NYC Debate League - Queens Summer Debate Institute
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Queens is one of the most diverse places on the planet. In turn, the debate programs of Queens are some of the
most successful in New York City in every diverse debate format! Indeed, the Queens Debate League is the
most diverse debate league in the NYC Debate League community. Whether policy debate, Lincoln Douglas
debate, public forum debate, public speaking – Queens schools and debaters lead nearly every one of our
citywide debate tournaments in our regular Queens Debate League and New York City Debate
League. Indeed, debate is growing the fastest in the borough of Queens which is amazing considering before
the New York City Urban Debate League was founded – there few if any competitive debate programs in all of
Queens. This is changing now!
The Queens Debate Institute (QDI) is located at Maspeth High School. Like our other debate institutes, QDI’s
greatest strengths are derived from the community. Our partnerships with local Queens colleges such as St.
John’s University which has one of the nation’s leading debate programs as well as other college debate teams
– bring some of the greatest debate instruction and coaching. QDI offers all forms of debate and is the perfect
place for debaters to jump start the upcoming debate season! So join us at QDI!
The Queens Debate Institute (QDI) provides a free summer debate camp for all our debaters. The Debate
Camp is staffed by New York’s top middle school and high school debate coaches, teachers, alumni and
debaters. Tracks are available for beginners as well as advanced debaters. Skills include public speaking, cross
examination, critical thinking, research, argumentative writing, public forum debate, and policy debate.
Subjects include the current policy debate resolution, philosophy, political science, critical theory, economics,
history, geography, international politics and more. Students will gain a competitive edge for the upcoming
debate season.
OUR LOCATION
Maspeth High School. We thank Maspeth High School for hosting!
DATES
High School Track: August 17th – 28th, 2015 (Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 1:00pm)
Middle School Track: August 17th – 28th, 2015 (Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 1:00pm)
SUMMER DEBATE TOURNAMENT AND AWARDS CEREMONY!
Our Summer Debate Institute ends with a complete Friday Tournament where all participants receive awards.
There will be a 3 round tournament from 9:00am-2:00pm with an Awards Ceremony. We also recognize
students for their incredible work throughout the summer. All debaters with outstanding attendance will
receive Certificates of Completion for the Summer Debate Academy. Individual Lab Leaders will also
recognize top students in each lab. The goal of the summer debate tournament is to replicate our regular
tournaments of the Queens Debate League and the New York City Debate League
Thanks so much for an excellent summer. I’ve learned so much about debate, about the skills required to win a
round, and as a result of that I can’t wait to exercise my new skills in a competition. The staff was wonderful
and engaging, and the food and prizes were an excellent bonus. Once again, thanks for making the first two
weeks of August so amazing.”
– Tammuz
Debate Camp Registration
Thanks to incredible supporters, our summer debate programs are free for Title I schools that are members of
the New York City Urban Debate League. If not a member of the NYC Debate League, we only charge the
meals and camp T-shirt which is $100. Our only goal is to make sure summer debate camp is accessible to all.
Debate Academy Faculty
Aubrey Semple
Aubrey Semple is the Program Director of the New York City Urban Debate League. Aubrey is also an
alumni of the NYCUDL and has been an award winning NYCUDL student debater, coach, volunteer, tabroom
director, and Director of our High School Summer Debate Institute. As Program Director, Aubrey is
responsible for all day to day programming, tournaments, outreach, summer camps and everything else to to
provide the best debate education opportunities for NYC youth and teachers! Aubrey was the former debate
coach at Brooklyn Technical High School and has been coaching for over seven years at various high schools
throughout New York City. Aubrey has coached several championship caliber policy debate teams including
New York State Debate Coaches Association (NYSDCA) State Champions in Novice (2014) and Junior
Varsity (2012) and Co-Champions in Varsity Policy Debate (2013). As a coach, his debaters qualified for
elimination rounds in nearly every national circuit tournament including Champions of the New York
Invitational at Bronx Science (2013), Quarterfinals at the Harvard Invitational (2013) and qualifying a team to
the Tournament of Champions (2014) at the University of Kentucky. Aubrey received his B.A. from City
University of New York in United States History with a concentration in American History and Urban Studies.
Erik Fogel
Mr. Fogel is League Director of the New York City Urban Debate League and coach of the Debate Team at the
Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice. His debaters have won top awards at every single debate
tournament in the Northeast including Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, NYC, Lexington, New Jersey, Washington
and everywhere else!. He coached the first New York City middle teams to win top awards at the National
Championships including Quarterfinalists, Semifinalists, and Second Place Top Speaker. Mr. Fogel received
his B.A.in Political Science & History from UC Berkeley, J.D. from UC Hastings College of Law, M.A. in
Education from Pace University, and is currently enrolled in Baruch College’s Masters in Public
Administration.
College Debate Lab Leaders
Debaters will be split into labs for individual training by the city’s top college debaters.
Varsity High School Debate Fellows
The Debate Academy will also be staffed by the top high school debaters from the top high school debate
teams in the city. These debaters have collectively won hundreds of trophies and championships since middle
school and even elementary school!
Guest Speakers
The Debate Academy will also feature Guest Speakers including the city’s top debate coaches and topic
experts on this year’s debate topic.