Thanks To You

THANKS TO YOU Programming Update

Minnesota Urban Debate League, a Program of Augsburg University August 2016 - November 2017 Photos Courtesy of Armand Hayes Photography 1

DEBATERS ARE SUPERHEROES We are incredibly excited about this year’s topic: K-12 Education Reform!

DIRECTOR'S LETTER

With Your Help, Debaters Can Save the World

It’s a topic our students and coaches live everyday. This year students will be tackling important issues, such as: STEM education, Early Childhood Education, and IDEA - with its implications for special education services and disability rights.

Our students’ powerfully voice their own experiences as they learn more deeply about the policies that affect their daily lives. This topic will make our students stronger education advocates for themselves and their communities.

Be a champion for their cause! Join us as we launch our monthly giving campaign: Advocates for Debate. Your gift will propel our amazing students from classrooms in Minneapolis and St. Paul to college, careers, and beyond. With your help we will achieve “Monthly Giving, Lifelong Learning” for our amazing debaters!

To learn more: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate

Amy Executive Director 2

#GTMD17

16 DAYS - 2 WAYS Give a one time gift or become a monthly donor with the MNUDL

GIVE TO THE MAX now runs from November 1st through November 16th

We’re doing Give to the Max Day with a twist this year by providing an option to become part of Advocates for Debate, our new monthly giving program!

Your November donation, whether a one-time gift or the first step to becoming a monthly donor, will provide the foundation for the lifelong learning debate develops.

GiveMN: bit.ly/givemnudl MNUDL: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate 3

DEBATE: JUDGING THE IMPACT

When you judge a debate round, the world hangs in the balance.

At least, that’s how debaters see it.

They know the consequences of their arguments are enormous–nuclear war or runaway climate change could result. They’re often arguing over issues with potentially world-shattering consequences.

In a perfect world, a debate round might resemble the decisionmaking process of the president when there are global consequences involved. His advisers argue for their plans, calling on evidence from every domain of knowledge. Once it’s been presented, the president (or the judge) must decide whose plan to follow.

No two rounds are ever the same: different

combinations of arguments and strategies interact and push the debaters to their limit every time. Scenarios can be grandiose, such as whether competition between the USA and China in space could lead to militarization and potentially a space war. As with the topic last year, examining US and China's foreign relations. Or they can be more practical, like when debaters discuss whether it is necessary for the USA and China to cooperate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Debaters get very invested in these scenarios, and in the arguments they make. You would too, if the fate of the world was at stake!

Debate Benefits All Students Detention, honors classes, hallways and sports fields–debaters come from everywhere inside our schools.

You don’t have to be valedictorian to be a champion debater. In fact, students struggling in school often get the most out debate.

And that’s not just our opinion–several peer

reviewed studies reach the same conclusion.

“Debaters were 3.1 times more likely to graduate from high school than nondebaters,” and “the difference was greatest in the highest risk group,” concludes a 2012 study in the Journal of Adolescence.

Debate keeps kids engaged with school-–it hooks them on learning, and gives them a reason to come to school every day. This same study notes that “Debate participation may be an effective tool for maintaining or increasing school engagement even among students most at risk of dropping out of high school.”

But students don’t have to be super-devoted to debate to get these results. Another study has found that “even students with low competitive success and limited participation in debate were still more likely to graduate from high school and reach college-readiness benchmarks on the ACT.” Debate meets students where they are and gets them where they want to go!

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BECOME A DEBATE JUDGE No Experience Necessary We’ll Show You How!

Our middle and high school debate rounds rely on talented and attentive volunteer judges to create a fun and engaging learning experience for students.

Judging is a great way for you to help young people learn and succeed. Become a volunteer judge.

Contact us: udlvolunteers@augsburg.edu | 612-330-1730 5

MELISSA HART GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND Thanksgiving: when we gather to eat turkey, watch football, and celebrate debate! That’s what the team from Battle Creek Middle School did last fall.

Their coach, Melissa Hart, invited the entire team to celebrate Thanksgiving and a successful year of debate. A teacher at Battle Creek, you can instantly tell from talking with her how dedicated Melissa Hart is to her students. The Thanksgiving party isn’t the only way she’s gone the extra mile–she also took her debaters to a ropes course to strengthen the team, and she maintains a secondary

profile on Facebook specifically for staying engaged with her students.

But two years ago, the Battle Creek team was in a very different place. They started to get together informally without any funding after Melissa realized that “we just had so many kids who liked to argue.” That was a very scrappy time for the team, when they had to get by on community education funds and volunteerism.

But Melissa kept things going despite the challenges. Starting a debate team was an opportunity “to reach out to kids who are not traditionally super successful.” Debate is not just for star students–the best debaters are usually students who talk back in class, and it “gives them a chance to see their strengths.”

In their second year, thanks to a grant from the

DEBATE BUILDS MEDIA LITERACY

McNeely Foundation, the Battle Creek team finally had a stable source of funding. That’s given Melissa solid footing as she works to build team spirit, which is crucial to making the debaters from the Battle Creek team effective at tournaments.

Obviously “it’s really important to have teamwork with your partner,” in order to win rounds. But Melissa stresses that it’s also important to have “the larger group behind you,” so that even if you lose a round, the team is there to pick you up.

“Liking your kids and liking all kinds of kids,” is what being a good coach takes in Melissa’s eyes. That way the students know that she is there for them. Building that bond “is just something the adult really has to like.”

That’s why she goes the extra mile.

“Debate gives students the skills to effectively understand, analyze, and question the messages they are bombarded with on a daily basis.”

(National Association for Media Literacy Education, 2016) 6

Photo By: Jonathunder (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]

MARIE STEBBINGS RISES TO THE CHALLENGE

Marie Stebbings is unstoppable.

Not just a Varsity debater at South High School, a commitment that students often compare to having an extra class, Marie is also a tireless advocate for student concerns.

Of course, those different roles come together easily for Marie. A senior in high school, Marie has straight black hair and an air of quiet determination. She speaks quickly –a common trait among long-time policy debaters– as if to address every aspect of a given topic.

The hot-button issues in the schools right now are a microcosm of the problems that we face as a society: diversity and mental health.

BETTER THAN FAKE NEWS

Students are pushing for a more diverse range of teachers to be hired, so that everyone can learn from someone who understands them.

They also want more support for mental health in schools, so that students can get the support they need to succeed. Marie is also coordinating an effort to reach out to suburban schools and organize a coalition that represents a broad range of interests.

So how does she do it? As a part of student government, she had the chance to meet with MPS Lobbyist Josh Downham and talk with him about these issues. She convinced him that they need to be addressed, so this spring Marie will take her advocacy skills to the Capitol in St. Paul to lobby for funding.

make a difference in her school and in her community. She says that in debate practice “we talk a lot about advocacy, and I’m seeing those skills come to light.” But all this is just the warmup: once she’s finished her education, Marie will have all the skills she needs to change the world.

Your donation helps create unstoppable students. Consider monthly giving to maximize your impact.

Make a gift today: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate

Using her debate skills to advocate for student needs is just one way that Marie works to

87.5% of MNUDL debaters analyze information better than their peers. (MPS Report, 2015-2016)

“While many of my peers are on Facebook, I am surfing Google News, searching for the newest article to help my arguments.” –Cole J., MNUDL debater 7

CELEBRATING SCHOLARS, HONORING COMMUNITY The Somali Debate Initiative: We took our existing debate model and put it in the hands of interested students and coaches who adapted it to fit topics that reflected community conversations.

In 2015, with the help of community and oncampus partners we began the Somali Debate Initiative, the first of its kind in the nation.

Through culturally specific topics and community involvement, the Somali Debate Initiative gives power directly to students.

They guide important discussions and become leaders and facilitators of debates in multiple areas of their lives.

The structure of debate allows learners to test new ideas in a space that encourages critical evaluation of complex issues from multiple perspectives. In these debates students will be the idea generators, creating their own equitable solutions to large issues, and learning how to apply this knowledge to issues involving their education and the health of their communities.

Opening these debates to a community audience allows an overall increase in the collective understanding of relevant topics.

While students may not be able to solve large community crises alone, through debate they become powerful change-agents and selfadvocates.

STUDENT HONORS Samia Abdalla (Roosevelt) & Jaweriya Hirsi (Sullivan) were awarded the 2017 “Mohamed Alabari Somali Debate Student of the Year” Awards

COACH HONORS Madar Mohamed (Sullivan) was awarded the 2017 Somali Debate “Coach of the Year” Award

COMMUNITY HONORS Ayaan Dahir & Filsan Ibrahim were awarded the 2017 “Somali Youth on the Move” Awards Your monthly gift sustains programming like the Somali Debate Initiative.

For more information on Advocates for Debate, our monthly giving program, visit our website: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate 8

SPANISH DEBATE LEAGUE Has Its Biggest Year Yet

More than 90 students attended 3 tournaments, hosted by South Saint Paul High School and Augsburg College.

That's almost twice as many students as last year! They had a blast and showed everyone how much they've learned about tackling complex issues and building community.

In every debate round students discussed the presence of socialism in Latin America, and engaged with a variety of different perspectives on the issue. The debates and evidence are all

en espaĂąol, and all sorts of students participate from native speakers to heritage language learners.

Many of these same students also debate in English at their high school or middle school.

We are so proud of their accomplishments, and hope to see the Spanish-language debate league continue to grow!

Are you fluent in Spanish and want to support student learning? Become a Spanish Debate League judge!

Contact: udlvolunteers@augsburg.edu for more information.

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ADVOCACY IS FOR EVERYONE empower new leaders, and create lasting change in our communities.

A growing camp, a fresh perspective, a new way to share the power of debate.

The Advocacy Unit will enter its third year and you can help debate skills leave the classroom and solve real world problems. The more voices we include in civil discourse, the stronger that discourse becomes. That’s why the MNUDL exists: to amplify student voices,

DON’T PANIC! DON’T QUIT!

In this week-long guided exploration students choose topics that are focused on issues that are important in their lives. Discussions range from police brutality and systemic racism to environmental justice and body image. Part of the mission of The Advocacy Unit is to engage with students who may have been overlooked or who might not self-select for a debate program.

Research, argumentation, and public speaking provide the building blocks for meaningful public advocacy and community change.

Students can challenge the status quo and demand a more equitable society.

Thanks to you, intelligent teens whose value had been dramatically underestimated and young people who believe in the power of change were recruited to participate. This is a space where they can explore their potential.

“Debaters have a heightened capacity to hang in and struggle often in the face of disappointment and defeat.”

(Fine, 1999)

Students came together from across the country and around the world to talk about the issues they faced, and to learn how debate strategies can help them make a difference.

The Advocacy Unit brings students together to build empathy across identities and communities.

The Advocacy Unit is still growing and it needs your support to expand in the next few years.

Help provide academic enrichment year-round with The Advocacy Unit by making a one time gift, and/or by joining our monthly giving community.

Learn more about The Advocacy Unit: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/mdaw/tau Plan your yearly gift: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate

“Debate has helped me adapt. Where someone else would panic, I can come up with a creative strategy and execute that strategy.”

–Ellen D., former MNUDL debater 10

SPONSOR SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS intern at Minneapolis law firm Gray Plant Mooty.

Junior student Amira Abukar earned a $1,000 stipend, tuition to debate camp, and work experience with Gray Plant Mooty’s MNUDL Summer Fellowship.

Countless courtroom drama fans tune in to TV shows like Law and Order every day to watch fascinating cases unfold and look inside the life of an attorney. Most only get the opportunity to see it in front of a screen.

One fan, Amira Abukar, junior student and debater at South High School, experienced the real deal as the 2017 Summer Fellowship

BEAT SUMMER AMNESIA

During the fellowship, Amira visited multiple court hearings, assisted in research with attorneys, met judges, and more. She never knew what to expect next in her jam-packed fellowship at Gray Plant Mooty. “Every hour of every day is different. I never knew as in intern I would ever be so involved in an adult work environment,” she explains.

The law firm was a welcoming environment for Amira. “Everyone wants you to be involved.

They want you to feel like you belong here and have a say in things. Everyone is communicating, working together and having fun,” she says.

The fellowship provides a unique opportunity to personally connect with legal professionals.

Many attorneys told Amira personal stories about how they entered the field, their most compelling cases, and what skills to develop in high school and college for success as an

Did you know? Most students lose about one month of reading skills over the summer. Debate keeps students engaged with learning year round.

attorney. “I thank the attorneys for taking time out of the day for me. They have a lot of clients and piles and piles of paperwork. Those 30 minutes or 2 hours they took to make sure I was involved really helped!”

Amira found that the research and organization skills she had already developed in debate created a successful internship experience.

Those skills could continue to support her success in the future – Amira says that she might want to pursue the field of law after learning more about it during this first hand experience!

The Gray Plant Moody Foundation and Dean Eyler, chair of MNUDL’s advisory board, made this summer fellowship possible.

Host a fellow at your organization– contact: Amy Cram Helwich, cramhe@augsburg.edu

Debate teaches you to find something you like and enjoy, learn about it, and keep learning about it. –Brandon B., former Washburn High School debater 11

TIANA BELLAMY IS MOVING UP IN THE WORLD “Yep: they got it!” That moment is the reason why Tiana Bellamy coaches. When a new idea clicks for the first time, you can see it on the student’s face.

When she’s not working with the debate team at Roosevelt High School, she’s exploring an Urban Studies major. “I went into coaching with the notion that it would be a lot more like a school setting,” Tiana said, since she has worked in education before. “But really more than anything I was just trying to make sure that kids have fun and get something out of it.”

This is just one of the benefits of the close relationship that grows between debaters and their coaches. Tiana debated for five years and this past year she was one of five MNUDL debaters who returned to coach. She’s a young woman of color with bleach-blonde hair speaking softly but with the confidence of a debater.

Being a coach and a student at the same time can be difficult and Tiana sometimes felt spread thin. “You want to give all your time to the students, and sometimes that’s just not really possible.” There can be a lot of pressure since “being accountable for someone’s learning is a huge responsibility.”

GROWING OUR OWN LEADERSHIP

But Tiana had a great time as a coach, and is planning to do it again next year. She wouldn’t want to miss the chance to continue learning and working alongside the students.

DEBATE BUILDS LEADERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY Urban debaters demonstrated significantly higher social conscience and civic commitment than their peers. (Anderson & Mezuk, 2015) “I’m not thinking about me or the people around me. I’m thinking globally, politically, economically…”

–MNUDL debater (MPS 2015-2016)

In the 2016-17 season we had five coaches who are MNUDL Alums, and most of them have returned this year! We prioritize gender, background and identity diversity as well as debate experience. Recruiting MNUDL Alums as coaching staff is the best way to stay mission-focused and achieve shared goals.

UDL Alumni Coaches seen from left: Kevis Hollins, Washington Technology; Jaime Snoddy, Patrick Henry; Tiana Bellamy, St. Paul Central; Ian Johnson, Como Park Sr.; Hanna Fekele, Highland Park Sr.

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JAMIE SNODDY IGNITES ENTHUSIASM Patrick Henry High School was abuzz at the debate team pizza party kick-

off. Community coach Jamie Snoddy led a debate game to get students

standing and speaking their minds By the end of the game, a spirited debate emerged on topics ranging from cat vs. dog superiority to climate change. Jamie sees her younger self in these students. She began her lifelong love affair with debate as a student competing for Patrick Henry High School.

“I remember walking through this exact same school and being just as excited. I just think, ‘I was you!’”

Jamie was thrilled to tackle the community coaching role. “Debate did so much for me and helped open my eyes,” Jamie says. “To be able to give that back to my high school and the kids is something that really motivated me to

become a community coach.”

This competitive season marks Jamie’s second year coaching at Patrick Henry High School.

Her enjoyment for coaching hasn’t come from the big moments.

Instead, she relishes every little moment when the debaters’ enthusiasm shines through.

“You see that you are helping them realize this passion you also have,” Jamie states. “My favorite moments are realizing these kids really like this, and knowing you helped them to like it.”

Although Jamie coaches after school, she spends most of her day as a linguistics major at the University of Minnesota and member of the policy debate team.

Jamie connects her college career with her experience in MNUDL. “Being in debate and being a linguistics major is linked with my love of the technicalities of language,” she states.

“Debate is very tactical in that sense. You have

to word things very particularly. You can have entire debates about it!”

After experiencing a year of coaching, Jamie has some advice for new coaches: “Being a coach is less about the teaching of debate and more about the scaffolding for your debaters.

A coach is somebody who is there for moral support. The kids are going to beat themselves up enough over losing debates. You need to be there to help them realize their strengths and capitalize on that.”

Jamie hopes her students will look back at their debate experience like she remembers her own: with a smile.

Your support helps coaches like Jamie guide their students to greater success.

Maximize your impact, give your gift beginning November 1st at our GiveMN page: bit.ly/givemnudl 13

DEBATE SHARPENS 21ST CENTURY SKILLS

Debate is one of the only out-ofschool-time activities that builds 21st Century Skills, identified by universities and employers as necessary for success in this era.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Debate increases critical thinking skills by an average of 44%. (Allen, Berkowitz, Hunt & Louden, 1999). “[Debate] helps me to question the world instead of assuming things are true because someone says they’re true.” –Sam M., Highland Park Sr. High School

Creativity and Innovation Debate rewards original ideas and thinking outside the box. Participation increases problem solving skills and creativity. (Bellon, 2000)

Communication Debaters have better analysis, delivery, and organization when communicating. (Corson, 1987) “I feel much more comfortable talking in front of people, and having people listen to my ideas.” –Dana S., South High School

Collaboration Debaters from different backgrounds collaborate with their partners, teammates, and coaches to have a successful season. “[Urban Debate League] students and teachers engaged in a rich dialogue across the chasms of difference” (Wade, 1998) 14

DEBATE DEVELOPS SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING Debate doesn’t just boost traditional outcomes for academic success. It also fosters social and emotional learning that helps students live their best lives inside and outside school.

Transforming Education defines core elements of social and emotional learning as the SEL Mindset, Essential Skills, and Habits (MESH), including growth mindset, self-management, self-esteem, and social awareness.

Debate fosters a growth mindset in students.

Students who have a growth mindset believe in their ability for selfimprovement through effort, perseverance and practice. “Debate fosters a growth mindset… among students as it emphasizes trying again in the next debate round… even if a student doesn’t “win” the first time around.” (Zorwick & Wade, 2016)

Debate enhances self-management skills.

Self-management skills help students regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. High school debaters say one of the top five benefits of debate is learning to handle stress. (Littlefield, 2001)

Debate develops self-esteem.

As self-esteem increases, student motivation rises and self-advocacy grows. MNUDL debaters test 39% higher in self-esteem than peers.

(MPS Report)

Debate expands social awareness.

Debate prepares students to face challenging ideas and take the perspective of others. “The best way that debate has sculpted me into a better citizen is the ability and openness to receive conflicting arguments and ideas” –Tyler M., South High School Your gift helps develop the skills, mindset, and habits of students across the academic spectrum.

Increase your impact year-round by giving a monthly or one-time gift: augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/donate/

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Minnesota Urban Debate League

2211 Riverside Ave, Campus Box 26, Minneapolis, MN 55454

augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague facebook.com/MNUDL twitter: @MNUrbanDebate

Because of you, debate empowers students and creates engaged citizens who give back to their communities.

Thank you.

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