Afterschool Awards
At the 2008 Voices of Philadelphia Debate Tournament, Perspectives honored several individuals with afterschool awards. These awards are the highest honor in Perspectives and will be giving out annually at the Voices of Philadelphia Debate Tournament. The 2008 Recipients were:
School of the Year: Franklin Towne Charter School
The School of the Year Award is the highest honor in Perspectives, designed to honor the school that has achieved excellence in all areas: dedicated students, helpful volunteers, passionate coaches, and supportive administrations. Franklin Towne Charter School has consistently had the most students at practices and the most students attending debate tournaments. In addition, they raised hundreds of dollars to attend that Harvard National Invitational. The School of the Year Award should be the ultimate aspiration of all participating schools. Congratulations to Franklin Towne Charter School!
Student of the Year: Subee Jacob
Sophomore Subee Jacob of Parkway Center City High School received the Student of the Year Award. This award honors the student who has the "fire in their belly" to dream bigger, achieve higher, and learn more. The Student of the Year is the student who attends every practice and thirsts for knowledge and greater exposure to debate. Subee has never missed an opportunity to debate. He has attended every Saturday Seminar, every afterschool practice, every tournament offered, and the Winter Debate Institute. Congratulations, Subee!
Coach of the Year: Lauren Geschel
Congratulations to Lauren Geschel, coach of Franklin Towne Charter School, who was honored as the Coach of the Year. The Coach of the Year Award honors the most dedicated coach who goes above and beyond the call of duty. Lauren has helped Franklin Towne join four debate leagues to provide maximum exposure for her students. In addition, she gives up most of her weekends to drive students to tournaments and help those in need. In addition to the traveling trophy, Lauren also received a $100 cash award.
Principal of the Year: Dr. Thomas Davidson
Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Davidson of Constitution High School, the Principal of the Year. This award commends the principal who has provided the most administrative support for a debate program and believes in the power of debate to change lives. Dr. Davidson has supported the program at his school with three teachers to coach the debate team to oversee the program and aid students. Dr. Davidson truly puts debate first!
Volunteer of the Year: Evan Medina
Congratulations to Evan Medina, Volunteer of the Year! The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes the volunteer who has the most unrelenting determination to help students benefit from debate and succeed in competition. Evan, a college freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, launched Perspectives' newest debate program at the World Communications Charter School. Congratulations, Evan!
Rising Star Coaches
The three rising star coaches are all first-year coaches who have thrown themselves into the world of debate. These coaches consistently encourage and inspire their students, and always seek debating opportunities for them. Most importantly, these coaches are always there to provide support for their students at tournaments. Perspectives expects great things out of these coaches next year. These coaches are: Paul Perry, Shaw Middle School, Bart Poindexter, Paul Robeson High School, and Maria Fitzgerald, Bodine High School (pictures in order)
Outstanding Senior Awards
The Outstanding Senior Award honors those seniors who have truly gone above and beyond in their participation in debate, either by excelling at tournaments, expertly applying debate to their college applications, or helping out teammates. In 2008, the Outstanding Seniors were Yong Lin Lee, Franklin Towne Charter High School, who not only placed 3rd at the Voices of Philadelphia, but also will attend the University of Pennsylvania for college, and Eddie Amador, Franklin Towne Charter High School, the 2008 Voices of Philadelphia Champion, who will matriculate at Temple University