NEWARK, NJ - One hundred ninety eight middle school students gathered early on Saturday morning on December 3, 2011, in the Science High School cafeteria for the first JUDL Middle School Tournament of the 2011-2012 season. The impressive turnout at this tournament opened the season for JUDL Middle School League strong, with students in the 4th- 8th grades grappling with the challenging topic of whether the "United States Federal Government should develop technology for Solar-Based Satellite Power" (SBSP).

After weeks of preparation and practice, students engaged in three 40 minute rounds, taking both sides of the topic and discussing the plethora effects of SBSP. Discussion centered around the topic included difficult political issues such as the importance of alternative energy on curbing global warming, the necessity of fiscal discipline for the US economy, as well as the history of space technology development. In two opposing teams comprising of two students each round, four middle school debaters and one adult judge transformed high school classrooms into their argumentative testing ground, showcasing their knowledge and critical thinking skills, coupled with powerful public speaking. Over 50 JUDL high school students and college students were also present at the tournament as judges, expanding their civic responsibility as a part of this socially responsible and academically powerful community.

The voices of the students prove debate to be a powerful activity not simply as an accelerated learning process, but also enabling students to find their voice while simultaneously exchanging ideas with their peers in a public forum. A cumulative of 150 debate rounds occurred this past Saturday, and many students took home trophies and medals. Out of the 43 Experienced teams, Paolo Palaguachi and Kenia Ruiz from Ann Steet Elementary School took the title of First Place Beginner Team. Of the 56 Beginner teams, Gonzalo Saavedra and Adrian Abeijon from the Lafayette Street Elementary School took the honors of First Place BeginnerTeam. Mount Vernon Elementary swept up both Top Speaker Awards, with Gabriel Haris and Saher Khan in the Beginner and Experienced divisions respectively.

The JUDL would like to congratulate all students who won awards and recognition this past weekend, and to commend all the participants for their hard work and determination. The JUDL would also like to extend our deepest appreciation to all coaches, judges, and parents who have dedicated their time, support, and energy in making this tournament successful. Lastly we wish to extend our warmest thanks to Science High School for hosting us this weekend.

We look forward to seeing you at our next tournament on December 17, 2011 at Westside High School!

First JUDL Middle School Tournament Success!

First JUDL Middle School Tournament
Success!