Baltimore Urban Debate League
Encyclopedia
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 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.
in collaboration with George Soros' Open Society Institute
. Only 8 high schools and 90 students participated in the first year. Since then the program has expanded to over 35 high schools, 21 middle schools, and numerous students across Baltimore City. Related Debate League programs have also been created across the US in response to the success of BUDL. The funding has also expanded to include Towson University
, Morgan State University
, and the Barkley Forum
. 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
.
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. The three divisions have the same timing conventions for debate rounds, the only exception being preparation time (novice get ten minutes, JV and varsity get five 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.
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.
. 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 Rosemary Steck, 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.
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.
Walbrook High School was the first high school in BUDL history to hold "top school" for an entire debate season (2002–2003). Baltimore City College became the second school to do so and has held the title consecutively for four years.
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.
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 2009-2010 season, BUDL Man has been passed down an estimated 100 times.
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".
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.
As of 2010, no further comics have been released.
B'More Debate was initially offered only to students in BUDL, but throughout the years has expanded to other students around the country. The camp is held during the summer months and lasts two weeks. The middle school camp is held after the high school camp and is a week long.
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.
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.
As of 2008, due to budgetary concerns, the scholarship has not been awarded.
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. 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.
to compete in the seventh International Education Association's Summer Debate Camp.
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.
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.
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, and was replaced by Shirley Cathorne. As a result, multiple fights, fires, one shooting, and overall disrupt of the school environment occurred. The debate team was featured prominently in news stories to highlight its successes at the school.
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 then mayor Martin O'Malley
made a commemorative public debate month during their annual fundraiser. 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.
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.
In March 2008, BUDL alumni Dayvon Love and Deven Cooper, became the first team of African-Americans to win the Cross Examination Debate Association
National Tournament.
In Spring 2010, the Baltimore City College
team of William Stokes and Nicholas Vail became the first BUDL team invited to the Tournament of Champions.
Urban debate league
An urban debate league is a group of high school policy debate teams from urban high schools in the United States. Usually, UDL's are located in large cities throughout the US, and work with predominantly minority students-Early years:...
, which is intended as an educational and mentorship
Mentorship
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
program for inner city middle school and high school students in Baltimore, Maryland.
The main focus of the organization is to teach students policy debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
. 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.
History
The league was started in 1999 by a grant from the Fund for Educational ExcellenceFund for Educational Excellence
The Fund for Educational Excellence is a non profit organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. The program's promary focus is to increase academic achievement with students apart of the Baltimore City Public School System by creating programs and writing grants by partnering with local...
in collaboration with George Soros' Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
. Only 8 high schools and 90 students participated in the first year. Since then the program has expanded to over 35 high schools, 21 middle schools, and numerous students across Baltimore City. Related Debate League programs have also been created across the US in response to the success of BUDL. The funding has also expanded to include Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
, Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, and the Barkley Forum
Barkley Forum
The Barkley Forum, named after Emory alumnus and former United States Vice-President Alben W. Barkley, is the intercollegiate debate and forensics organization at Emory University. Debate at Emory began in the 1830s...
. 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
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
.
High school
At the high school level, students debate according to policy debatePolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
guidelines. Each season one resolution is established by the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
and National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
The National Catholic Forensic League is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada...
. There are three divisions on the high school level: novice, junior varsity (JV), and varsity. The three divisions have the same timing conventions for debate rounds, the only exception being preparation time (novice get ten minutes, JV and varsity get five 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.
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.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.
Member schools
All high/middle schools that compete in year-round tournaments are a part 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. 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 CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. During the summer, BUDL pays for the travel of groups of debaters to go to debate camp
Debate camp
A debate camp or debate institute is a training workshop for high school and collegiate debaters. The camps exist so students may learn about the upcoming topic or "resolution". Usually these camps are held over the summer for weeks a time at different universities around the country between two...
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
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
chair, headed by debate coach Rosemary Steck, 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.
League champions
| 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 |
| 2008–2009 | Baltimore City College |
| 2009–2010 | Baltimore City College |
Walbrook High School was the first high school in BUDL history to hold "top school" for an entire debate season (2002–2003). Baltimore City College became the second school to do so and has held the title consecutively for four years.
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
Patterson Senior High (Baltimore, Maryland)
-Football:In 1993, Patterson, along with all the other Baltimore City public schools, left the Maryland Scholastic Association to join the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association . The move meant that Baltimore City Public Schools would be able to compete with the rest of the...
team in 1999 to promote sporting attitude, good teamwork, hard work, and other values learned through competition.
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
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
, who is a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
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 2009-2010 season, BUDL Man has been passed down an estimated 100 times.
Debate Komiks
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.
As of 2010, no further comics have been released.
Debate camps
BUDL offers two separate debate camps that operate on different dates in the summer months. Since 2000, BUDL offered "B'More Debate", formerly called the Towson International Debate Institute (TIDI), which is primarily for high school students. Since 2006, it has created a middle school debate camp of the same name which has a very similar format to the high school camp.B'More Debate was initially offered only to students in BUDL, but throughout the years has expanded to other students around the country. The camp is held during the summer months and lasts two weeks. The middle school camp is held after the high school camp and is a week long.
Countdown to College
Since 2002, BUDL has offered a college and SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
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.
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 PopperKarl Popper
Sir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
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.
As of 2008, due to budgetary concerns, the scholarship has not been awarded.
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 UniversityTowson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
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. 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.
Accomplishments
In 2001, three students that had competed in BUDL were able to, because of their achievements in the League, go to RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to compete in the seventh International Education Association's Summer Debate Camp.
BUDL received national media coverage on the news magazine 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. The segment featured debaters from Walbrook High School
Walbrook High School
Walbrook High School formerly Walbrook Senior High School Walbrook Uniform Services Academy , is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland.-Establishment:...
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.
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.
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, and was replaced by Shirley Cathorne. As a result, multiple fights, fires, one shooting, and overall disrupt of the school environment occurred. The debate team was featured prominently in news stories to highlight its successes at the school.
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 then mayor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
made a commemorative public debate month during their annual fundraiser. 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
Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the World.” The Inner Harbor is actually the end of the...
. 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.
In January 2007 the league was honored by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
with the "Coming Up Taller Award". The award recognizes outstanding arts and humanities programs around the country with a $10,000 grant.
In March 2008, BUDL alumni Dayvon Love and Deven Cooper, became the first team of African-Americans to win the Cross Examination Debate Association
Cross Examination Debate Association
The Cross Examination Debate Association is the largest intercollegiate policy debate association in the United States. Throughout the school year, CEDA sanctions over 60 tournaments throughout the nation, including an annual National Championship Tournament that brings together over 175...
National Tournament.
In Spring 2010, the Baltimore City College
Bancroft Literary Association and Carrollton-Wight Literary Society
The Bancroft Literary Association and the Carrollton-Wight Literary Society are two competing forensic societies at the Baltimore City College. Founded in 1876 and 1878 respectively, the Bancroft and Carrollton-Wight Societies are the oldest literary societies at a public high school in the...
team of William Stokes and Nicholas Vail became the first BUDL team invited to the Tournament of Champions.