{"id":13688,"date":"2015-05-01T16:01:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-01T20:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=13688"},"modified":"2015-05-05T10:44:43","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T14:44:43","slug":"scholarship-debate-tournament-brings-local-high-school-students-to-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2015\/05\/scholarship-debate-tournament-brings-local-high-school-students-to-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Scholarship debate tournament brings local high school students to campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ayanna Fletcher\u2019s most memorable moment in a scholarship debate tournament hosted by UTC came when she won the Robert Fisher Spirit Award.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t expecting it and she was \u201cvery surprised\u201d to hear her name called.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the time that I had to debate, I learned how to speak in front of people. That was one of my greatest fears. I also learned how to gather all of my thoughts and say them in an intelligent and nice way because when I debate something I have a tendency to come off the wrong way,\u201d explained Fletcher.<\/p>\n

Forty students from the debate teams of The Howard School and Brainerd High School came to campus\u2014sixteen participated in the afternoon parliamentary debate rounds where they competed for scholarships.\u00a0Students engaged in two qualifying rounds before the final debate.<\/p>\n

Christian Sinclair, a junior at Brainerd High School and a member of the winning parliamentary team, said he learned how to interact with others.\u00a0 Sinclair enjoyed seeing classmates cheer for the team and receive awards.\u00a0 \u201cWinning means I have done my best and have good results,\u201d said Sinclair.<\/p>\n

The tournament was made possible by The Links, the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts (SCEA), the UTC Chancellor\u2019s Multicultural Advisory Council, and sponsored in part by The UTC Theatre Co. and the Office of Equity and Diversity.<\/p>\n

The partnership was cultivated by Dr. Joyce Hardaway, who serves on the UTC Chancellor\u2019s Multicultural Advisory Council. She also works with The LINKS, an international organization of more than 12,000 women dedicated to improving the quality of life for others through educational, cultural, and civic activities which has programs at both Brainerd High School and The Howard School.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe students are engaged, focused, and most importantly they are challenging themselves and their peers to be better and smarter individuals than they were yesterday. That\u2019s what the education system is supposed to do, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial that we continue to provide these outlets for students,\u201d said Hardaway.<\/p>\n

SCEA is an outreach organization of UTC\u2019s College of Arts and Sciences that strengthens arts teaching and deepens learning through experiential learning opportunities. SCEA staff have worked with the students each week in preparation for the tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrograms like debate help students cultivate important real world skills,\u201d said Laurie Melnik, interim SCEA director.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bryan Samuel, Director of Equity and Diversity at UTC, played a pivotal role in\u00a0securing scholarships.\u00a0 They were awarded to:<\/p>\n