2008-08-25
4th Annual Philadelphia Debate Institute a Success
"Through the Philidelphia Debate Institute I learned so much more than I ever thought I could about debate. They pushed me and helped me become not only a more skilled and talented debater, but also a more confident person. The incredible staff had faith in me, even when i didn't have faith in myself, and for that I will always be grateful." - Kai Tshikosi, Rockville High School
At most summer camps, kids gather around campfires to swap stories and pass time. At the Philadelphia Debate Institute, they exchange arguments and ideas, making the most of every minute.
"I definitely want to do this again next summer because it was one of the most productive, fun, and amazing weeks of my life" declares Neha Arjunji, a rising junior at Perkiomen Valley High School. Alycia Hogenmiller from Virginia's Lake Braddock Secondary School concurs wholeheartedly: "I would not trade this week for anything in the world."
The fourth annual session of the Philadelphia Debate Institute (PDI) convened at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from August 17-24, 2008. The student body was comprised of a diverse group of students; debaters not only entered with different levels of experience, they also entered from 35 different schools and 6 different states.
United by their zeal for argumentation, every student at PDI participated in a formal debate style called "Lincoln-Douglas." The style - named after Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas' series of seven debates - forces students to confront weighty moral propositions called "resolutions." Resolutions are released bi-Monthly by the National Forensic League ("NFL"), an organization through which over 125,000 students participate in diverse forms of competitive speech and debate each year.
The NFL recently released the September-October resolution: Resolved: it is morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people. Campers began studying the topic on the first full day of camp, and debated five full-length rounds on the resolution before the week's conclusion. Because a Lincoln-Douglas debater is forced to advocate both sides of the topic at every tournament, students delved deeply into complex philosophical articles, critically evaluating even the arguments they believe to be true.
The ordinary teenager rarely relinquishes the ability to sleep late, particularly in exchange for long days filled with intellectual challenges. Yet thousands of debaters attend summer debate camps from coast to coast, often forced to spend $2000 for the experience.
But thanks to a generous angel grant from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest and support from the Samuel Fels Fund, The Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust "A" as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno, Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and many others, PDI offered a free summer experience to all Philadelphia public school students. Students from outside of Philadelphia paid only $450-750, a fraction of the price of other camps, and families in need received additional scholarships.
This focus on accessibility does not come at the expense of individual attention. Richard Scordato, a student at Walt Whitman High School notes, "One of PDI's greatest [qualities] is the amount of personal attention every student is afforded. As opposed to many of the national level debate camps where there can be upwards of 25 people in a lab[,] PDI's concentrated student body and reliable staff make it really easy to seek personal attention."
Perspectives works to improve the opportunities and skills of students in the mid-Atlantic region through education, philosophy and debate. Perspectives works to improve the opportunities and skills of students in the mid-Atlantic region through education, philosophy and debate. If Unionville High School's Jessica Long is any indication, it's succeeding. "I feel that PDI has prepared me not only for the approaching debate, but also working in my AP classes, applying for college, and effectively adapting to college ... PDI teaches that the value of debate goes far beyond tournaments and trophies, but changes the way in which we approach problems and think about life."
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Faculty Director
Ali Huberlie, University of Pennsylvania
Curriculum Director
Matthew Scarola, B.A. Columbia University
Faculty
Conor Mayo-Wilson, B.A. Stanford, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University*
Mike Nicholas, B.A. La Salle University, J.D. College of William and Mary*
Angela Zhu, New York University
Josh Marshall, B.A. Brown University
Corey Metzman, University of Pennsylvania
Jon Kwan, Swarthmore College
Alok Choksi, University of Pennsylvania
Lindsay Dolan, Swarthmore College
Stephanie Caravias, American University
* = In progress
Senior Fellows
JP Gooderham, Upper St. Clair High School
Danielle Smogard, Greenhill School
Nikita Lalwani, Scarsdale High School
Alex Koren, PA Leadership Academy
2008 Philadelphia Debate Institute - Attending Schools
Allied Academy of Health and Sciences (NJ)
Barack Hebrew Academy (PA)
Bodine High School (PA)
Conestoga High School (PA)
Constitution High School (PA)
Dallastown High School (PA)
Franklin Towne High School (PA)
Greenhill School (TX)
Hendrick Hudson High School (NY)
La Salle College High School (PA)
Lake Braddock High School (VA)
Lower Merion High School (PA)
Mathematics, Civics, Sciences Charter School (PA)
Montclair Kimberley Academy (PA)
Merion Mercy Academy (PA)
New Hope Solesbury High School (PA)
Parkway Center City High School (PA)
Parkway Northwest High School (PA)
Paul Robeson High School (PA)
Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PA)
Perkiomen Valley High School (PA)
Pocono Mountain West High School (PA)
Poly Prep Country Day School (NY)
Princeton High School (NJ)
Ridge High School (NJ)
Rockville High School (MD)
Sandy Run Middle School (PA)
Scarsdale High School (NY)
Thomas Jefferson High School (VA)
Unionville High School (PA)
Upper Dublin High School (PA)
Upper St. Clair High School (PA)
Walt Whitman High School (MD)
Westtown High School (PA)
Whippany Park High School (NJ)
Perspectives is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promoting youth debate education. Students who debate dramatically increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking, and public speaking skills. In the process, debate becomes a forum to foster youth achievement and civic responsibility. Perspectives has worked with over 400 students in 8 states through afterschool, summer, and special events. www.philadebate.org