Joseph Flores and Brandon Nhan)
ACORN Community High School, New York (Tyler Anderson and Jonathan Diaz)
Crenshaw High School, Los Angeles (Irvin Alvarado and Satchee Redd)
Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta (Michael Barlow and Holden Choi)
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Kansas City (Anya Doynov and Corey Fisher)
Loyola High School, Detroit (Kwaishon Bell and Victor Houze)
W. T. White High School, Dallas (Joseph Reyes and Luke Strother)
Washburn High School, Minneapolis (Brandon Bogan and Anna Parshall)
Top Speakers
1. Joshua Rivera (Lane Tech College Prep High School, Chicago)
2. Marcel Roman (Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago)
3. Hope Merens (Nicolet High School, Milwaukee)
4. Devonte Escoffery (Metropolitan Corporate Academy, New York)
5. Brandon Nhan (Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Los Angeles)
6. Michael Barlow (Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta)
7. Brandon Bogan (Washburn High School, Minneapolis)
8. Izak Gallini-Matyas (South Senior High School, Minneapolis)
9. Owen Jones (Lane Tech College Prep High School, Chicago)
10. Greg Belvin (Skyline High School, Oakland)
11. David Neustadt (Baltimore City College High School, Baltimore)
12. Zach Seidl (Skyline High School, Oakland)
13. Stephon Adams (Metropolitan Corporate Academy, New York)
14. Sydney Doe (Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago)
15. Joseph Flores (Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Los Angeles)
16. Holden Choi (Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta)
17. Jazir Beckford (American History High School, Newark)
18. Ben Dean (Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta)
19. Shagun Kukreja (University High School of Humanities, Newark)
20. Corey Fisher (Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Kansas City)
