Sharing the Pot of Soup
Seven SVUDL students spent part of their summer at debate institutes this year, at Harvard University and the California National Debate Institute (CNDI) at UC Berkeley, an opportunity made possible by the generous support of Bryson Santaguida, Annie Pogue, and Jim Basile. Additionally, a student also qualified for an all expenses paid scholarship to attend the Women's Debate Institute in Ortonville, Michigan.
Prior to the experience, each student committed to giving at least 10 hours of their time to imparting what they learned to others upon their return. Alana Vu of Yerba Buena High School was particularly interested in the Women's Debate Institute and knew she would make a lot of new connections she could learn from, while building friendships along the way. She also wanted to improve her stamina in debate, since she hadn't debated a full three rounds in a tournament. "If I didn't share what I learned, it would be like getting a pot of soup and then not sharing it with the village,” she said.
Alondra Moreno Fernandez of Overfelt High School attended the Harvard Debate Sophomore Policy Lab. At Overfelt, she remembers feeling intimidated by upperclassmen who seemed to already know everything about Speech and Debate, and she dreaded the mandatory warm-ups and practice rounds. But she kept showing up, because the club had started to feel like a community she didn't want to lose. Now, after her summer experience, she's excited to bring what she learned back to her community, to help newcomers feel comfortable and to support any student who feels as intimidated by their peers as she once did.
Michelle Tran, Noah Tran, and Raniya Sherefa, all of KIPP San Jose Collegiate, spent two weeks together at the CNDI Public Forum program.
For Noah, the camp was a way to force himself out of his comfort zone. He knew the experience would help him build a range of social skills, including confidence in his own voice, and having a roommate for the first time would test his ability to connect with new people. He also hoped it would nudge him toward going out more, instead of staying home.
Michelle wanted to keep expanding her club. It started from zero, and she has helped catalyze its growth to 30 students. She's driven by the potential she sees in every person, and she wants to build a stronger foundation for the Speech and Debate students who will follow in her path.
Raniya wanted feedback on her speeches and was eager to sharpen her speaking skills. She's looking forward to sharing what she learned about revising speeches with teammates who are still finding their voice.
Greidys Sotelo, of Andrew P. Hill High School, spent three weeks at CNDI's Policy program. A bilingual debater, she wants to be a clear communicator in both Spanish and English, and to help others in her community. She's looking to collaborate more, meet new people, and share ideas.
Anastasia Kolesnikov of Summit Prep High School, also attended CNDI's three-week Policy program, where she hoped to develop a more profound understanding of public policy and how it impacts citizens. She finds a lot of joy in teaching, in helping the people around her grow within their own areas of expertise.
These summer experiences underscored how new skills are meant to be shared in order to expand impact across communities. Each student will bring what they learned back, mentoring the freshmen who feel the way Alondra once did, or the newcomers who remind Michelle of where her own club started. As Alana put it, nobody makes a pot of soup just to eat it alone.
