Summer, 2008
In this Urban Debate NewsBlast you will read about:
Letter from NAUDL Executive Director, Scott Deatherage
Greetings Friends,
We have reached an exceptionally exciting, challenging and promising time not only for our organization and its mission, but also for the urban debate network more broadly. More>>
First Chase Urban Debate National Champion Crowned
Congratulations to the Lane Tech High School team, from Chicago, who won the first Chase Urban Debate National Championship, defeating Grady High School of Atlanta in the final round. The Championship was hosted by the NAUDL at Northwestern University’s downtown campus and was made possible through the generous sponsorship of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. More>>
Sean Easterwood from Kansas City Wins Top Speaker Award
Central High School Senior Sean Easterwood of Kansas City won the Top Speaker award at the first Chase Urban Debate National Championship. In the process he earned a $2,500 scholarship that he will use to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the fall. The scholarship was provided through the generosity of Holland & Knight LLP. More>>
Fitzgerald Keynotes NAUDL Annual Dinner and Reception Gala
On April 5, over 300 enthusiastic supporters and guests joined the NAUDL for our inaugural Annual Dinner, held at the historic University Club of Chicago. Participants were entertained by a short video from Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who recorded a special welcome for our event. More>>
Two California School Systems Embrace Urban Debate
The NAUDL is very pleased to report that two major school systems in California have agreed to launch Urban Debate Leagues in the fall of 2008. Leaders of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) have formed partnerships with local Advisory Boards and the NAUDL. More>>
Urban Debate Launches in Tampa
The NAUDL is working with the School District of Hillsborough County to launch an Urban Debate League in the Tampa Bay area in the fall of 2008. More>>
Quick News Notes...
- The NAUDL is pleased to announce that James Q. Wilson, the Ronald Reagan Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, has agreed to serve on our Honorary Board of Directors. As a student at Redlands University, Dr. Wilson completed an extremely successful debate career by winning the 1952 National Debate Tournament and the NDT Top Speaker award.
- The NAUDL web page has recently been updated with a collection of videos and links to recent urban debate news items.
- Les Lynn, NAUDL Senior Program Consultant, has recently returned to Chicago after successfully directing a one-week summer workshop in Memphis, a city that kicks off its new UDL this fall. (Read the local press report here.) Nearly 40 students and over a dozen new teachers/coaches took part. The participants received instruction from Les and Chicago-based teacher LaTonya Starks. NAUDL Executive Director, Scott Deatherage, commented: "I'm thrilled about the tremendous early success in Memphis. Congratulations to the Memphis City Schools, particularly the new Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash and administrators James Bacchus and Michael Smith, for hosting and organizing this city-wide kick-off of the Memphis UDL. Also congratulations to the growing private partner in this mid-South capital, the Memphis UDL Advisory Board, under the determined leadership of James Sdoia."
- A recent issue of Education Week discussed the NAUDL's league development strategy and reported a classroom teacher's insight regarding debate's impact: "Mary J. Thomas calls her experience coaching debate 'transformative.' On her team at multiethnic Charlestown High School in Boston, she's had students with bad attitudes, speech impediments, second-language challenges, poor grades, and top grades. To get any of them started, she hands over a binder of propositions and evidence, gives them a run-through, and coaxes them into a tournament. 'Every single child has amazed me,' the 30-year-old English teacher testified. 'They suddenly become articulate, capable, mature. Part of it is the competition, but I think it's more: It's so difficult, it makes them feel smart.'"
- HBO has recently started running Greg Whiteley's documentary on high school debate, Resolved. The film, which won an Audience Award at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, features urban debaters from Long Beach.
NewsBlast Archive:
Spring 2008
Winter 2008
Fall 2007
