Senior Advocates for Debate Programs
Phillip Hedayatnia '16 has formed Fight For Forensics in an effort to bring speech and debate to students who can't afford or don't have access to debate programs.
"Most debaters I see are from affluent homes and schools," notes Hedayatnia in a feature on cleveland.com. "Every student should have the opportunity for speech and debate. Everyone should have the same opportunity to be an effective communicator and a brilliant thinker."
In July, the Huffington Post ran an article about the decline of debate programs in U.S. high schools. In response, Hedayatnia launched a website that promises to compile facts to convince administrators to reverse cuts to forensics programs and encourage the creation of new forensics programs. The website will also connect speech and debate students with resources and video coaching opportunities to help build teams at schools.
"We want people to go to #FightForForensics and sign up," Hedayatnia told cleveland.com. "We want them to help us compile stats, like which schools are cutting forensics and where are they located. Then we can take this hard data to our government leaders so that these programs can't be cut."
An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
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