The team at the Montgomery Bell Academy Speech and Debate building in Nashville, Tennessee.

This year, thanks to the generosity of the Julia Burke Foundation, the BAUDL sent three of its top teams to the National Debate Coaches Association year end championship tournament in Nashville, Tennessee where they competed against 77 other teams from all across the country. The BAUDL was represented by six of our most dedicated debaters from Fremont High,  Skyline High, and Cal Prep.

After a long fought 6 rounds over the period of two days, Fremont finished with three wins and three losses, while Cal Prep and Skyline both won 2 rounds each. They won rounds against some of the biggest names in the high school circuit, going toe-to-toe with the nation’s most prestigious private schools. The students represented BAUDL exceedingly well and proved once again that urban youth are smart, strong, and true advocates for their community.

Along with the high-intensity competition the team made time for a trip to the Grand Ole Opry and an engagement with southern culture at a local BBQ. Without a doubt, this was truly a tournament to remember!

Skyline teammates celebrate Gabe’s first place speaker award.

On March 16th Bay Area youth woke up at the crack of dawn to compete at the 2013 BAUDL March Madness tournament. This tournament was an opportunity for BAUDL debaters to express their voices and show off the skills they’ve gained throughout the year in preparation for the League Championship in April.

It was truly a sight to see so many Bay Area students preparing in between rounds, rushing from room to room, and speaking their minds on the most important issues of the day. Each debater fought hard to represent their school and the competition was extremely tight, with it all coming down to the wire at the end of the day.

In the Varsity Division Diego Garcia and Nicholas Ross from Fremont took first place by going undefeated throughout the tournament. However, Gabe Gangoso (pictured right) of Skyline High School snagged top speaker with powerful in-round performances.

Continue reading ‘Fierce Competition at BAUDL’s March Madness Tournament’

The Traveling Team celebrates together at the end of a hard fought tournament.

Last weekend, twenty-eight BAUDL debaters from seven different schools went head-to-head with some of the top debaters in the country at the Cal Invitational. Congratulations to every single BAUDL debater who made their voice heard loud and proud on this national stage.

Two teams from BAUDL went 3-3 in the Varsity division and deserve an extra congratulations: William Hampton-Bruce and Jason Auro; Christopher Marquez and Leonard Irving-Thomas. Also, at their first national tournament ever Maria Ramos and Alex Grubbs went 3-3 in the JV division and deserve special attention.

At Cal, the BAUDL traveling team proved they have what it takes to be the best and made clear the importance of their unique styles and stories. Congratulations again to all the Bay Area youth who debated for over 9 hours at Berkeley — BAUDL fight, BAUDL win!

Kimberly and Gloria Jaqueline Mejia, now freshmen at Yale University, graduated from Fremont High School in 2012. They were the first students to go to Yale University from Fremont High in over 25 years. “Kim” and “Jack,” as they were most commonly known in the Bay Area Urban Debate League (BAUDL), both debated on Fremont’s debate team for three years.

Kim and Jack gleam with plaques honoring their achievements at last year’s BAUDL Gala Dinner.

Jack and Kim share that the BAUDL showed them the reality of wealth and education disparities which greatly influenced them in what field of study they want to pursue in college: “Low-income people of color are underrepresented in politics and through my education I hope to change that,” said Jack. Jack hopes to major in Political Science while Kim is hoping to major in Sociology or Ethnicity, Race and Migration. Kim hopes that she may one day help alleviate the inequalities in low-income communities.

Continue reading ‘BAUDL Alumni Spotlight — Kim and Jack Mejia’

Greg speaking at the KQED Teacher Town Hall on the urban dropout crisis.

In his sophomore year, Greg Belvin asked us if he could keep debating even if he dropped out of high school. By his senior year he was one of the most celebrated debaters in the Bay Area; when he received his high school diploma he had a scholarship to debate in college.

The troubles started in middle school. He fell in with a group of friends that saw no place for their creativity in the crowded Oakland classrooms they were supposed to attend: “We were all smart-mouthed and quick-witted. We thought we had something to say, but they weren’t ready to hear us. They were trying to teach, but I always felt like I was on trial.”

Continue reading ‘BAUDL Alumni Spotlight — Greg Belvin’

On October 20th dozens of Bay Area youth came out to the UC Berkeley campus to compete in the 2012 BAUDL Season Opener. The tournament served as an opportunity for debaters to go head-to-head over this year’s topic for the first time and for many it was their first time in a debate round.

Needless to say, our debaters fiery speeches burned bright and the entire BAUDL community had a blast! Each round was fought hard and the competition was extremely stiff, with the first place trophies for some divisions coming down to the difference between mere speaker points.

Continue reading ’2012 BAUDL Season Opener Tournament: Huge Success!’

More than a hundred young people from more than a dozen urban schools will take over UC Berkeley campus on October 20. They will not be watching cartoons or sleeping in. They will wake up early and speak their minds on the most important issues of the day for eight hours straight, slinging research and rhetoric. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a volunteer, or a supporter, you are part of this community – join us and watch these amazing youth becoming the next generation of leaders right before our eyes.

Click here for more details and to RSVP.  Note: you might want to take BART – parking might be hard to find!

Come one, come all!

Wyllene graduated from Street Academy High School in 2011 and currently attends Berkeley City College and College of Alameda. She intends to transfer to Saint Mary’s College in the near future to study Sociology and Child Development, two subjects that BAUDL stimulated her interest in.

Wyllene celebrating her award at a BAUDL tournament.

Wyllene joined BAUDL during high school and immediately fell in love with debate. She felt like in a debate round she could concentrate all of her “thoughts, feelings, and passion” and positively channel them into powerful and persuasive arguments. Here she describes in her own words how debate changed her life: “I was able to experience the gratification of gaining confidence in my voice and myself, and this carried over to my everyday life.” Debate empowered her in a way that made her more open to trying new things that before she felt too self-conscious to do.

Wyllene has already started to shine this year as an Intern due to her ability to connect with students and get them excited about debate. Executive Director Dmitri Seals explains how he noticed this quality in action at the 2012 BAUDL debate camp, “Wyllene hit her lab at the summer institute like a ball of lightening. I was impressed and inspired by how much she cared for her students and how much she was able to get them energized.” Now as an Intern with BAUDL she hopes that she can “spread the joy and wonder of debate” to students that feel like they’ve lost their way in school or don’t fit in with groups, so that they, too, can find refuge in the BAUDL family.

Ennis Smith Jr. graduated from Ralph J Bunche Academy in 2012 and currently attends Laney Colleges Industrial Maintenance Program. There he learns about machinery and gains the technological skills necessary to achieve his goal of one day becoming a professional machinist and inventor.

Ennis speaking to the BAUDL family during a break at a tournament.

Ennis joined the debate team in high school and now describes the experience as life changing: “BAUDL pushed me academically to strive for excellence, filled my mind with an abundance of intelligence, and changed my perspective on life.” After his involvement as a powerful orator and passionate debater in high school, Ennis decided to coach and mentor at the BAUDL Summer Institute. Now he works as an Intern with BAUDL, which he describes as “one of the best educational organizations worldwide.”

Ennis believes that BAUDL continues to provide him the opportunity to achieve his goals in life because as an Intern he can “help students become the best they can be.” Program Director Perry Green describes how Ennis’ perspective and goals uniquely add to the BAUDL team, “He has an intense passion for social justice and a persistent drive to push our community forward in the right direction.” Ennis is devoted to helping students cultivate their voices, think critically through issues and situations, and fulfill their academic potential.

Juan Carlos Ramos graduated from Fremont High School in 2011 where he joined the debate team as a sophomore. He is currently attending school at Alameda City College and Berkeley City College. Although Juan is not quite sure what the future has in store for him, he does know that he wants to do “something awesome and fun.”

Juan speaking at the annual BAUDL Gala Dinner.

For Juan, being involved with BAUDL changed his entire attitude towards life in the best possible way. Debate provided a forum for him to express his ideas and work towards creating positive change: “Before becoming part of the BAUDL family I used to be really shy and unable to articulate my ideas.” That all changed when Juan joined BAUDL because debate armed him with the capacity to “stand up against anything” and BAUDL provided the perfect space for him to cultivate this power in a way that made him a stronger individual.

Juan has joined the BAUDL staff as an intern because he wants students to develop the ability to use their voices and articulate their ideas. Like most BAUDL Alumni, Juan’s words describe the importance of these skills best: “Using your voice wisely and efficiently serves as the best weapon.” He also wants to empower students and ensure their success so that they can effectively promote positive change in their own communities. Juan feels that this final point is best reflected in a quote from Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention this year, “‘When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity…you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.’”