Please check the gmail account for updates on the Ukraine.  Interesting stuff!!!!!!!
Tournament is March 1st.
Meetings after school February 12th, 19th, and 26th.  Be sure to have a ride home at 4:15.
If you are not going to be at the meeting, please let Mrs. Burek know ASAP.

The debate for January 25th has be canceled due to the weather.
We will use the same topics for our next debate March 1st at Barkalow.

December 26, 2013

Middle school students excel at debate competition 

 The English-Speaking Union, in collaboration with Claremont McKenna College, sponsored the Garden State Debate League tournament for middle school students on Dec. 7 at Stone Bridge Middle School in Allentown.

Competing for trophies in the categories of Best Speaker, Top Team and Best Overall School were 86 students from Barkalow Middle School (Freehold Township), Bolger Middle School (Keansburg), the Hun School (Princeton), Mother Teresa Regional School (Atlantic Highlands), Our Lady of Sorrows (Hamilton), Rumson Country Day School (Rumson), Stone Bridge Middle School (Upper Freehold Regional School District), and the Wilberforce School (Princeton), according to a press release.

The 29 teams all posed well-researched arguments on both sides of these topics: the atomic bombing of Japan was justified; single sex schools are good for K-12 students; raising the minimum wage causes more harm than good; and surveillance measures by the U.S. government are warranted.

Stone Bridge earned the first place school trophy for most team wins with 15, and the Hun School earned second place with 12 wins. The Wilberforce School took home the tournament trophy for highest percentage of wins and Stone Bridge earned second place.

Students were also awarded individual speaker points for their debate performances.

The following students earned the top speaker award for their schools: Andrew Salm (Barkalow), Bernie Comey (Bolger), Michael Alonzo (Hun), Steven Claggit (Mother Teresa), Lauren Wright (Our Lady of Sorrows), Taylor Harrison (Rumson Country Day) Deven Kinney (Stone Bridge) and Andy D’Alessio (Wilberforce).

Nelson Lin, a first-time debater from the Barkalow Middle School, won the gavel for earning the most points for the entire tournament.

The Garden State Debate League is part of a national network of middle school debate programs established 10 years ago by Claremont McKenna College to integrate public speaking and debate into the school curriculum for young adolescents, according to the press release. Through middle school debate leagues, the English-Speaking Union promotes the art of public speaking and debate, and improves the state of civil discourse among the nation’s younger citizens.

Topics for January 25th at Mother Teresa in Atlantic Highlands......

Ukraine should join the European Union. 

Delay Obamacare.

Immunizations should not be mandated.

Walmart is good for society.

Upcoming important dates

Practice Wednesday, November 20th 
Mrs. Goldstein will be here to talk about the bombing of Japan.

No practice next week, November 27th.  It is a 1/2 day.  Go home and write openings and closings.

Practice Wednesday, December 4th
Be ready to run some mock debates with your team.  Bring your notes.

Extra practice-Friday December 6th
It is an early dismissal for you as parent-teacher conferences are scheduled.
Bring your lunch and eat in Mrs. Burek's room.
We will practice and then get the school set up for the tournament.
Get a ride home at 4:30. 

"Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed — and no republic can survive."  John F. Kennedy

No practice this Wednesday, November 6th.
Use the time off this week to write your arguments.
Think of reasons to support your arguments and find evidence to support your reasons.
Use these sites for help.

Heckling hints from school  The links don't work, but maybe you can find some good heckling sites.

Convincing Conclusions    This is for High school, but you could use some hints.

Clash points  Read your arguments with these points in mind to find clash.

Log into the gmail account. Talk to Mrs. Burek if you are having trouble getting into the account.  There are lots of links in each folder in the        December 7th debate folder.  Type your notes in your folder.

Topics for December 7th debate at Stone Bridge

The atomic bombing of Japan was justified.

Single sex schools are good for K-12 students.

Raising the minimum wage causes more harm than good.

Surveillance measures used by the US government are warranted.