Awards Edition: 10th Matthew Harris Ornstein Summer Debate Institute

Award Winners: 10th Annual Matthew Harris Ornstein Summer Debate Institute

While the primary goal of summer camp is teaching and inspiring young people, we do want to celebrate the hard work of those who won awards this summer!

Matthew Harris Ornstein Outstanding Debater Award: Munachiso Onyilofor, College Park Academy

Muna started debate as a sophomore, and came into last year as a student we hoped had a great JV season. I don’t think she got the memo, and decided to not only be a good JV debater, but be one of the best debaters in the league, finishing the season as an alternate for Nationals. Her incredible hard work and dedication continued at summer camp, where she received our most prestigious award. To quote her nomination letter:

“I would also like to highlight Muna’s ability to foster community wherever she goes….her ability to foster relationships with and support her peers reminds me of Jess’s stories about Matthew. Specifically, how he supported her when she was new to the team and acted as a pillar of support…..they create a sense of belonging in the spaces they were present in.” — Eric Clarke

Keoni Scott-Reid Outstanding Instructor Award: Noah Joshua

Noah, Keoni’s former debate partner, had taken himself out of the running for this award for several years, but finally yielded, allowing us to give him a well deserved award.

One of Noah’s greatest strengths as an instructor is knowing what his kids are up for, and when they need a break. He masterfully balances his class to make sure that when he teaches, the kids are primed and ready to absorb it all. Beyond the classroom, Noah was heavily involved in setting up and cleaning up, and always volunteered to support the institute, whether it was organizing the elective schedule or serving as our in house tech support guru and serving lunch.

“Being able to carry on my best friends legacy 5 years after his passing at the same camp that introduced me to Washington Urban Debate is a demonstration how impactful this program really is.”

In honor of the 10th anniversary, we gave our two additional awards:

Best Novice Award: Dania Johnson, Capitol Hill Montessori

Starting your debate career is never easy, yet Dania stood out, both as a student and as a lab member. From her nominating letter:

“When a question is asked hers is the first hand to shoot up….I’ve never seen persistence like this in another individual in my life!….Dania is a mini role model in class and is always very helpful in encouraging other students in the room.”

May this be the first of many awards in a long career!

Legacy Service Award: Zara Escobar

Zara was a 6th grader at the first institute, and has attended every single year since then, the only person besides WUDL Director David Trigaux to do so. As a student, she was nominated for the Matthew Harris Ornstein award at least 5 times, but was passed over in favor of older students who wouldn’t have a chance to win it again. Her senior year, she was “at” the Dartmouth Institute (while sitting in on a local lab), and technically not enrolled, so she was deemed ineligible. Now one of our strongest and best instructors at the 10th anniversary of the summer program, we thought it was important to recognize a decade of dedication and excellence

No matter the level and no matter the role, Zara has been the best, both at the head of the classroom and on the awards podium.

Varsity:

Last year’s ToC qualifiers hit the ground running, but weren’t the only undefeated team, with lots of up and coming talent eager to challenge them for the title, including some incoming freshman at Banneker

1st Place: Mazumdar / Choi (BASIS DC)
2nd Place: Onyilofor / Schmidt (College Park / BASIS DC)
3rd Place: Filliung-Reinhard / Blanc (Banneker)
4th Place: Neuroth ^2 (School Without Walls)
5th Place: Troutman-Ritchey / Goldblatt (Banneker)
6th Place: Ting / Applegate (BASIS DC)

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