New Opportunities from the National Forensic League
Through support from the National Forensic League and the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the Chicago Debate League is offering two schools the opportunity to take part in a Nationwide Public Debate Initiative on the topic “Resolved: An Islamic Cultural Center Should Be Built Near Ground Zero,” the site of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC. Here are the specifics:
— There have to be two public debates, one at each school.
— They have to be in front of a public audience.
— They have to be 30 minutes long and have to have an additional 15 minutes built in for Q. and A. or public discussion.
— They have to take place in November or December, 2010.
— This can mean that one public debate happens at one of the schools and the other happens at the other school, with no commingling of the two — i.e., they can be run as separate, autonomous events — though it doesn’t have to mean this.
The format, dates and times, and other details of the debates will be up to the two participating CDL schools. The two schools will each get $500 for their debate programs, to use in any way they wish.
Please let us know if you are interested in participating by sending an email to CDL@UrbanDebate.org no later than Friday, November 12th, 2010.
A flier from the NFL has additional information.
Also, the NFL has waived all membership fees for all UDL schools. New schools can become NFL members by submitting this NFL application form. As this letter from the NFL to UDL principals highlights, this is an offer from the NFL worth up to $600 yearly, and provides the various benefits to schools that NFL membership confers, including being able to earn forensic honor society distinctions for debaters, coaches, and the school.
Note that both of these opportunities from the NFL are available to high schools and middle schools, i.e., the Chicago Debate League and the Chicago Middle School Debate League. If we have an MS and a HS who participate in the public debate initiative, the two schools will determine the appropriate way to have their students interact.
Congratulations to Hyde Park and Mather for being the two CDL schools selected to take part in this NFL-sponsored public debate initiative!
Please apply for your schools’ NFL membership and let the CDC know what the details of your public debates will be — you need to conduct two, one at each school separately, or in some way jointly — by the end of next week, November 19th: CDL@UrbanDebate.org, 312-427-0524.
Hyde Park and Mather, you will soon be receiving your incentive financial support of $500 per school. Let us know to whom your check should be made out.
We look forward to publicizing and observing interesting public debates on this important topic!