Fall 2008
Letter from Executive Director, Scott Deatherage
Greetings friends,
Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s a time when debaters new and old can look ahead to a season ripe with opportunity. Although this is the first time in over two decades I will not be busy teaching and preparing for tournaments, I feel a new sense of excitement for the many urban students who will begin debating this fall. Thanks to you, supporters of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, thousands of urban students will, for the first time ever, participate in the life-changing activity of urban debate. More >>
Mark your calendars and reserve a table!
National Championship weekend set for April 24 -26
Thanks to the continued generosity of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the second annual Chase Urban Debate National Championship and the adjoining Annual Dinner will take place on the weekend of April 24-26. Building on the success of last year's competition, the tournament will bring together outstanding debaters from cities throughout the Urban Debate Network for a weekend of fierce competition and celebration of urban debate. More >>
Urban debate revs up in the motor city
The Detroit Public Schools has approved a proposal for the support of a 10-school Urban Debate League for this academic year. Participating schools are: Community Media Arts, Denby, Detroit Academy for Young Women, Martin Luther King, Mumford, Northwestern, Osborn, Renaissance, Southeastern, and Southwestern. More >>
New League Directors hit the ground running
The NAUDL convened eight new Urban Debate League Directors representing the Bay Area, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, and St. Louis for a conference Chicago on September 11-12 to discuss the opportunities and challenges that their respective UDLs would face in the coming year. Bringing a wide range of professional and personal experiences to the table, the Directors, along with the NAUDL staff, addressed such varied issues as the logistics of hosting a debate tournament; publicity, development, and advocacy; and the socioeconomic complexities of building an Urban Debate League. Not only did the Directors receive training in key areas of running a UDL, but they were also able to meet and form professional relationships with their fellow incoming Directors, thereby creating a nation-wide support network among new UDLs. More >>
For bios of the new UDL Directors, click here.
Urban debaters take up America's energy policy using the NAUDL's argument kit
Rising gas prices and uncertain energy supplies have led to a vibrant national debate over energy policy. In fact, the Presidential candidates have emphasized the issue to the point where a recent analyst dubbed the contest the "energy election."
Urban debaters across the country are participating in this national dialogue. They are researching, analyzing, and debating the timely resolution - Resolved: that the United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States. More >>
Urban Debate in the news
UDLs across the country have been receiving recognition in the news this fall. Here are links to just a few examples of pieces featuring urban debate:
- From the Baylor Line, the magazine of the Baylor Alumni Association – NAUDL Executive Director and seven time national championship coach Scott Deatherage was interviewed recently about what inspires him in urban debate and how he sees the future of the NAUDL. [Read More]
- From PBS, from on Sept. 19, 2008 – a show entitled “Women, Power and Politics” featured a segment on a group of diverse high school girls competing in a debate tournament for the chance to participate in the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute. Congratulations go out to the Associated Leaders Of Urban Debate, whose partners were featured in the story. See clips of the show here.
- From the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Sept. 21, 2008 – "Normally weekends mean hanging out together and watching TV for Denise Richard and Markettia Morrison. But on Saturday, it was all about U.S. energy policy as the two Trezevant High School freshmen matched wits and traded verbal jabs with teams from other Memphis City Schools in the district’s first scholastic debate in almost 40 years…." [Read more]
- From the Houston Chronicle, Aug. 27, 2008 – "Once upon a time, only a generation ago, debate teams were a fixture at almost every Houston high school. From these teams came figures such as the late U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan and many other civic and business leaders. Over the years, however, the number of teams dwindled until debate – which has been called “the smart sport” – resided at only a few elite campuses such as Bellaire and Lamar…" [Read More]
- From the Tri-State Defender, Sept. 25, 2008 – "High school debate returned to Memphis last weekend for the first time in nearly 40 years. The venue was Overton High School and the Scholastic umbrella was the Memphis Urban Debate League. In the first of six scheduled tournaments, students were pitted against each other with U.S. energy policy sandwiched in between…" [Read More]
- Recently the Houston Chronicle ran a letter to the editor from Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Houston. Dr. Lee discussed the role that former UH debates are playing in the new UDL in that city. Dr. Lee wrote: “The core members of the Houston Urban Debate League Board are former UH debaters. …The University of Houston is committed to the success of its collegiate team, but also to providing a place where high school debaters can continue their participation in an activity that is in Mayor Bill White's word: transformative.”
- From the Kansas City Star, Oct. 10, 2008 – Students from the Kansas City area were treated to a special Great Debate Forum centered around the film The Great Debaters, in which Denzel Washington portrayed Melvin B. Tolson. Nate Parker, a star of the film, was present at the event, along with Tolson’s nephew and his son, Melvin B. Tolson, Jr. Mr. Parker was the keynote speaker and has been active with the urban debate movement, having attended the 2008 Chase Urban Debate National Championship.
- From Fox News Memphis – The local Memphis station has a video report of the Memphis UDL’s first tournament. [Watch the Segment]
- The Jersey Urban Debate League will host its annual College Bridge Tournament on November 7th and 8th at Rutgers University’s Newark campus. This is the fifth year of the event, which is a joint debate tournament and college recruiting event. Recruiters from 24 colleges and universities will meet urban debaters from Baltimore, New York, Rhode Island, Boston, and New Jersey.
- Sean Easterwood, Top Speaker at the first Chase Urban Debate National Championship, is now a student and debater at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Sean, a graduate of Kansas City Central High School, debates at UMKC with his former high school partner, Deshawnta Brunson. Part of the recognition that Sean received for winning the Top Speaker Award was a $2,500 college scholarship provided through the generosity of Holland & Knight LLP.
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