State Street Corporation joined forces with the Boston Debate League to create a video that highlights how the two organizations impact local communities. The piece focuses on Brighton HS, home of one of the city’s largest and most successful squads. The Boston Debate League thanks State Street Corporation for making the BDL one of its signature partners in the Making Life Better campaign. Learn more at statestreet.com/better.
News and Events
MAY
2
Boston Debaters Recognized by Globe
The editorial page of the Boston Globe praised the accomplishments of BDL debaters yesterday, underscoring the growing profile of debate in local education circles. Students from four high schools that will send teams to national competitions were interviewed about their journeys to becoming champion debaters. Thanks to the Boston Globe for praising the academic prowess of Boston’s young people!
MAR
19
Greater Boston League Concludes Strong Season!
On a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day, Needham High School hosted the final Greater Boston Policy Debate League tournament of the 2011-2012 season. Fifteen schools brought a total of 60 debaters, a record for this fledgling regional debate organization. Most excitingly, two schools were competing at their first debate tournament ever. Congratulations to Archbishop Williams HS and North Attleboro HS for debating so admirably–we look forward to seeing you next season! Lexington HS also made its first appearance at a Greater Boston tournament, substantially upping the level of competition. Thanks to all participating schools, volunteer judges, and especially the Needham high school speech and debate team for making the tournament such a success.
Ted White and Gena White from New Mission HS took home first place team honors in the varsity division as well as first and second place speaker awards, respectively. Lexington’s Tevin Lin and Pavi Chari came in a close second in the final team rankings. A combination junior varsity team that included East Boston’s Derek Curtin and Boston Latin Academy’s Tinyan Omere, claimed the first place team trophy in their division, and Tinyan also went home with a top speaker award. On the novice side, teams from Archbishop Williams ranked first and second, while West Roxbury’s Aaron Higgenbottom was named the top individual speaker. Congratulations to all participants!
The Greater Boston Policy Debate League is a partnership between the Boston Debate League and suburban schools in the surrounding area. The goal is to create opportunities for students from different backgrounds to compete against one another on a level academic playing field. Since its inception last year, the league has slowly but steadily grown and we hope to add even more teams for the 2012-2013 season. If you are interested in joining, please get in touch with the Boston Debate League.
MAR
19
Excel High School Wins the NAUDL National Tournament Qualifier!
16 of the top debaters in Boston gathered this past Saturday, March 10th at the offices of Tarlow, Breed, Hart, and Rodgers P.C. (TBHR) and First American Title Insurance where they hosted the 2nd annual NAUDL National Tournament Qualifier. There, the best team from 9 different Boston Public High Schools competed in a 3-round round robin for an opportunity to have a finals match in Tarlow’s large board room that would determine who would get a set of tickets to the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues’ (NAUDL) National Tournament at Georgetown University in April.
With this added pressure, the tournament could not have been much more competitive; with upsets and close matches abounding, the health of the League has never looked stronger. 3-judge panels decided the fate of these debaters, with veteran BDL judges and volunteer judges from both TBHR and First American, including named partners Mr. Tarlow, Mr. Breed, and Mr. Rodgers, joining together to decide who should represent Boston in Washington D.C. After 3 rounds, it came down to Excel High School’s Lucibele Delgado and Danielle Cadet versus New Mission High School’s Gena and Ted White, who earlier this winter became the first Boston Public School students to ever qualify for the National Forensic League’s National Tournament. After an hour and a half of debate Excel won in a 4-1 decision, sealing a great year for the pair with a trip to the National Tournament, and concluding an exceptional year of debate for the League!
Many thanks are due to both Tarlow, Breed, Hart, and Rodgers and First American Title Insurance for opening up their offices, for offering their time to make this tournament happen, and for being champions of the League! Special thanks are due to Greg Peterson of Tarlow, Breed, Hart, and Rodgers P.C. and to Marie Franco of First American Title Insurance for their extra efforts in coordinating the logistics of this event. In addition, thanks is due to Mr. Edward Tarlow, Mr. Richard Breed III, Mr. William Rodgers, Mr. John Blake Jr., and Mr. Richard Breed IV for judging, presenting awards at the tournament, and for personally championing the students of our League!
MAR
4
Outstanding performances and record-breaking attendance at the final tournament of the 2011-2012 season!
The Boston Debate League ended the amazing 2011-2012 season the way it began: with a packed English High School cafeteria and impressive performances from an incredible group of students. Seventeen schools brought an average of 20 debaters each, underscoring the powerful and consistent growth the BDL has achieved this school year. With a trip to the Urban Debate National Tournament on the line, students pulled no punches. Judges consistently commented on how much debaters’ skills had improved since October, a testament to the hard work students and coaches alike have poured into practices over the last six months. While it’s sad to see the seasons conclude, the BDL couldn’t be more proud of the city’s talented young people or more excited to see debate spread in years to come.
For the first time in history, the Middle School division was housed at a site of its own. Timilty Middle School generously hosted a record 100 middle school debaters and dozens of parents and judges. Home field advantage apparently paid off, with Timilty being named Tournament Champions and receiving the runner-up Spirit Award. Their novice team also won the final exhibition round, capping an all-around stellar performance by Timilty this year. Eliot K-8 School also made a serious splash, claiming the Spirit Award, narrowly losing the Tournament Championship, and taking top honors in junior varsity. Congratulations to all the middle school debaters and coaches for a great year and special thanks to the Timilty faculty, staff and administration for being such gracious hosts. Full results HERE.
English High School was bursting at the seams, with all twelve high school teams competing in the same building for the first time since the season opener. The competition was fierce, but the debaters’ poise and camaraderie carried the day. Boston Latin Academy took home the Tournament Champion award and was named runner-up for the Spirit Award, highlighting how much debate has become ingrained in the school over the last few years. Brighton High, the city’s largest squad, claimed the Spirit Award and closely trailed BLA in the tournament champion category. In an exhilarating final round, the varsity team of Nicolas Cathcart and Tanjil Mustafa were named City Champions, earning the right to represent the Boston Debate League at the National Tournament in Washington, DC. Full results HERE.
Debaters, coaches, families, and BDL supporters around the city are invited to the End-of-Year Awards Banquet on March 23 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. RSVP by March 20th!
FEB
27
FEB
14
US Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren was once a champion high school debater
The Boston Globe recently launched a series of articles examining the life stories and careers of the MA candidates for the US Senate. In the first part, we learn about how high school debate shaped Elizabeth Warren’s world view, earned her a scholarship to George Washington University, and helped her develop the skills to think critically about complex policy issues that would go on to shape her career. Read the entire article here.
FEB
14
FEB
12
Tournament 5 Ends With an Overwhelming Success.
Hundreds of students from around New England squared off at the Boston Debate League’s fifth tournament of the season. The competition pitted students from the Rhode Island Urban Debate League against local teams, producing some of the best debates of the season. The Department of Communication and Journalism at Suffolk University hosted half of the competitors on their campus, giving students a first-hand look at a college campus. Boston University’s Black Law Student Association sponsored the English High School site and brought a host of volunteers to judge and mentor the debaters. The Boston Debate League would like to thank both tournament hosts, along with the dozens of community supporters who lent their time to judge. The event would not have been possible without them.
At English High School, Boston Latin Academy had quite a tournament, claiming the championship trophy, the second place team spirit award, and the top two spots in the varsity division. Brighton High School won the spirit award and was the tournament champion runner-up, with senior Nicolas Cathcart taking home the top varsity speaker award. New Mission also sent teams to the final round in both the novice and junior varsity divisions. Full results HERE.
Over at Suffolk University, Rhode Island’s Classical High School had a banner day, taking the top two novice team awards along with the spirit award and runner-up tournament championship trophy. Excel High School was named the tournament champion and advanced two teams to the quarterfinals. Other notable performances include East Boston’s run to the final round of the junior varsity division and Josiah Quincy Upper School’s appearance in the final varsity round for the second tournament in a row. Full results HERE.
The middle school division again broke its record for participation, with 86 students competing at the tournament. That averages to a whopping 17 students per school, a truly impressive achievement in the first year of the middle school debate in Boston. The Eliot School won the tournament championship and spirit award, narrowly edging out Timilty Middle School, which was previously undefeated. Eliot took the three top junior varsity spots, while Timilty took top honors in the novice competition. TechBoston’s Janet Joseph was named the top novice speaker, while Eliot’s MeronAdhane won the same award in junior varsity.
Of course, all debaters at this tournament had their eyes on the City Championships, happening in just three weeks. There, the top teams in the league will be determined and the BDL will determine its representative at the Urban Debate National Championships. Don’t miss your last chance to see the debaters in action! Sign up to judge today!
JAN
30
2012 Winter Season starts with a bang!
The Boston Debate League returned from its long winter break with a bang. Over 300 debaters proved that a few weeks of extra practice can really pay off, drawing rave reviews from the scores of volunteers who came out to judge the debates. The event, split between TechBoston Academy and East Boston High School, marks the fourth tournament of the BDL season and kicks off the final push toward the City Championship in early March. Don’t miss the action when the debaters descend upon Boston University Law School and Suffolk University in two weeks. Sign up to judge today!
The BDL would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the coaches and administrators of East Boston High School and TechBoston Academy. Without their time and energy, the event would not have been possible. Similarly, the community’s outpouring of judging support was truly inspirational, allowing coaches to observe their debaters and students to hear feedback from sources ranging from team parents to local lawyers to league alums. Andrew Brokos, the BDL founder, returned to town for the tournament and showed that taking a break from debate doesn’t decrease your passion for the activity or ability to run a smooth tournament.
For the first time ever, the middle school tournament included a junior varsity division. Lanezja August from the Timilty was named first place junior varsity speaker and also took home the top team award with her partner Jenna Carter. Rachel Gover of the Eliot took second speaker and second place team alongside schoolmate Ruquiya Mohamed. In the novice division, Eliot claimed the top two team awards and Melissa Louis-Dhon defended her home territory at TechBoston by being named the top novice speaker. TechBoston also took home the Spirit Award for bringing the most students, with Timilty being named runner-up. The schools switched rankings for the top award, with Timitly taking the crown.
In the TechBoston High School tournament, Excel High School solidified its place as one of the premier teams in the city, taking home the championship trophy and second place in the Spirit category. Latin Academy was the runner-up tournament champion, while New Mission claimed the Spirit award for most students. Jennie Vo of TechBoston was the top varsity speaker and her teammates won the novice division, suggesting the benefits of home field advantage apply to debate tournaments as well. Danielle Cadet and Lucibel Delgado from Excel were the varsity champions, and Fatah Aden and Elvis Alvarado won the junior varsity division. Full Results HERE.
Over at the East Boston site, Brighton ran the show, claiming the tournament championship and Spirit award. East Boston was close behind, being named the runner-up in both major event categories. Charlestown was the talk of the tournament and took the top four spots in the novice division, making further debates unnecessary after the quarterfinals. Leroy Chan and Mohamed Nouri of Josiah Quincy Upper School won their first varsity competition of the season, defeating Nicolas Cathcart and Meybel Lopez from Brighton. In junior varsity, Brighton edged out East Boston for the top spot. Full results HERE.
Congratulations to all participants. The BDL is looking forward to more of the same on February 10 and 11th!