2023-2024
Cindy Owyoung, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at BILL, opened the exciting event by sharing how BILL has made a tremendous commitment to DEI across its more than 2000 employees in California, Texas, and Utah. She described how proud BILL is to partner with SVUDL on this event.
SVUDL enables students to uncover and hone the power of their voices so that they can confidently step into their full potential as professional and community leaders: Anderson Ortiz is an excellent example of this. Not only is he a senior at Oxford Day Academy in East Palo Alto, but he has earned a spot in the coveted Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula for the Youth of the Year finals, securing a spot in the nationals in Sacramento!
From the start, diversity has always been in HP’s source code —from hiring the first known Asian-American engineer in Silicon Valley history in 1946 to expanding the way the company hired by recruiting talent in the 1960’s. Every employee at every level plays a part at HP in weaving diversity, equity, and inclusion into the fabric of the company. HP’s Senior Legal Counsel Usha Narayanan is no exception. She currently works with HP worldwide legal volunteerism as a liaison with many different volunteer organizations.
The election is over! The National Policy Debate Topic election, that is – keep reading to find out how this topic won … and which topic came in as the runner up. You can also learn about how you can help our students prepare for a topic that is a natural fit for Silicon Valley.
With access to new opportunities through SVUDL, students open a world of possibility for themselves. By building essential skills, they're empowered to make an immediate impact in their own lives. Their involvement with SVUDL becomes a pivotal point, elevating the trajectory of their futures. SVUDL student Addis Arciniega is a prime example of this journey. Twice before at major inflection points in her life, we spoke with her. First, we connected during the pandemic to uncover how she found community in that period in history. Second, we chatted with her to drill down into how debate prepared her for change. Now, we check in with her as she continues to make an impact in the community as SVUDL’s new Program Coordinator and Coach. Addis is fulfilling this role while also a full time student at De Anza College.
This quote is from Savana Gonzalez, a senior at Latino College Preparatory Academy. In this article, she shares how SVUDL propelled her to speak up about issues so that young people's perspectives are also heard. Learn how she plans to carry the voice she has uncovered and honed into the future.
Nicholas Carrubba, a senior at Summit Everest High School in Redwood City, won the Impromptu Speech division this past Saturday at our annual Dolores Huerta Tournament. This is no small feat as Nicholas joined SVUDL in 2021.
I RESOLVE is a public debate presented by The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) and the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL). This event brings together high school debaters, distinguished civic and community leaders, school leaders, and supporters of debate for a public debate series that showcases the power of debate for a public audience, exploring some of the most pressing issues in our society through the perspective, voice and values of the next generation of leaders — high school debaters.
As a Partner and trial lawyer at Robins Kaplan LLP, Li Zhu has spent more than a decade litigating bet-the-company cases for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and Silicon Valley startups. But his path to this prominent career role didn’t come easily. As a first-generation immigrant, he truly understands the obstacles that must be overcome. This is part of why he is also a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the legal profession.
By preparing diverse, skilled leaders right now, SVUDL is ensuring a future where broader perspectives are reflected and represented at the highest levels of government and industry. Because they’re equipped with empathy and understanding, those future leaders will be able to unite people from all sides with respectful discussion. Part of that organizational core effort includes the SVUDL Legal Advisory Committee, and we are excited to welcome our newest member, attorney Jennifer Kim, currently an Associate in the Litigation Department of Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP.
“Even though I no longer debate, I find myself going back to my roots more often than not. As I wait for office hours at Stanford University, I still pace the halls listening to my favorite song. And just like in high school, I always push forward, holding my head high even when I am afraid. Despite the fear racing through me, I know that I am ready. I enter the room and sit down,” describes SVUDL alum and current Stanford University sophomore Kastella Nguyen during her speech at Words To The Wise 2023.
“One of my family’s favorite pastimes is to argue about current affairs and I always enjoyed it, especially when I won an argument. I joined my high school debate team because I thought it was a natural fit for me. I also knew at a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer and thought being on the debate team would help build the necessary skills. I discovered, however, that being on the debate team provided so much more than I could have imagined,” recalled Neysa Fligor, HP’s Division Counsel of Gaming, PC Consumer and Peripherals Business. “Debate allowed me to learn and converse about different topics, form deep friendships with my teammates and advisors, and think quickly on my feet.”
Words to the Wise 2023 is on the horizon, and this week we shine the spotlight on our generous Platinum sponsor, Intermedia Cloud Communications.
Matt Abrahams has built his career around precisely this concept: helping thousands of people who want to hone and develop their speaking to harness the power of their voice and message. Working on building the ability to think fast and talk smart can positively impact every area of one’s personal and professional life.
Ryan Nguyen and Vu Quang had the exceptional opportunity to attend a three week California National Debate Institute (CDNI) held at UC Berkeley this summer.
From August 14th - August 18th, SVUDL staff Dr. Robert Burns (Director of Programming) and Rachel Zubrin (Program Specialist) flew to the glorious city of Boston to learn from experts in the field of Debate Centered Instruction (DCI). They were welcomed by the Boston Debate League, who hosted this amazing opportunity in the form of a week-long professional development session. A glorious friendship was forged between the two leagues, and together they will continue to fight for the right to debate inside the classroom!
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. SVUDL’s newest board member Carrie Williamson understands this first hand. She grew up in a small, rural town in Ohio and benefited immensely from two professors who changed her life in college by mentoring her and teaching her about critical thinking and public speaking. She is committed to similarly helping mentor students and developing opportunities so they can find career paths that they might not have known about otherwise.
On Wednesday, July 26th, a crowd of 13 SVUDL students and alum gathered by the freshly trimmed grounds of Stanford Oval, eagerly anticipating a rare opportunity to glance into the world of higher education at Stanford University. They were soon greeted by their tour guide, SVUDL Board member and Stanford Lecturer Matt Abrahams, who proceeded to take the curious and excited crew on a walking journey through all that Stanford has to offer.
As the warm summer days drew to a close, the excitement of the upcoming debate season filled the air. To bid farewell to the season and embrace the new one, we organized a delightful BBQ, an event that not only celebrated but also strengthened our close-knit SVUDL community. Bringing together a diverse gathering of over twenty people, including students, family members, and dedicated staff, the event exuded a sense of camaraderie and unity. Underneath the clear skies, we officially welcomed everyone back for the highly anticipated 2023-24 Speech and Debate Season.
On Thursday, July 20th, SVUDL students, alum, and staff met with lawyers and summer law associates at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Menlo Park for an annual gathering and an Interview Skills Workshop.
Working with SVUDL as an Operations Intern has been an overwhelmingly positive experience! I never used to be interested in Speech and Debate. The school system would shove outdated American History politics for us to occasionally debate about, which did not strike any interest to me. Because of this, I figured it wasn’t my thing. However, the older I became, the more I realized how there are countless horrible systems in our current society. It’s important to support the underprivileged (especially people of color), help them tap into something that they weren’t previously exposed to, and help them develop and amplify their voice. Students are our future leaders, and it’s important to provide them with the resources they need to thrive.
On Wednesday, June 28th, SVUDL students, honorable court judges, lawyers, and other SVUDL champions gathered at DLA Piper for SVUDL’s 2023 Moot Court Competition.
As the competitive Speech and Debate season wound down last month, many SVUDL students shifted to our annual Moot Court competition. Moot Court is a unique, educational event where high school students prepare and argue a case before a panel of real federal and state court judges who evaluate the students on the quality and persuasiveness of their presentation, as well as their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench.
2022-2023
Summer for Teague Clark, a rising junior at Skidmore College, means a chance to explore and grow as SVUDL’s summer intern. Teague will be collaborating with Jenet (Net) Manuel, SVUDL’s Administrative and Operations Manager.
SVUDL alum Sofia Funk is a SVUDL Fellow this summer, working remotely in Providence, Rhode Island as she continues to take classes at Brown University. She has a fair amount of autonomy to decide her path as she tackles tasks and projects for the SVUDL team. Her main projects involve debate curriculum development for Teacher Coaches, researching and compiling topic and teaching resources, and compiling the SVUDL tournament calendar for next year.
Najma Ali, as SVUDL alum, and now coach for students at Andrew Hill and Latino College Preparatory Academy, and Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy for the 2022-23 school year, remembers well her own time as a SVUDL student. Some of these memories are fun and joyful.
Debate Centered Instruction engages students and teaches them to craft claims, evaluate evidence, and reflect on reasoning with greater rigor. On June 6-8, Dr. Burns and the Program team led a 3-day professional development (PD) seminar with 26 East Side Union High School District teachers from 14 different schools. The seminar, entitled Igniting Minds, Amplifying Voices: Harnessing the Power of Debate Centered Instruction, focused on integrating debate-inspired activities into every subject area and classroom.
SVUDL extends a hearty congratulations to Kwodwo Moore, Senior Program Specialist, on his award from Cal State East Bay and the Alumni Association as the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award, Class of 2023.
Over the course of the past three months, SVUDL staff presented a series of three 80-minute professional development sessions to twenty Silver Creek teachers from every subject area - Math, Science, English, History, and even Physical Education! Topics covered included, “Increasing Student Engagement and Voice: A Debate-Centered Approach,” “Building Student Reasoning: A Debate-Centered Approach,” and “Speech and Debate-Centered Activities in STEM Classrooms.”
Bryson Santaguida grew up in El Paso, Texas, where he competed in Policy debate and Extemporaneous speaking at Irvin High School. “I also played sports, but was better at debate,” recalls Bryson.
SVUDL student and Summit Everest High School senior Julian “JJ” Christensen recently had his 15 minutes of fame. KRON’s Live! In the Bay is the Bay Area's newest lifestyle show, and features local news, people, and places. The show is designed for conversations about community impact and content as diverse as the Bay Area itself. KRON covers an area that spans 12 counties with a diverse population. This totals 1,000,000 Greater Bay Area households a week!
Before joining SVUDL, the issues that East Palo Alto’s Eastside College Preparatory School senior and SVUDL student Stephany Urbina-Diaz were curious about were limited to those that existed around her personal bubble of reality.
Eight SVUDL Students from 5 different schools had the opportunity to work with professionals from the Berkeley Law School’s Alumni Association in preparation for their mock Pre Trial motions in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties! The students worked in small groups with the Berkeley alums, including both lawyers and a judge, sharing their opening statements and fielding practice questions meant to help them focus their arguments and get into the mindset necessary to be at their best.
Jessica Lew-Munoz is in her fourth year as a high school math teacher at Downtown College Prep (DCP) El Primero High School in San Jose.
The North American Debate Circuit (NADC) is an online tournament circuit dedicated to creating a prestigious online community while removing financial and transportation barriers to accessibility. The NADC offers standardized, monthly tournaments to grow skills quickly and visibly and allows all entries to compete: school-affiliated, club-affiliated, and hybrid. Each tournament features a cash prize pool, as well as virtual badges for debaters’ profiles.
From April 15th-17th, top debaters across the country traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to compete to become the national victors of the annual Tournament of Champions (TOC). The TOC is the premier invitational debate championship in the United States.
East Palo Alto’s Eastside College Preparatory School senior Jocelyn Guzman credits her experience in Speech and Debate with learning the importance of hearing both sides of a story and how to think critically about current issues that connect to our communities.
“The first of September in 2020 marks a day I will forever be grateful for. Staring at my Zoom screen filled with minuscule faces, my nervousness left me gripping the edge of my seat. As a shy freshman, I blindly ventured on a journey I would soon grow to love. I even recall reciting my introduction over and over: ‘Hi! I’m Neha Parthasarathi and I joined Speech & Debate to learn how to argue,’ was my line,” said Neha.