Icahn’s Debate League dominates at City Championships
Icahn 6 fi rst place sweeps Beginner Division.
Photo courtesy of Icahn Charter School
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 7-13, 2019 67
The Icahn Charter School,
Speech & Debate League
teams dominated the win category
at the American Debate
Middle School League tournaments
during this year’s
2018 – 2019 debate season. The
wins were so many that they
qualifi ed to compete in the
American Debate League City
Championships that were held
on May 18. This event, sponsored
by Senator John Liu,
brings teams together from
the city’s best private and public
schools, some teams from
Long Island and New Jersey
were also permitted to participate.
It did not come as a
surprise that the Icahn teams
were even more successful at
the citywide championship.
The Icahn Speech & Debate
League competed against
more than 60 speakers and 25
teams to win by coming in either
1st, 2nd, or 3rd place eight
times in various divisions. In
the end, the Icahn Speaker
& Debate League dominated
in two divisions. They won
the prestigious school sweepstakes
awards, top speakers,
and top teams in both divisions.
Since the beginning of the
school year, the Icahn teams
have debated in-house and at
tournaments on topics such
as:
1. Gun Control: The United
States should require universal
background checks for all
gun sales and transfer of ownership
(Winter Tournament)
2. Immigration: The United
States federal government
should increase immigration
to promote greater US economic
growth (Spring Tournament)
3. Marking-rate housing:
The United States should
promote the development of
market-rate housing in urban
neighborhoods (Citywide
Championship)
Along with Icahn Charter
School 3 winning 1st place in
the School Sweepstakes Award
Novice Division, Icahn 6 won
1st place in the School Sweepstakes
Award Beginner Division
Icahn 1 was a 1st place
winner in the Novice Division
Speaker Awards, and Icahn
2 won 1st place in the Novice
Division Team Awards. Additionally,
all of these schools,
including Icahn 5, had other
teams or speakers awarded
2nd & 3rd place in various divisions.
Superintendent Jeff Litt
was elated but not surprised
at the successes of the Icahn
students in the tournament.
He commented on how proud
we all are of our teams’ preparedness,
effort, talent, and
competitive spirit. The Icahn
students once again demonstrate
to our community and
All nay sayer’s, “Yes we can,
and yes we did.”
“The success of the Icahn
3 Teams can be traced back to
the students making a commitment
and putting in the extra
time and effort needed to win
at a Citywide Tournament.
That coupled with exemplary
support from their coach,
teachers, and the Agape Leaders
Institute became a formula
for extraordinary student outcomes,”
according to Icahn 3’s
principal Marcy Glattstein.
Heras-Campos, the head
coach and school counselor of
the Icahn 3 teams, shared that
some of the students were chosen
because they had an interest
in debate. Others were
chosen because of their ability
to be outspoken at times.
And, yet others needed to be
persuaded because though
they were bright, they were
extremely timid and shy. All
of them, as a result of the debate
experience, have evolved
into insatiable learners, confi -
dent, poised, articulate public
speakers ready to apply these
skills to the real world.
Icahn 2 principal Brenda
Carrasquillo believes that the
participating debate team students
have mastered the ability
to think quickly on their
feet, delve deeply into a topic
and write a well-written essay
and believes they are destined
to become future policymakers
and leaders as a result.
Desjana Celaj, a 7th-grade
student at Icahn 3, joined the
debate team in the 6th grade
as a bright but introverted and
shy student. Several months
into the debate team experience
she adamantly wanted
to drop the team. In fact, her
Mom, at some point supported
her desire to quit. Encouraged
by Campos to make her fi nish
her commitment to the team,
Desjana and her team went on
to win fi rst place in the spring
tournament.
It was former President
Obama who stated in a speech,
“You might not know that you
could be a next president or a
Supreme Court justice until
you join your school’s debate
Icahn 3 fi rst place sweeps Novice Division.Photo courtesy of Icahn Charter School team.”