valentine
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"I love argument, 
I love debate. 
I
 don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that's not their job."
- Margaret Thatcher

(former debate team member and first female Prime Minister of Great Britain and longest serving Prime Minister of Great Britain in the 20th Century)


This month we celebrate Valentines Day and our Love for Debate!  Debate is the cornerstone of democracy. Debate is the best preparation for today and tomorrow's leaders like Margaret Thatcher (Debate Team Member and First Female Prime Minister of Great Britain) or our last week's edition featuring Martin Luther King Jr. (Debate Team Member and Civil Rights Leader)... and the list goes on! Debate energizes classrooms. Debate transforms schools. Debate engages communities. Debate empowers students. Debate educates citizens. Debate increases volunteerism. Debate closes the achievement gap. Debate ends the civic achievement gap. Debate is fun. Debate makes friends. Debate helps you get into college. Debate helps you in your career. Debate helps you in school. Debate teaches you advocacy skills. And the list goes on!

That is why we love debate. That is why our mission is every school should have a debate team and every student should have access to debate. That is why we thank every volunteer, every judge, every teacher, every student, every person that makes debate possible for all. 

And so this month we celebrate Valentines Day and our Love for Debate!  Show your love for debate by volunteering at one of our tournaments this month and/or donating to make debate possible for more youth and schools! 

Sincerely,
Erik Fogel, Executive Director
The New York City Urban Debate League

UPCOMING NYC DEBATE EVENTS!
1/30 - Debate Youth Leadership Council
I Love Debate
February Valentines Celebration
Debate Tournaments. Sign Up Now!

Thank you to Midwood High School for hosting our February Valentines Celebration Tournament for middle schools! The Public Forum Debate Topic is ending the Cuban embargo. The Parliamentary Debate topics include: This House would ban alcohol advertising, This House believes policing is racially biased, This House would give Trump a chance.  And plenty of Valentines treats for everyone! 



Click here to volunteer! 

Thank you to to Bronx Collaborative and World View high school for hosting our February Valentines Celebration Tournament for high schools. The Public Forum Debate Topic is ending the Cuban embargo. The Policy Debate Topic is US - China Relations.  And plenty of Valentines treats for everyone! 



January Tournament Results!

This month 1,214 students participated in our debate tournaments, 473 volunteers made these tournaments possible, and 109 schools and teachers made debate possible to over one thousand New York City youth. This is incredible. This is magical. This is why we love debate. All this month students debate topics on immigration, US-China Relations, Native American Reservations, Childcare to teenage parents, and Brown v. EMA and violent video games.

1/7 - New York City High School Tournament 
Thank you to the Institute of Collaboration for hosting our January High School Debate Tournament. Thank you to the 29 schools, 243 students, and 115 volunteers for making this tournament possible! Click here to view results! 

1/14 - Manhattan/Bronx/Harlem Middle School Tournament
Thank you to both the Computer School and Anderson School for hosting our Harlem/Bronx/Manhattan tournament. Thank you to the 24 schools, 263 debaters, and 128 volunteers for attending! Click here to view results!

1/14-1/16 - Lexington Travel Team Tournament
Congratulations to the NYC Travel Team for winning top awards at the Lexington High School Invitational Tournament - one of the most competitive and prestigious national tournaments. Click here to view results! 

1/21 - Brooklyn/Queens Middle School Tournament
Thank you to KAPPA VI and Far Rockaway High School and the 15 schools, 167 debaters, and over 50 volunteers for making this tournament possible! Click here to view results!

1/28 - MSQI-NYCUDL Middle School Debate Tournament
Thank you MSQI and Susan B. Anthony Middle School and the 37 schools, 500 debaters, and 150 volunteers for making this tourament possible. And a huge shout out to New York City's first bilingual debate division! Click here to view results!

1/28 - Elementary School Tournament Results
Thank you to Mr. Beattie, PS 161 and the 4 schools, 41 students and over 30 volunteers making this tournament possible! Click here to view results!
Debate Con is Tomorrow! (1/30) 
Jun Yoon
june
Jun is an educator passionate about removing barriers to educational opportunities. After graduating summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Political Science, Jun joined Teach for America and committed to teaching in low-income NYC neighborhoods. He started the debate program at his school in East Harlem and coached the team to the Top-10 in over 80% of all debate competitions, including 3 straight qualifications to Nationals. In 2016, Jun was one of 11 educators to receive the NY Daily News Hometown Hero in Education Award. 
Aubrey Semple
Aubrey
2015 Winner of the Partnership for After School Education's PASEsetter award as top after school educator in New York City! Aubrey is an alumni of the NYCUDL and has been an award winning NYCUDL student debater, coach, volunteer, tabroom director, and Director of our High School Summer Debate Institute.  Aubrey has coached several championship caliber policy debate teams including New York State Debate Coaches Association (NYSDCA) State Champions in Novice (2014) and Junior Varsity (2012) and Co-Champions in Varsity Policy Debate (2013). As a coach, his debaters qualified for elimination rounds in nearly every national circuit tournament including Champions of the New York Invitational at Bronx Science (2013), Quarterfinals at the Harvard Invitational (2013) and qualifying a team to the Tournament of Champions (2014) at the University of Kentucky. Aubrey received his B.A. from City University of New York in United States History with a concentration in American History and Urban Studies.
 
Tim Goodwin
Tim

Tim Goodwin is an educator at The Geneva School of Manhattan (K-8). It is here at Geneva School, that Tim teaches Third Grade and is the Director of Speech and Debate. Before Tim started the Speech and Debate program at Geneva School, he was an assistant coach at Northland Christian School in Houston, Texas while in college. Tim had the privilege of coaching students who competed successfully on the State and National Circuits. In high school, Tim competed on the State and National Circuits in Public Forum and Student Congress. Here are a few of his accomplishments: Texas State Qualifier, NFL National Tournament Qualifier, TOC Qualifier, Recipient of the Harvard Congressional Leadership Award, and Ninth in Student Congress at the 2011 NFL Nation Tournament.  
 
Tyler Beattie
Tyler
Tyler Beattie has taught forensics, drama and music at numerous schools and camps throughout the country. Along with collaborator Emma Lively, he is also a an active writer and composer for theater and film. A two-time state champion and three-time national finalist in high school speech, he is is delighted daily to share his passion for forensics as the coach of the middle school debate team at PS 161.
 
Deano Pope
Pape
Deano Pape is the Membership Manager of the National Speech and Debate Association. He brings 25 years of experience competing, coaching, teaching, and administering special academic programs involving speech, debate, and communication skill development to the Association, whose staff team he joined in 2014. Deano attended Central College (bachelor of arts program, communication/theatre) and Central Missouri St. University (master of arts program, speech communication). Deano was the director of speech and debate at Ripon College and coached their nationally-recognized ethics bowl team. Deano also served as the director of Ripon's communication across the curriculum program, collaborative learning center, first year studies program, and office of community engagement at various points in his career. Deano has traveled the country enhancing faculty development efforts at more than 25 colleges and universities through keynote presentations and workshop facilitation. Deano's primary responsibilities include managing the organization's customer service efforts, playing an active role in membership recruitment and outreach, and supporting the organization's connection to collegiate speech and debate.
 
Calen McGee
Calen
Calen McGee was raised in Jamaica, Queens and graduated from Haverford College in 2016 with a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology. Throughout his time there, he mentored and tutored several freshman and was a valued member of the Black Students League, and WHRC Haverford Radio Statio. A strong political background, he has interned at the United States Telecom Association and the Committee of Seventy, a non-partisan watchdog group in Philadelphia. His senior year, he wrote his college thesis on the potential impact of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Generation on politics, and the potential for Hip Hop based grassroots political movements in the United States. He graduated from Little Red Elisabeth Irwin High School in 2012 as a School Ambassador, Peer Leader and Basketball coach. Calen McGee serves the NYCUDL as the Volunteer Director for Queens and Brooklyn, where he looks to engage with both professionals and youth to garner support in those communities.
 
Our Debate Con Workshops!

Speakers: Deano Pape
As the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization in the world, the National Speech & Debate Association provides an extensive array of member benefits, including resourcestournament opportunitiesprofessional developmentscholarship opportunitiesexclusive partnerships, and more. Whether you are a student, starting a new program at your school, coaching for the first time, volunteering your time to a local program, reconnecting with alumni, or advancing your skill set - we're here to support you every step of the way.

Building a Successful Debate Team: A Guide for the Novice Coach 
Speakers: Jun Yoon
Want to start a debate team at your school but not exactly sure where to begin? The purpose of this session is to share best practices in building a strong debate culture and getting students ready for competitive tournaments. At the end of this seminar, educators will have concrete next steps they can implement to further develop their debate teams.

Speakers: Loretta Brady
Debate Games!  Seriously fun literacy tasks to step up your your team AND reap debate's benefits in your classroom curriculum.

Parliamentary Debate 101 and All Things Debate (Middle School and Elementary School) 
Speakers: Tyler Beattie
Welcome to the world of parliamaentary debate - the world's most popular debate event at the collegiate and high school levels and now brought to middle school!  Students study multiple topics each month, practice extemporaneous public speaking and debate skills with limited topic preparation. Students and teachers have the opportunity to vote for topics which is not offered in any other debate event. Taught by Mr. Tyler Beattie, one of the most award winning New York City middle school debate coaches. 

Policy Debate - Education Reform Topic Overview 
Speakers: Aubrey Semple
This session will focus on the 2017-18 Policy Debate topic on Education Reform, covering core affirmative and negative positions and talk about how to engage policy debate on this particular topic. Flexible for experienced coaches to prospective coaches interested in teaching policy for the first time. 

Public Forum Debate 101 
Speakers: Tim Goodwin
Learn anything and everything about Public Forum Debate! 

Youth Leadership Council (Students Only! 8-12th Grade) 
Speakers: Calen McGee
The Youth Leadership Council (YLC) is high school and 8th grade student leaders from debate teams who are interested in sharing their passion for debate, improving the debate league, getting more involved in the debate league, and applying debate skills to leadership and advocacy. The YLC is open to 8th grade and high school debaters. 1-2 students per school. 

Case Building (Explanation of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos as the Basis for Debate) 
Speakers: Tim Goodwin
No matter what debate event you coach - one of the most critical skills of a debater is case building. In this session Mr. Goodwin will introduce the principles of case building.

Drop In Office Hours! Anything and Everything about the Debate League and Debate!
Open office hours with Program Manager Courtney Kaufman on any questions you may have. How do I start a debate team?  How do I register my students for a debate tournament? How do I start coaching? How do I get involved with the debate league? How do I use Tabroom.com?  Debate lesson ideas?  And more!  Expert Courtney Kaufman can walk you through anything and everything about debate! 

How to Win Debates: Weighing Impacts! 
Speakers: Aubrey Semple
This session will focus on how to teach one of the most challenging yet imperative debate theories in an academic competitive debate, impact assessment. This session will address concepts on weighing various forms of impacts in a given debate. This workshop is flexible for any debate format (Policy, PF or MS Parliamentary Debate)