Spring 2010
Support assertions with evidence. Read complex texts. Listen critically. Write and present reasoned arguments.
On debate teams across the country, students practice these skills daily. The just-released Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies & Science now conclude that these are precisely the skills students must master to ensure college and career success.
So, while too many urban high schools around the country suffer from frozen or declining achievement, an ever increasing body of research confirms that urban debate transforms students’ life trajectories. Debaters earn more honors credits, have higher GPAs, and are more likely to meet or exceed college-readiness benchmarks for reading and writing.
With the release of the Common Core Standards, and the emerging body of evidence of urban debate’s effectiveness, our work is more relevant, more pressing, and more promising than ever. Please be a part of it.
We invite you to join us for the National Championship Weekend in New York, April 22nd to April 25th. On April 22nd, students from 20 cities around the country will arrive in New York, ready to compete for the title at the Chase Urban Debate National Championship. This year, we will also hold the first-ever Rupe Public Debates. Drop by the tournament to witness firsthand the talent of these top-rate urban debaters.
Please also consider attending the NAUDL Annual Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria on April 22nd. You can purchase individual tickets here and/or let us help you secure a Dinner sponsorship from your employer.
And, please do not forget to encourage your friends and colleagues to consider applying for the NAUDL’s Executive Director position. We want to pursue all avenues to ensure we find an extraordinary leader, so direct people to http://www.urbandebate.org/edsearch.shtml. All inquiries will of course be held in confidence.
Know that we are working hard on many different fronts to bring the benefits to more and more students around the country. Let’s get together in April to celebrate and to discuss our continuing work together.
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Leonard A. Gail |
Dr. Eric M. Tucker |
Third Annual Chase Nationals Slated for Next Month
The 2010 Chase Urban Debate National Championship Weekend, April 22nd – 25th, is right around the corner. For the first time, the Chase Nationals will take place in New York City. The NAUDL is bringing two top debate teams, two debate coaches, and UDL leaders to New York from 20 Leagues across the country. Once again, the Chase Nationals will convene the best of the Urban Debate Network.
The Urban Debate National Championship demonstrates and recognizes excellence and achievement in urban debate. For students, the tournament caps a year of hard work and preparation. “There’s excitement, there’s nervousness, there’s anxiety,” one urban debater reflects, “but I feel pretty good and confident.” The students share visceral feelings: “You know that .jpg)
feeling you get in your stomach when you ride down the roller coaster?” one student asks. “It’s that same feeling.”
The tournament features six preliminary rounds of competition, all day Friday and Saturday morning. After a series of single elimination rounds, the competition culminates in the Urban Debate National Championship Round on Sunday afternoon. Each student reaches the National Championship through hard work, dedication, and mastery of the intricacies of this year’s topic.
The Championships will for the first time this year showcase student talent for a large public audience. The Arthur N. Rupe Public Debate Series challenges debaters to deliver sophisticated arguments in an accessible style. To demonstrate how urban debaters apply the research, analytic, and critical thinking skills they have honed in academic debate to communicate with and persuade a general audience, The Arthur N. Rupe Foundation has generously sponsored this series. The action will take place on Friday and Saturday, and will culminate with the Arthur N. Rupe Demonstration Debate at 3pm on Saturday at 383 Madison Avenue. To reserve a seat, please email LaTonya Starks at latonyastarks@urbandebate.org.
Tickets Available for the Annual Dinner!
Individual tickets for the NAUDL’s third Annual Dinner are now available and start at $445. (Higher investment levels are also available.) Your purchase helps support the NAUDL in our effort to bring urban debate to more students across the country.
The Annual Dinner will be held April 22nd in the Starlight Room of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. The 2010 Annual Dinner Keynote Speech will be given by renowned business leader and NAUDL Honorary Board member Penny Pritzker. This year's Annual Dinner will honor Chase as the 2010 Urban Debate Champion.
Purchase your ticket today so that you can join your colleagues, friends, and fellow former debater at the Annual Dinner.
The NAUDL Searches for Its Next Executive Director
The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues is working with the national executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to find and recruit the best talent for the role of the NAUDL's next Executive Director.
The NAUDL offers an outstanding opportunity for a leader who has the capacity to raise resources, forge a powerful alliance among education reformers and the organization’s existing supporters, and nurture the growth of urban debate as a means for tremendous scholastic achievement in cities across the nation. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience and acumen in organizational development and leadership, a passion for social justice and education reform to benefit urban youth, and superior communication skills. The next NAUDL Executive Director will have the opportunity and responsibility to promote and brand the NAUDL as an essential and valuable player in advancing the urban debate agenda, while respecting and collaborating with leaders in both the education community and the universe of fervent debate veterans, coaches, and admirers to
bring the substantial benefits of urban debate to students in America’s cities.
We want to pursue all avenues that might lead us to qualified, diverse, and motivated candidates. So, please help us by passing along this search and the information on the NAUDL website at http://www.urbandebate.org/edsearch.shtml to whomever you think sensible. There you will find a complete Invitation to Apply. For more information, please direct interested people to Isaacson, Miller at 3996@imsearch.com. All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.
Research on Urban Debate and Academic Achievement
Peer-reviewed research shows that urban debaters are more likely to graduate from high school:
 SOURCE: Mezuk, Briana. 2009. Urban Debate and High School Educational Outcomes for African American Males: The Case of the Chicago Debate League. The Journal of Negro Education, 78 (3), 290-304. |
The latest research also demonstrates that Urban Debate Leagues improve literacy skills and promote college readiness. For more on the evidence behind urban debate, visit the Urban Debate Evidence Center.
Honoring the Duck
Since Scott Deatherage’s passing in December, many of us have taken comfort in sharing our memories of the Duck. The outpouring of support in the wake of this tragic loss is a testament to the breadth and depth of Scott’s impact on so many lives.
During his time as Executive Director of the NAUDL, Scott was instrumental in expanding debate opportunities in urban schools. Scott called his work at the NAUDL the “privilege of a lifetime,” but of course the privilege was equally ours. In honor of all that Scott did for urban debate, the NAUDL has established the L. Scott Deatherage Memorial Fund. The Memorial Fund will help provide stable programmatic and organizational resources to further the NAUDL’s mission of bringing debate to more cities, more schools, and more students nationwide. To seed the Memorial Fund, the NAUDL Board has promised to match all donations and pledges made to the Memorial Fund before June.
At the Annual Dinner on April 22nd, the NAUDL will make available a Tribute Book compiled in Scott’s honor. We hope that you will join us in honoring Scott’s legacy, and that together we can look forward to serving thousands of additional students in the coming years.
Alumni spotlight: Frezzella Culinane, Boston, MA
Frezzella Culinane, a 2009 alumna of the Boston Debate League, is a leader: in the classroom, in her school and community, but first in debate. She recalls when she was first drawn to debate by the leadership of then-team captain Alexander Chan, and now she provides the same inspiration to a younger generation of BDL debaters.
As a novice, she was inspired to join the debate team at Boston’s Josiah Quincy Upper School where she observed Chan leading by example. From the audience, Frezzella looked on as Alexander competed in a high-powered debate round about the availability of generic pharmaceuticals in Africa. Struck by the thrill of competition, she signed up. Although Frezzella says she lost a few rounds at her first tournaments, that only made her want to work harder. Soon, she was bringing home trophies. Her success kept her motivated—so motivated, in fact, that she worked her way to the Urban Debate National Championship in Chicago. There, Frezzella had the opportunity to meet and compete against her peers from across the national Urban Debate Network.
In addition to fundamental critical thinking skills in making evidence-based arguments, debate gave Frezzella opportunities to develop as a leader. She remembers the day a teacher pulled her aside to tell her "she feels like I'm a leader and that I should take advantage of that to set the standard." Frezzella has developed into a leader as debate team captain her senior year. Outside debate, teachers see Frezzella as a leader in the classroom, too. She is recognized not only for her sharpened analytical skills, but also her ability to raise the bar and engage the entire class.
Since graduating, Frezzella continues to combine analytical rigor and creative pursuits by studying both physical therapy and music in college. Despite her busy schedule, she still finds time to play a leadership role in urban debate. Frezzella continues to mentor younger team members by returning to Josiah Quincy Upper School to help with practices and by providing feedback to the next generation of urban debaters.
Frezzella looks forward to continuing to be involved in debate however she can, as a volunteer or financial supporter in the future, and recommends the activity to everyone—but especially those who want to lead.
Policy Debate Returns to Nashville
In years past, Nashville, TN, was home to a vibrant culture of academic debate, which reached from schools across the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) to private schools like Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) and University School of Nashville (USN). Yet like many urban areas, Nashville has watched policy debate largely disappear from city public schools. But soon, debate will be returning in a big way.
Nashville Debate brings together the National Debate Project (NDP), the National Forensic League (NFL), MNPS, the Nashville-based Community Education Initiative (CEI), and the NAUDL. CEI Executive Director Elizabeth Slagle Todaro reports that debate leaders in Nashville are already hard at work building the support and institutional partnerships necessary to launch a high-quality, sustainable UDL. In collaboration with MNPS, six to eight schools will be selected to participate in the first year. A summer institute will introduce the fundamentals of policy debate and the resolution to prepare students and teachers for competition, which will begin in the fall.
The NFL, the NDP, and the NAUDL will collaborate to provide operational and curricular assistance, professional development, and other resources. Melissa Wade of the NDP said, “Nashville offers the profound opportunity for a cooperative model of building a UDL with strong school system support, a seasoned administrative director, a dedicated local advisory group, and the shared support of the NAUDL, National Debate Project, and National Forensics League. We are excited to participate in this novel educational initiative.”
Nashville Debate will restore debate opportunities that have disappeared over the last 20 years. Alan Coverstone, Executive Director of Charter and Private Schools at MNPS, says, “Bringing opportunities for public policy debate back to every high school in Nashville is a dream worth fighting for. Competitive policy debating is practical education reform that we know has the power to drive individual academic achievement for participants and whole schools at the same time. Debate fuels teaching and learning that is particularly well suited to the educational needs of 21st century students.”
Last month, debate advocates gathered together at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis for a reception to build support for Nashville Debate. Over 50 supporters, including local business leaders, lawyers, educators, and MNPS teachers gathered with CEI members as well as representatives from the NAUDL and the NDP. The event affirmed the broad base of support for revitalized urban debate in Nashville.
The UDL is the flagship program of the Community Education Initiative, which aims to improve educational opportunities in the Nashville Community. The CEI is a non-profit organization formed in 2005 by several former Emory Debaters, including Ms. Slagle Todaro. It focuses on opportunities for public speaking, civic responsibility, advocacy, and policy debate. Over the past year, the CEI has built community support and MNPS investment in urban debate, drawing on a large and engaged community of former debaters in Nashville. Nashville Debate will also benefit from partnerships with local universities who offer volunteers, debate expertise, and resources. Finally, the renowned coaching staffs from MBA and USN have been strong supporters.
Ms. Slagle Todaro says that Nashville Debate aims to eventually reach every high school in MNPS. She sees improving the community as one of the core values of the project. In speaking to other supporters in Nashville, Ms. Slagle Todaro has found a sense of shared purpose, as supporters work to bring debate to underserved youth, providing an opportunity that will help them succeed in college, continue on to fulfilling careers, and give back to the Nashville community. Ms. Slagle Todaro feels fortunate to have wide support for this enterprise. She says, “We have all the right people at the table to make this an amazing success.”
News around the Network: Boston Debate League in the Boston Marathon
The Boston Debate League (BDL) was chosen from a field of 120 applicants to be one of six official charities of the Boston Marathon, to be held April 19th.
As an official charity of the Boston Marathon, the BDL is granted 15 marathon entry slots in each of the next three marathons. The BDL began recruiting their first team of runners last fall, and the team has been training together under the direction of Rick Muhr, a well-known and highly regarded marathon coach.
The BDL team includes first-time marathoners and marathon veterans, local debate supporters and NAUDL Board members Jonathan Massey and Lenny Gail. One marathon runner, Mary Grant Ciampa, has been an English teacher at East Boston High School for 39 years. Upon watching her first debate this year, Mary commented, "It's just incredible. What these students are doing. It's amazing." She says that she has no words to describe how inspiring it has been to work towards a goal as big as the marathon, and for a good cause. "I've had such a great experience. This has been so wonderful. I don't know what else to say."
Please consider supporting the runners who have worked so hard over the past few months and continue their dedication to bring debate into the lives of Boston's youth. The Boston Debate League and the team can be supported by visiting their fundraising websites at www.razoo.com/story/Boston-Debate-League.
Urban Debate in the News
The Memphis Commerical Appeal
“Undebatable: Verbal Jousting Hones Life Skills: High School Students Compete in Urban Debate League Tourney”
Memphis News Live at 9 on WREG
Televised interview with Memphis East HS debaters and coach
Michigan Radio
"Hooked on Debate"
NBC Denver Nine News
“Debate Takes Inner-city Students to New Levels”
Atlanta Public Schools
“APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall Named Georgia Speaker of the Year”
The Baltimore Sun
“The Team Talks Its Way to the Top”
The Bay Area Urban Debate League
“The 2010 Pro Debate Tournament”
Global Debate Blog
"Andrews Kurth Sponsors Second Annual City Championship Debate Tournament: Firm Presents a Total of $7,500 in Scholarships to Winning Teams”
Sue Scheff Blog
“High School and College Students Learning the Value of Debates”
Remembrances of L. Scott Deatherage
From Scott’s family
Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Tribune
Northwestern University
North by Northwestern
The Daily Northwestern
College Policy Debate Forums
Facebook
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