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I DON'T THINK YOU can describe debate. you just have to do it," exclaimed Thirann Neang, a Hope High School senior and third year Providence urban debater. As she spoke, throwing her hands in the air and gesticulating furiously, it was hard to believe that her excitement was roused by forensics. In fact, it was very difficult to disassociate my own feelings about my high school Lincoln Douglas debate experience with Thirann's love and excitement for the Urban Debate League (UDL). I remembered pretension, snobbery, and opulent competitiveness on the hot Texas debate circuit, but Thirann exuded none of these qualities. She was genuinely happy, motivated and enthusiastic about debating-especially the Providence Urban Debate League (PUDL). Founded in the late eighties by the Director of Debate at Emory College in Atlanta, UDL was developed to introduce debate to the city's entire community. It spread to New York and then like wild-fire: groups are now in more than 200 inner-city high schools throughout the country, including Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Washington, DC, and Providence. With its specialized knowledge and coaching, and exorbitant operational costs, high-school debate has characteristically been the terrain of private schools and public schools in higher-income areas. These schools and their students have benefited from the educational advantages derived from debate. Debaters are statistically among the most well-read and informed of their peers, receive higher grades than non-debaters in high school, and are the most likely to continue on to post-secondary education-a prospect that most students attending urban schools have rarely even considered. UDL helps bridge that educational divide by offering opportunities to "think critically, develop academic research skills, solve problems creatively, and increase their self-confidence." Providence Urban Debate League Coaching Assistant Lauren Linder b'04, put it succinctly by saying, "It basically [gives] students who [are] non-white upper class/upper-middle class males a shot." Open rounds, open society Providence's Urban Debate League developed much as the first chapter began in Atlanta. Initiated four years ago, PUDL was started by then-Brown student Eric Tucker b'02, who saw the lack of public policy debate in Providence and, with Brown student grandeur, decided to do something about it. Eric, with the help of the Swearer Center for Public Service and the Institute for Elementary and Secondary Education at Brown (IESE), went to schools to recruit participants and coaches. The nascent organization received help and funds from the Open Society Institute, a group run by George Soros that finances over fifteen Urban Debate League programs nationwide. Modeled after the specific national urban debate leagues' goals of teaching advocacy skills in order to empower students towards their future, and infused with the mantra of community activism, the Providence Urban Debate League was born. Each week, Brown student volunteers go into Providence high schools as coaching assistants to help teams of two develop, research, and study their topic. As a running trend, most Brown student volunteers tend to have high school debate experience and a desire to involve themselves in debate in college, though not as directly or competitively. "UDL wasn't competition, UDL was family," said Lauren. As a junior in high school, Lauren was hired to assist with the UDL efforts at Emory, where she coincidentally met Eric Tucker. At Emory she not only attained a hands-on interaction with debate, but a desire to attend Brown. From that point on, Lauren has spent every summer working at a debate camp, which only echoes the fact that PUDL is made up of individuals who love what they are doing and are consistent in their drive to push the league further. Upon meeting Lisa Heller, the new PUDL director, I could instantly sense her energy for the program. Saturday morning was merely a mock-tourney, but Lisa was running around trying to organize the debaters and their coaches as if this was one of the six official yearly tournaments. When things had begun to settle, Lisa and I took a seat outside of Sayles Hall and spoke about her experience with UDL and her new position with PUDL. During our conversation I learned that she had only been working for PUDL for two weeks. This came as a surprise-she carried herself with such confidence that I could only assume she was a ripened leader. That confidence stems from the fact that she has been involved with both coaching and college debating since 1989, and continues to possess a passion for it. Describing UDL as "an opportunity to discuss issues in a non-repressive environment," Lisa lauded UDL for turning the table towards kids and allowing for them to form their own opinions, and to openly talk about current global issues. "UDL is building a culture, not a posture," Lisa explained. She continued by saying that it is about reaching kids who do not have an outlet, and providing them with a forum of expression. But even more importantly, Lisa feels that UDL proves that Americans are looking outside of their domestic scope, directing their energy and excitement toward gaining more knowledge of global affairs. Like herding cats PUDL is not without its obstacles. "Working with the administrators is like herding cats!" Lisa explained. "I don't know how to better explain it, than that!" Most of the UDL coaching assistants seemed to agree that getting the support of the school administration is tricky. "We have a superintendent now that is very supportive of debate, but I'm like, 'Okay, well let's do something! Let's get started!'" Mackay Miller, the coordinator of PUDL, agreed, explaining that when PUDL began going into schools, students and teachers were enthusiastic but there was a lack of energy and communication on the administration's side. What Lisa and Mackey are trying to get started are the inventive and proactive programs that PUDL participants have developed. Kelly Phipps, the Student Coordinator of PUDL, animatedly discussed her hopes for the future of new initiatives. These include "Public Action," a forum where high school students could come together to discuss policies that effect them, and "Debate Across The Curriculum", which would instill debate throughout each course subject, helping to engage the students and provoke them to always question. The success of the program is evidenced by PUDL's first-ever East Coast Regional Debate Tournament last spring, which took place on Brown's campus for three days. Kids came from New York, Chicago, and DC to endure five rounds of debate each day (astronomical, figuring each round is two hours long), and to take part in workshops, talent shows, and award ceremonies. Lauren explains the event: "The kids were just cool.. They rapped, they performed-they were like me!" Lauren was not only referring to the debaters' down-to-earth attitudes, but also to the fact that they varied greatly in ethnic background and gender. In fact, UDL can proudly boast that eighty percent of its participants are females and minorities are in the majority, fulfilling one of their goals-to broaden the range of debaters. In his first encounter with UDL, Mackay sat in on a round and was astounded at how UDL's debaters were able to apply the topic at hand to their actual lives: Mackay's own experience with debate in high school had never been personal. But for PUDL participants it can be. Instilling the constant drive to question things and challenge oneself is not just a hope for the program, but a reality. Thirann reiterated that in PUDL she is always facing new challenges. She has hopes of attending Brown in the fall, where she would like to start her own Public Policy debating group, and even take PUDL into Providence middle schools, to create a love for debate early on. A future in debate Motivated, charged, and clever, Thirann seems like the perfect Brown student, but I hesitate to cast her as the poster child of PUDL or paint a picture of a crop of "Cinderella stories." PUDL is simply an organization set on using debate as a tool for educational reform. Participants are regular kids who lack overblown egos or cutthroat strategies, but who are just trying to take advantage of the league and all that it can offer. For PUDL to continue growing, it must have the support of not only the greater Providence community and school administration, but also from the Brown student volunteers who act as coaching assistants and judges. With Swearer Center training for coaching assistants every Tuesday night at five, and judging training sessions at seven, Brown students are invited to come help and mentor these teams. "I don't know what's up with Brown students!" cries Lauren. "You would think this is exactly the sort of thing they would be interested in volunteering with!" If you see Marjon Carlos B'05 give her a hug. it has been a hard week. |
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last updated 10 11 02
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