Perspectives

Biography

Alexander McCobin is a B.A. and M.A. candidate in Philosophy and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Alexander is the record holder for Pennsylvania for most number of TOC bids earned; he was a two-time TOC qualifier with bids from Wake Forest, Greenhill, Emory, Harvard, and Monticello (twice). Alexander reached elimination rounds at NFL and CFL Nationals, competed at the Victory Briefs and Chesapeake Bay Round Robins, and finished 3rd at the Pennsylvania State Tournament.

Alexander is the Founder and Executive Director of the nationally-recognized Students For Liberty. Previously, he was a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow; a law intern for Judge Ida K. Chen in the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania; and a Program Facilitator for the People to People program in Washington, D.C. He currently researches for Penn Law Professor Regina Austin and Penn Philosophy Professor James Ross. After graduation in May, 2008, Alexander will begin working at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. prior to pursuing his PhD in philosophy.

Why PDI?

"PDI was the origin of Perspectives and so will always hold a special place in my heart. Attending debate camp is crucial to the development of any debater's abilities as it provides a forum to constantly better oneself. Analogously, I believe that having a prominent debate camp in the Philadelphia area is crucial to the development of the region's debate circuit. PDI is an incredible institution that has afforded me the opportunity to work with some of the brightest, most enthusiastic students and faculty in the country. I look forward to PDI every year because I know I will be surrounded by amazing individuals for a full week and I get to see firsthand the dramatic transformations in people's debate skills and personal beliefs."

Biography

Lilly Deng is an A.B. candidate in History at Harvard University.

Lilly was a four-time national qualifier. She was the Top Speaker at Harvard, Hendrick-Hudson, and Monticello; the Champion of Monticello, Pennsbury, and PCFL; and was invited to the Stanford, Vassar, and Southwest Round Robins. Lilly broke at Yale, NFA, Princeton, Monticello, Manchester, Hendrick-Hudson, Lexington, CFL Nationals, and Harvard.

In Summer 2008, she will be joining OC&C Strategy Consultants, a premiere international consulting firm. Previously, she was an analyst in the Chief Financial Office at Merrill Lynch & Company, a Founding Partner of Smart Woman Securities, and Founder and Chair of the Interdependence Day Essay & Arts Contest. For her work on government, she was selected as 1 of 12 U.S. Delegates under General Wesley Clark to the 2005 NATO ATA Assembly in Estonia. For her volunteer work, she has received the President's Student Service Award, a Congressional Silver Medal, and was featured on the cover of Boston Globe Magazine.

Why PDI?

"PDI is the highlight of my year. The energy and laughter of the students and faculty is infectious, and its personally rewarding for me to see first hand how we are changing students' lives. Each year after the institute is over, we receive dozens of emails from students, parents, and coaches, about the phenomenal experience that they or their student had at camp. When I was a high school debater, there was no institute like PDI around. I'm immensely proud that of the institute we've created that meets the needs of so many students in giving everyone a fun and enriching experience."

Biography

Ali Huberlie is a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Urban Education. She is also a member of Penn's prestigious Civic Scholars program.

During her three-year national circuit debate career, Ali collected fourteen bids to the Tournament of Champions, fully qualifying to the tournament three times. In her senior year, she advanced to quarter-finals of the TOC; she was also the 5th speaker. Additionally, by the end of her senior year, Ali had championed the Harvard National Invitational, and the Vassar, Skyway, and Victory Briefs Sophomore Round Robins. Finally, she placed second at both the Greenhill and MBA Round Robins, and advanced to out-rounds at every single national circuit tournament she attended her junior and senior years.

In high school, she was recognized as a Coca-Cola Scholar with a $50,000 scholarship, a Granite Scholar, a National Merit Commended Scholar, and State of New Hampshire Scholar.

Why PDI?

" I keep coming back to PDI because it is the highlight of my summer every year. I love the staff, I love the students and, most of all, I love the atmosphere. To me, PDI is a second family."

Biography

Matt graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University, with a B.A. in Political Science. As a debater, Matthew was the Champion of the Harvard National Invitational, Lexington Winter Classic, and Big Bronx tournaments. He was also the runner-up at the 2004 CFL National Tournament and had a 15-1 outround record at TOC bid tournaments his senior year. Matthew was an assistant debate coach at Lexington High School for four years, where he helped several students qualify States, Nationals, and the TOC. Matthew was also successful in college parliamentary debate; by his second year of competition he was ranked 8th in the country and held a position on the executive board of the American Parliamentary Debate Association.

In high school, Matthew was an AP Scholar and a National Merit Scholar, as well as the recipient of the Dartmouth Book Award. He has taught at several other institutes, and this will be his second summer at PDI.

Why PDI?

"Debate has been a big part of the last eight years of my life. It has challenged me intellectually, furthered my academic abilities and surrounded me with a network of intelligent and insightful friends. I'm teaching at PDI because everyone on staff truly cares about the activity, and wants to make sure current students get as much out of it as possible."

Biography

Angela Zhu is a Presidential Honors Scholar at New York University, where she studies International Relations and Religious Studies. She also studied at the American University of Paris during the 2007 fall semester.

Angela debated for four years at Perkiomen Valley High School. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, she was the 2003 Southeastern Pennsylvania Debate League Champion, a national qualifier to CFL Nationals in 2004 and also an elimination round participant at the Pennsbury Debate Invitational in 2004 and 2005. In Public Forum Debate, Angela is a three-time NFL qualifier and two-time champion from the Valley Forge District. In 2004, she reached the elimination rounds at NFL Nationals and her team's overall performance record is nearly undefeated.

Angela has held various internships and jobs, including publications positions with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Roosevelt Institution's National Office, as well as research positions with the Center for American Progress, Professor Sanford Gordon of the Politics Department at New York University, Developing Radio Partners, and the Food Bank for New York City. In Paris, she was a legal assistant to Neal Kearney, Esq., and she currently works part-time for an immigration law office in downtown Manhattan.

On campus, Angela is actively involved as co-President of New York University's chapter of the Roosevelt Institution, the nation's first student think tank, and as a member of the competitive ballroom dance team. She speaks English, Mandarin, French, and Spanish.

In high school she was a member of the National Honor Society, and was a National Merit finalist who scored a 1600 on her SATs.

Why PDI?

"For me personally, debate was an activity that allowed me to use the full capacity of my mind in improving very practical skills. It requires logically constructed arguments, clear written and oral communication, and finding a way to persuade others to take your side. Compared to regurgitating textbook chapters to write essays and learning how to plug numbers into algebraic equations, debate challenged me to prove a point because I genuinely wanted to. It made being a dork fun."

Biography

Conor is a Ph.D. student studying formal logic, philosophy of mathematics and philosophy of science in the Logic and Computation program at Carnegie Mellon University.

As a debater, Conor qualified to both the Tournament of Champions and also NFL Nationals. He was the Top Speaker and Champion of the 2002 Princeton Invitational, was a Quarter-Finalist at the 2001 and 2002 Pennsylvania State Tournament (PHSSL), and earned three TOC bids at Wake Forest, the Minneapple, and Princeton during his senior year.

He graduated from Stanford University with dual degrees in mathematics and philosophy. At Stanford, Conor was awarded two Vice Provost For Undergraduate Education (VPUE) grants to study symbolic logic and won the D'Arpino prize as a freshman for best undergraduate philosophical essay.

Why PDI?

"I love working with students one-on-one. For me, the most rewarding experience as a teacher is witnessing a student's epiphany, when suddenly confusion disappears and everything just Òclicks.Ó Although I teach undergraduates year round at Carnegie Mellon University, PDI provides a unique opportunity to teach and work with students closely for a concentrated amount of time. It's simply an amazing experience to watch high school students as they begin to tackle pressing questions of social policy (e.g. the death penalty), as they discover new confidence in their ability to deliver a persuasive speech, and as they develop the logical skills to dissect arguments that they have never before encountered."

Biography

Mike Nicholas is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Mike graduated maxima cum laude from La Salle University with a degree in history.

As a debater, Mike participated in many forensics events, including Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Student Congress and Humorous Interpretation. Mike was a four-time qualifier to the Pennsylvania State Tournament, where he finished 3rd his senior year; a qualifier to the CFL National Tournament, where he was an Octo-Finalist; and a two-time qualifier to the NFL Grand National Tournament, where he finished 10th in Student Congress and 14th in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. From 2004-2007, Mike coached Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Student Congress at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, PA, and has helped students qualify to both national tournaments and the state finals.

While at La Salle, he was recognized as the most outstanding graduate from the History Department, and was a Stanley G. Bedford Scholar. Now in law school at William and Mary, he was selected for membership in the Moot Court Program, the National Trial Team, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team.

Why PDI?

"What you learn from debate is both obvious and subtle. You learn how to argue persuasively, write cogently and communicate effectively, but there is so much more. Debate teaches you how to handle stress and pressure, how to avoid being intimidated by the difficulty of challenges, and how to quickly assess situations and decide upon the appropriate course of action. No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, be it the rush of competition, the stress of a job interview or the simple argument with friends, the ability to think quickly, construct a logical and persuasive argument and communicate it in an intelligent manner will undoubtedly impress. Working at PDI gives me the chance to continue the fine tradition that is high school debate. Debate changed my life, and it is my sincere hope that in helping others find their love and their passion for argument they too may reap the many, wonderful, and life-long benefits of high school debate."

Biography

Josh Marshall is a senior in Brown University's MEME (Multimedia & Electronic Music Expeirments) Program. He is a candidate for graduation with honors this upcoming May.

Though all pertinent documentation will indicate Music to be his first and only love, he is known to philander about, cavorting with a variety of disciplines including Liberation/Black Theology, Critical Aesthetics, and Marxism(s).

Josh debated for 2.75 years at Lake Highland Preparatory School. He was blessed with success in a variety of regions, winning Wake Forest, closing out Crestian, three-way tying for first at the Chesapeake Bay Invitational, receiving top speaker awards at the Victory Briefs Tournament and Crestian, and bidding at tournaments like Greenhill. He amassed 5 bids his senior year, numerous speaker awards, and invitations to several robins.

Josh is this year's recipient of the MURIEL HASSENFELD MANN PREMIUM for excellence in music or music appreciation. He is also honored to comprise 1/6th of Metropolis.

Prior to PDI, Josh has been an LD instructor at the National Debate Forum, the National Speakers Forum, and the National Symposium for Debate.

Why PDI?

"I look forward to working at PDI this summer. I enjoy teaching debate and its correlative skill-set, and find in PDI a staff truly devoted not only to this educational end, but also to the creation and maintenance of a comfortable, supportive environment in which education is not task but "event."

Biography

Corey is a senior at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN. Next year, he will matriculate at the University of Pennsylvania as a member of the prestigious Huntsman Program.

Having competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate for four years, Corey has twice qualified to both the Tournament of Champions and NFL Nationals, where he reached elimination rounds in his junior year. Corey has reached elimination rounds at St. Marks, Glenbrooks, Ohio Valley, Emory, and Wake Forest, where he was the Champion as a junior and advanced to finals as a senior. Corey has participated in the Vassar, Voices, and Montgomery Bell Academy Robins.

Corey has also been recognized as an NFL All-American and a National Merit Finalist.

Why PDI?

"For me, debate has been more than simply an enjoyable weekend activity. Lincoln-Douglas debate has offered me an opportunity to immerse myself in politically relevant issues, allowed me to examine various assumptions we make, and has given me a unique group of friends. PDI encompasses all of these facets: it teaches and encourages the fundamentals of debate, yet PDI values and caters to debate's benefits that extend beyond actual competition and a few rounds every weekend."

Biography

Jon is a rising sophomore at Swarthmore College, where he is studying philosophy.

He was a top, nationally ranked debater from Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California. Jon was the Champion of the Stanford Invitational, Champion of College Preparatory School Invitational (CA), and finished second at Emory University's Barkley Forum. He was runner-up at the Berkeley and Victory Briefs Round Robins, and was invited to the Vassar, Harker, Bronx, and Georgetown Round Robins. Jon is a two-time qualifier to the Tournament of Champions and was the Top Seed in 2007. He finished with a Quarter-Finalist performance.

Jon was also recognized as an NFL All-American and a Commended National Merit Scholar.

Why PDI?

"Debaters are of a special breed. Whether it be their sharp critical thinking skills or the weird way in which they (sometimes) talk as though they're in a debate round even when they're not, there's something about them that stands out. When I think of all that debate has done for me personally (spurred my interest in philosophy, developed me as a person, forged so many of my friendships, gotten me a letter of recommendation from my former lab leader to the college I now attend), I realize that it's always a pleasure to help others become debaters too."

Biography

Alok is a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is studying philosophy and political science.

Alok Choksi competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate, Student Congress, and Extemporaneous Speaking events during high school at Battle Ground Academy, TN, where he was a top, nationally-ranked debater in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. He reached elimination rounds at Homewood, Saint James, Vestavia Hills, the Crestian, Wake Forest, Emory, and Lexington, and received bids to the Tournament of Champions at St. James and Wake Forest. At the NFL National Tournament during his junior and senior years, Alok finished with a Semi-Finalist performance in Student Congress and a Top 30 finish in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Alok graduated as salutatorian of his class and the recipient of the Harvard Book Award. He was also captain of the tennis team and played violin for the prestigious Nashville symphony.

Why PDI?

"I've been involved with Perspectives for one year, and it has undoubtedly been the most rewarding experience in my life. As a member of a team of individuals who aspire to spark academic curiosity in high-school students, I am excited to give other people the same opportunities I had in high school on my debate team. I am thrilled to join the Philadelphia Debate Institute's staff."

Biography

Lindsay is a senior at the Hockaday School in Dallas, TX. Next year, she will matriculate at Swarthmore College.

Lindsay is the co-president of her nationally-ranked debate team, and a three-time qualifier to the Tournament of Champions. She finished in the Top 16 at the TOC her sophomore and junior years. In her career, Lindsay had third place finishes at Emory University's Barkley Forum and the Minneapple and was twice a finalist at the Vassar Round Robin. Lindsay earned eight TOC career bids from prestigious tournaments including Greenhill, n Valley, Glenbrooks, Stanford, and Blake. She has participated in the Greenhill, Victory Briefs, Skyway, and Lone Star Round Robins. She was the Top Speaker at Valley, Blake, Skyway, Stanford, and Vassar and qualified to the Texas State Tournament for three years.

She has also been recognized as a National Merit Finalist, an Emory Book Award Recipient (for outstanding service and community building) and Cum Laude. She was a Senior Fellow at the 2007 PDI and returns as a faculty member this year.

Why PDI?

"PDI was the highlight of last yearÑI simply loved the cheery, bubbly attitude of both students and faculty, and the radiant love of learning is infectious! Debate has played such an enormous role in affecting my personality, my academic interests, and my presentation skills, so it's exciting for me to see the rapid progress of new debaters as they begin to discover their own voices and think about how those voices can be used after high school. PDI students are bright, creative, and persevering, making it my pleasure to work with them."

Biography

Stephanie is a senior at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, NJ, where she is captain of the debate team.

Stephanie has won the New Jersey State Debate Championship and reached elimination rounds at many major national tournaments, including Yale, Bronx, Lexington, and Hendrick-Hudson. During her junior year, she was the CFL National Champion runner-up. As a senior, she qualified to the TOC and won the University of Pennsylvania tournament and round robin, as well as the Princeton Classic. She also participated in the MBA and Bronx Round Robins. Stephanie was also a member of the U.S. National Debate Team.

She is the recipient of the New Jersey Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. She was a Senior Fellow at the 2007 PDI and returns as a faculty member this year.

Why PDI?

"The value of my experience as a Senior Fellow at PDI last year is unique to any other debate camps I have attended because of its small student-teacher ratio and true dedication to the educational value of debate. I am returning to PDI because of unparalleled commitment to learning displayed by all students I interacted with and because of the highly motivated staff that genuinely wants to give back to the debate community."

Biography

JP Gooderham is a rising senior at Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he is the Vice President of his forensics team.

As a junior in his first season on the national circuit, JP qualified to the prestigious Tournament of Champions by accumulating bids at the Ohio Valley Invitational hosted by the University of Kentucky, the Lexington High School Invitational, and the Harvard Invitational. Additionally, JP competed in elimination rounds at Wake Forest, Yale, the Meadows School, and Apple Valley. He also was invited to the University of Pennsylvania's Round Robin, where he reached the final round and led the field in ballots won.

During his freshman and sophomore years, JP also qualified to the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National. As a junior, JP qualified to the NFL National Championship in Las Vegas in two events, by winning the Pittsburgh qualifier in Lincoln Douglas and taking second place in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking. He also has qualified to the Pennsylvania state championship (PHSSL) three times, and reached quarterfinals his junior year.

Additionally, JP coaches Lincoln Douglas, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Public Forum debate at his high school.

JP was also a commended National Merit Scholar and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Why PDI?

After three years of avid participation in debate, I have truly come to appreciate the tremendous benefits of the activity. While developing debate skills is necessary for competitive success, even more important is the confidence one gains in speaking, writing, and arguing through debate. Because I understand that these skills and others transcend the activity and the weekend competitions, I was very excited when given the opportunity to participate in PDI. I firmly believe that PDI's staff and curriculum focus on improving these skills, which will stay with PDI's students for the rest of their lives.

Biography

Danielle is a rising senior at the Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas. She has been debating since freshman year, previously debating for Southlake Carroll High School.

Her sophomore year she reached outrounds at many of the national tournaments she attended and was a quarterfinalist at the Texas State Tournament. She qualified for NFL Nationals and was one of the top 25 competitors at the tournament. Her junior year she reached outrounds of almost all of the national tournament she has competed in including Grapevine, St. Marks, the Glenbrooks, Berkeley, and Emory University's Barkley Forum where she finished in third place. She attended several round robins including the Greenhill Round Robin, the Hockaday Lone Star Round Robin, and the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin where she placed third. At the Texas State Tournament she, again, was a quarterfinalist. She received 3 bids to the Tournament of Champions her junior year. As well as accumulating success on a national level, she did well at the local tournaments she attended, winning one of them and receiving speaker awards at all of them.

Danielle is a member of her school's acappella singing group and has consistently been on the High Honor Role.

Why PDI?

After hearing so much about this program, I can't wait to be a Senior Fellow at PDI this year. I think that the fact that PDI tries to instill in students a love of learning as well as love of debate is absolutely fantastic and it seems as though the program is able to create an atmosphere where close friendships are formed as well. Debate is one of my greatest passions and one of the most enriching activities I think a student can participate in. I'm very excited to introduce other students to this life-changing activity.

Biography

Nikita Lalwani is a rising senior at Scarsdale High School, where she is a member of her school's nationally-ranked debate team.

Nikita qualified to the Tournament of Champions as both a sophomore and as a junior. She has earned seven bids to the TOC from tournaments at Yale, Manchester, Hendrick Hudson, Lexington, and Harvard. Nikita is a two-time qualifier to the National Forensics League National Tournament, where as a sophomore, she reached the elimination rounds. She has also been invited to several round robins including the Vassar Round Robin, where she placed second in her pod , and the Lone Star Round Robin, where she was second speaker.

Nikita is a National Merit Scholar, Editor in Chief of her school newspaper, a member of Scarsdale High School's honor society, a member of the Honors Program at her music school.

Why PDI?

Debate has changed my life significantly in several ways: it has inspired my interest in politics and philosophy, improved the efficiency and quality of my schoolwork, catalyzed countless friendships, and provided me with many fun-filled (though tiring) weekends. I can't wait to work at PDI because I hope to help others realize the joys and benefits of learning debate as well.

Biography

Alex Koren is a rising senior at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, where he is the founder and student coach of the debate team.

This year, Alex won the Wake Forest National Earlybird and was last year's Voices of Philadelphia champion. He has reached elimination rounds at national tournaments including the Liberty Bell Classic, Manchester, Villiger, and Princeton. In addition, he has qualified to three different national tournaments (NFL, CFL and NCFCA) and the Pennsylvania state tournament. On the local circuit, Alex was the Pennsbury runner-up and a semi-finalist at the LaSalle Forum.

Alex is also a member of the National Honor Society and his school's mock trial team and drama club. This summer, in addition to PDI, Alex will be attending the PA Governor's School.

Why PDI?

I have attended PDI for the past two years. Each year provided an amazing, yet different experience. In my first year, I was completely new to debate. PDI provided guidance and instilled confidence, catapulting me into a successful novice year. In my second year, I wanted to enhance my skills and prepare for the Sept/Oct. topic at the varsity level. Again PDI provided excellent instructors and a supportive environment where I could test new case ideas. Both years I made permanent friends and gained invaluable skills. I now anxiously anticipate my third year at PDI as Senior Fellow and am ecstatic about the opportunity to help new debaters succeed, make friends, and have fun.