Baltimore Urban Debate League
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| Baltimore Urban Debate League | |
 |
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| Founder(s) | Open Society Institute Fund for Educational Excellence |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland  United States |
| Key people | Pamela Spiliadis, Executive Director Chris Baron, Director of Programs Elizabeth Skinner, Faculty Liaison Diana Kerns, Program Assistant Sean Rueter, College Access Programs |
| Area served | Baltimore City Public School System |
| Focus | Policy debate |
| Website | www.budl.org |
The Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL, pronounced 'boodle'), is an American, non profit, urban debate league, which is intended as an educational and mentorship program for inner city middle school and high school students in Baltimore, Maryland.
The main focus of the organization, in coordination with the Towson University Speech and Debate Team, is to teach students policy debate. Currently the league serves approximately 51 schools in Baltimore, and has been nationally recognized by several organizations for spreading debate in the city's public schools and increasing awareness nationwide about urban debate.[1][2]
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[edit] History
The league was started in 1999 by a grant from the Fund for Educational Excellence in collaboration with George Soros' Open Society Institute. Only 8 high schools and 90 students participated in the first year.[3][4] Since then the program has expanded to over 35 high schools, 21 middle schools, and countless numbers of students across Baltimore City. Many students in the league have gone on to compete in national and international tournaments held by other debate leagues and associations.
Also, in the 2005-2006 season, BUDL successfully incorporated the high school debate model into several middle schools around the city. Middle school students are able to take advantage of many of the opportunities afforded to high school debaters, including the opportunity to go to their very own debate camp, B'More Debate, in order to help them with their debate skills and to encourage continued participation in BUDL. The middle school camp happens during the summer months and has a very similar format to BUDL's high school camp, and is held at Towson University.[5]
[edit] Mission
According to its website, BUDL's mission is...
| “ | ...to enrich the academic experience of students from Baltimore City's public high schools through participation in team policy debate. The Baltimore Urban Debate League is especially interested in students with untapped potential, who are disengaged from the contemporary high school classroom. For these students, and for traditionally successful students as well, debate often becomes the most rewarding activity of their high school career. Because debate requires self-directed learning and includes opportunities for competitive success, it motivates students who have never before felt the thrill of being responsible and rewarded for their own learning.[6] | ” |
[edit] Debate format
[edit] High school
| Part of the series Policy Debate |
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| Organization | |
| Policy debate competitions |
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| Format | |
| Structure of policy debate · Resolution |
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| Participants | |
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Affirmative · Negative · Judge |
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| Types of Arguments | |
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Stock Issues · Case· Disadvantage |
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| Argumentative Concepts | |
At the high school level, students debate according to policy debate guidelines. Each season one resolution is established by the National Forensic League and National Catholic Forensic League. There are three divisions on the high school level: novice, junior varsity (JV), and varsity.[6] The three divisions have the same timing conventions for debate rounds, the only exception being preparation time (novice get 10 minutes, JV and varsity get 5 minutes). Also, the JV and varsity divisions may use any affirmative case they want throughout the competitive year, and so could the novice division at once point. In the 2003-2004 season however, new rules mandated that the novice division could only use one affirmative case per season.[7]
[edit] Middle school
BUDL uses its own format for the middle school level since there is no national organization that governs or regulates middle school debate competition. They still have the same number of divisions, and follow the basic format of policy debate, but instead of one resolution every year, one topic is chosen every month. The league narrows it down to a pool of topics, and all of the member schools vote on which one they would like to debate. The speech and cross examination times are also slightly altered.[8]
Since BUDL has one of only a few middle school leagues in the country, its middle school debaters are only able to debate other middle schools around the city, until they reach the high school level.
[edit] Member schools
All high/middle schools that compete in year-round tournaments are apart of the Baltimore City Public School System. As a member school of BUDL, each team can participate in year round tournaments sanctioned by the league and the high school students can compete in tourneys with the Baltimore Catholic Forensic League.[6] No school has to pay dues to be apart of the league and it covers the cost of BCFL dues so that debaters may participate in their tournaments. The league also pays for travel to out-of-state tournaments along the East Coast. During the summer, BUDL pays for the travel of groups of debaters to go to debate camp as well. At least once a year, BUDL holds inter-league competition with the BCFL and its schools in one big tournament.
BUDL also has a National Forensic League chair, headed by debate coach Steve Sprouse,[9] so that BUDL debaters may participate in qualifying tournaments to compete in national tournaments. At the end of each year, BUDL awards season trophies, medals, and certificates for the progress teams and individuals have made on their particular squad.
[edit] Schools in the league
[edit] League champions
The year's champion is decided by how many cumulative wins each school accumulates from each individual team over the season in BUDL tournaments, not including out-of-state or BCFL tournaments. The winners are announced at the league's annual banquet held in May.
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | Northwestern High School |
| 2000-2001 | Forest Park High School |
| 2001-2002 | Walbrook High School |
| 2002-2003 | Walbrook High School |
| 2003-2004 | Baltimore City College |
| 2004-2005 | Baltimore City College |
| 2005-2006 | Merganthaler Vocational Technical Senior High School (Mervo) |
| 2006-2007 | Baltimore City College |
| 2007-2008 | Baltimore City College |
At each BUDL tournament, there is also a "top school" award for the squad that has the most wins that day. The schools that have received this award the most are:
| School Name | Number of times awarded "Top School" |
|---|---|
| Walbrook High School | 16 |
| Baltimore City College | 15 |
| Mervo | 9 |
| Carver | 4 |
Walbrook holds the BUDL record for the most consecutive wins at "top school" (14) and the only high school in BUDL history to hold "top school" for an entire debate season (2002-2003).
[edit] Media
[edit] BUDL Man
BUDL Man is the official mascot of BUDL and an actual trophy to award sportsmanship to debate teams in BUDL.
The award was created by the Patterson High School team in 1999 to promote sporting attitude, good teamwork, hard work, and other values learned through competition.[10]
It is traditionally passed from school to school, and whoever has the trophy decides who they would like to award it to based on team spirit, determination, or whatever criteria the team sees fit.
The actual trophy is a stylized action figure, who is a superhero with a book for a head. He has a pen in his right hand and a legal pad in the other. There is also a utility belt with a "B" on it. He is in a plastic case, and has been redesigned at least three times. At the end of the 2006-2007 season, BUDL Man has been passed down an estimated 50 times.
[edit] Debate Komiks
In July, 2006 BUDL started their "Debate Komiks" initiative, which aimed at making stories with superhero characters. The only difference being that the main characters would be based on debate arguments, with the main protagonist being "Evidence Man".[11]
In 2007 BUDL released the first issue with two stories called "What's so funny about Nuclear War?" and "Speed Kills", which introduces several new "debate" characters including Evidence Man's partner "Kritik Womyn" who is featured on the cover with him.
[edit] Programs
[edit] Debate camps
BUDL offers two separate debate camps that operate on different dates in the summer months. Since 2000, BUDL has had the Towson International Debate Institute (TIDI), which is primarily for high school students and more recently, since 2006, its middle school debate camp, B'More Debate, which has a very similar format to TIDI.
TIDI was initially offered only to students in BUDL, but throughout the years has expanded to other other students around the country, and foreign students (through the Southeast Europe Youth Leadership Institute (SEEYLI)). The camp is held at Towson University during the summer months and lasts two weeks. The camp has a tradition of having the students make their own tie-dye shirts at the end of the camp, hence the name "TIDI".[12]
B'More Debate is held a few weeks after TIDI, and is also hosted by Towson University.[13]
[edit] Countdown to College
Since 2002, BUDL has offered a college and SAT preparatory program called Countdown to College (C2C). The program is a coordination of league staff, Mother Seton Academy, and St. Ignatius Loyola Academy. The program provides free SAT workshops, college labs, college tours and invites speakers to come talk to juniors and graduating seniors out of BUDL. C2C operates in the fall, spring and summer, and thus far has been a huge success with college matriculation in to most 4-year universities in Maryland.[14]
[edit] Hip Hop Congress
In July 2007, BUDL helped the creation Baltimore's own chapter of the Hip Hop Congress, a non profit organization that "uses hip hop music to inspire social activism".[15] Students traveled to Athens, Ohio to compete in "hip hop debates" with students from the Seattle Urban Debate League. The HHC also had a showcase on July 27, 2007 in downtown Baltimore for participants to showcase their talents.[16]
[edit] Scholarships
[edit] Erica Brown Scholarship
BUDL has offered a scholarship since 2000 to give students an opportunity to travel to the IDEA Youth Forum and participate in the International Karl Popper Debate Competition hosted by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA). Traditionally three different high school seniors are selected to compete, and one teacher is selected to supervise. The award is named after a former senior Erica Brown who attended Walbrook High School. Erica suffered a fatal heart attack in January 2003, and the BUDL administration deemed it appropriate to rename the award in her honor. At the annual awards banquet, Erica's family presents the students with the award and a gift from the league.
[edit] Urban Debate Scholar
While the organization can be considered to be a fairly new league by comparison of the tenure of the other urban debate leagues, BUDL has fostered notable individuals who have gone on to debate in college successfully and have won "full-ride" scholarships. Since Towson University has such close ties to the league, the speech and debate team offer an "Urban Debate Scholar" award to at least one graduating senior each year in BUDL.[17] This award is full tuition and fees at Towson, and a $500 book award. There are also lesser awards that vary between $2,000 - $4,000.
[edit] Accomplishments
BUDL received national media coverage on the news magazine 60 Minutes. The segment featured debaters from Walbrook High School and their coach Angelo Brooks. The students talked about how debate had changed their lives and inspired them to go to get better grades in school and go to college.[18]
In the 2006-2007 season, of the seniors who debated, 99 percent graduated on time. Of the 99 percent who graduated on time, 88 percent were admitted to college. The reading scores of all students improved over the school year, but debate students improved by 25 percent more than non-debaters. The results from debate students also generally improved regardless of how well - or poorly - they were doing in school before they began debating. BUDL students also earned over $100,000 in college scholarships in 2007.[19][20]
Local Baltimore news outlets have covered events, speeches and public debates held by the league. Possibly some of the most notable coverage happened during the 2004 crisis at Walbrook High. The school had recently changed the principal, due to criminal accusations against the old principal Dr. Andrey Bundley,[21] and was replaced by Shirley Cathorne. As a result, multiple fights, fires, one shooting, and overall disrupt of the school environment occurred.[22][23] The debate team was featured prominently in news stories to highlight its successes at the school.[24][25]
The league also has a "Public Debate Month" held in May every year. The goal at the end of the month is to have 100 public debates around the city. In February 2004 mayor Martin O'Malley made a commemorative public debate month during their annual fundraiser.[26] In May 2005, to commemorate its annual "Public Debate Month", the league held its first "Public Debate Tournament" at the amphitheater in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The winner of the contest was a team from Baltimore City College that defeated the runner up team composed of students from Digital Harbor and Mervo.[27]
In January 2007 the league was honored by the White House with the "Coming Up Taller Award". The award recognizes outstanding arts and humanities programs around the country with a $10,000 grant.[28]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Making Their Case" Highlights Growth and Impact of Urban Debate Movement. Open Society Institute (June 2003). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ 60 Minutes Tells the Urban Debate League Story. National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (June 2003). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Baltimore Urban Debate League. Open Society Institute. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Cassie, Ron (January 2007). Debating to the top. Baltimore Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Ellis, Andy. BUDL Launches Middle School Program. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ^ a b c Introduction to BUDL. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Argument Restrictions in Novice Division. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Ellis, Andy. The Middle School Guide to Debate. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ About the BCFL. Baltimore Catholic Forensic League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Baron, Chris (2001). OODLES AND UDLS OF NEW COACHES. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Debate Komiks #1. The Y.O.U.R.S. Store. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Towson International Debate Institute. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ B'More Debate. Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ The Baltimore Urban Debate League. Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
- ^ Seattle UDL Prepares for National Conference. Seattle Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ Baltimores HHC MySpace Page. MySpace. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ Scholarship Opportunities. Towson University Speech and Debate. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Making Their Case, Debate Makes A Comeback At Inner-City Schools. CBS News (June 2003). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ BUDL Board Meeting (July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Baltimore's Urban Debaters Prove the Word is Mightier than the Sword. WhatKidsCanDo.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Loh, Laura (July 2003). 125 Graduations at West Baltimore School Called Into Question by Audit. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Fires burn at struggling Baltimore schools. Associated Press (November 2004). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ KLUG, FOSTER. IN BALTIMORE, A SURGE IN FIRES SET BY STUDENTS. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Hurst, Henry (November 2004). Walbrook, in spite of problems: Debate team rules. Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Hurst, Henry (December 2004). Walbrook's new fire!. Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Mayor O'Malley Proclaims February "Public Debate Month". Baltimore Urban Debate League. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Brewington, Kelly (May 2005). City students take their arguments outside. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Neufeld, Sara (January 2007). DEBATE LEAGUE AWARDED $10,000. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
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