STaT e Cha Mpion
MeeT The CoaCh Brent AdAms, esq.
in or iGinal oraTory
Jair FrooM e ‘ 1 5
Brent Adams (english) had a long professional career as a lawyer, lobbyist, and chief financial and professional regulator for the state of Illinois before coming to Poly Prep. He was born in Louisiana and grew up in Oklahoma. He earned his B.A. and m.A. from northwestern University in Chicago and his J.d. from new York University. Adams practiced law for five years as a litigator with a large firm in Chicago. He also worked as a lobbyist with an AIds foundation and for Citizen Action, an advocacy group in Chicago. It was his role in writing a piece of Illinois state legislation on payday loan reform that brought about his transition to government and politics. In 2006, Adams became an attorney for Illinois’ department of Financial and Professional regulation. three years later, Illinois Governor Pat quinn appointed him secretary of the department. In coming to coach Poly’s debate and Forensics team in 2012, Adams said he was coming home to his first “passion,” the “speech and debate community.” He was very active on his high school and college debate teams and says returning to speech and debate was “like getting back on a bicycle.” He added, “It has been smooth and exhilarating.” “speech and debate are about learning how to craft ideas that are persuasive,” Adams said. “there is a pureness of motive in debate,” he added. “It is a pleasant reminder of why I loved it.”
Jair Froome ‘15 (pictured here with his mom, Dawn Froome).
T i M e l i n e : h i S T o ry o F p o ly D e B aT e a n D F o r e n S i C S T e a M December 1875 Poly’s debating society is organized by seven founding members. 1894 debate becomes an officially recognized school activity.
18
The Blue & The G ray
March 7, 1902 the debate team holds a Prize debate Contest with six students arguing an affirmative or negative speech and a rebuttal. the topic is, “should Our national Government subsidize Our merchant marines?”
December 1903 the debate team argues: “resolved: that the United states Government should own and control the railroads.”
1906–1907 the Poly Prep Literary and debating society meets every Friday at 2:45 Pm for one to one and a half hours. debaters earn percentages from the judge. Percentages are kept secret until the year’s end. Albert H. Boyd is first, followed by William H. Frank Jr., and Byron t. Browne.
1910 the championship of the Long Island Interscholastic debating League is decided by one debate. Poly is defeated while upholding the negative side on the topic: “resolved: that it would not be for the best interests of the United states for women to have an elective franchise equal to that now held by men.”