wdi news letter spring 2013

7/29/2019 WDI News Letter Spring 2013

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Our Community

Quarter ly

We are very excited to an-nounce that the WDI is ex-panding its outreach activitiesto include women in the collegedebate community. We havealways had staff who were col-lege debaters but this year weare expanding that involvementin the camp.As part of our goal to increasewomen involved in debate at alllevels, we are inviting CollegiateScholars to the 2013 WDI.Daily activities for the Colle-giate Scholars will include:Independent instruction of

seminars for high school stu-dents; Co-teaching opportuni-ties with senior staff at thecamp; and Community-buildingactivities facilitation andmentoring. College de-bate is intensely com-petitive and primarilymale dominated. We arethrilled to offer womenthe opportunity to builda community outside ofthe sometimes aggres-sive environment. These wom-en will make a great addition toour teaching staff!! Stay tuned

for more information about theprogram and the women thatwill be a part of it. For moreinformation about our Colle-

giate Scholar Program contactCarly Wundelich @[email protected]

WDI expands to include Collegiate Debate Scholars

Womens Debate Institute Issue II Vol. 2Spring 2013

Donor Update 2

Alumni News 2

A Student Perspective 2

Collegiate Debate Scholars 2

Staff Reflection 3

College Preparation cont 3

Apply Now for 2013 4

Inside this issue:

http://womensdebateinstitute.org/

As a high school student I (Rae Lynn) was

raised to believe I was smart enough andthat my family would find the financialresources to make college a reality. Yet formany young debaters going to college is alltoo often something they believe they maynot be capable of doing.

The mission of the WDI is made up ofthree reinforcing, yet distinct goals: in-creasing the number of girls involved indebate, creating an environment that fos-ters community, and encouraging youngwomen to attend college. While many de-bate camps promote debate and create

community, our college preparation curric-ulum sets us apart. It is not enough to en-courage young women to attend college;we recognize that we have to address theobstacles our students face.

Our college planning program ranges fromformal to informal. It begins with the ba-sics: were to go, planning your senior year,and how to apply. We move slowly andintentionally through each component ofthe application process. We post standard-

ized test dates and explain how to get fi-

nancial application wavers. Our faculty,many of whom are university Professors,teach the girls how to acquire quality let-ters of recommendation, prepare resumes,

and com-pose stand-out personalessays. Col-lege debaterstalk aboutthe how touse debateto get into

college: how to contact coaches, apply forscholarships, and maintain a healthy scho-lastic/debate balance. We also spend ofgreat deal of time talking about the biggestobstacle our debaters face, financial sup-port. Staff members who have beenthrough the often bureaucratic finical aidsystem break it down into manageabletasks students can use to fill out FAFSAsand apply for loans and scholarships. Weprovide students with a lengthy scholarshipguide detailing opportunities for students

to get support from a wide range of organ-

izations, donors, colleges, and universities.We want students to leave the session feel-ing motivated to apply.

Informally, we reach out to juniors andseniors in an effort to target their specificinterests or institutions. All of the WDI iseither in or has graduated from college andmany have advanced degrees. We use ournetworks to help students make connec-tions on campuses nation wide. Many ofour students would be first generationcollege attenders and all it takes is gentleguidance to aid them through the applica-

tion process. When camp is over it is notuncommon for faculty and staff to mentorstudents through the college applicationprocess. This year I read and edited per-sonal essays, answered questions aboutloan requirements, and contacted debatecoach colleges with excitement. After help-ing a rising senior this past Fall, I wasthrilled to read she was having a hard timedeciding which school to attend.

Continued on page 3

WDI students are College Bound
mailto:[email protected]://womensdebateinstitute.org/http://womensdebateinstitute.org/mailto:[email protected]


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This year, the Women's Debate

Institute held the "Who's Your

Debate Role Model" Campaign

on indiegogo, an online fundrais-

ing platform. The campaign

included video footage of the

2012 WDI participants talking

about their debate role models.

http://www.indiegogo.com/proj

ects/who-is-your-debate-role-

model

We invited supporters from

around the country to donate to

the WDI in honor of their de-

bate role models. The campaign

was a huge success. Forty-one

donors took advantage of the

opportunity to give a shout out

to a women who inspired them.

Through the generosity of the

WDI community, we raised

$2582.00over $500 more than

our goal of $2000. Thank you

to all who participated by either

getting the word out or donat-

ing.

The campaign enabled us to

honor the women who were

role models in our past while

adding current debaters. Some

donors gave fellowships in the

name of their role models. Our

websites highlights these role

models. Thank you to Becky

Galentine , Susan Dun, Kate

Shuster, Leah Castella, Claire

Mckinney , Gloria Cabada-

Leman, Sandra Shuster, Gini

Shaw, Gail McDougle, Kyla

Sommers, and the fifty-six

other female role models hon-

ored for setting high standards

and paving the way. See our

web site for a current roll call

of WDI role models.

For more information or to

donate contact Sarah Glaser at

[email protected]

Donor News: Role Model Campaign is a huge success !

~ Morgan 2012 WDI debater

A Students PerspectiveMorgan Gstalter

Since WDI, I have a new appre-ciation for debate. As a seniorin high school, I work two jobsto try and help myself in the

future go through college. Iwork most weekends and Ihave not been able to travelwith my team as much as Iwould like to. However, everytime I do get to go to a tourna-ment, it makes me love andappreciate the sport all overagain.This season I've debated locallyand at a few tournaments in

Iowa. Although I have not beenas immersed in this years topicas I would like to be, it makesme grateful for the little debate

time I do have left. I'm trying tocherish it!This fall I will attend Drake

University (Des Moines, Iowa)

as a journalism major. They do

not have a policy debate team (I

know, terribly upsetting) but I

have to make the most of it

now. I have been blessed with

an outstanding debate team at

my school. At the WDI, I met

so many incredible female de-

baters and heard their stories, it

makes me realize how lucky I

have been.

Video footage of the

2012 WDI

participants talking

about their debate

role models:

http://

www.indiegogo.com

/projects/who-is-

your-debate-role-

model

Page 2 Our Community Quarter ly


Amiela Butler Joins the Collegiate Debate Scholars ProgramMy name is Aniela Butler (left) and I am a sophomore at Michigan State University where I ma-

jor in International Relations. I am originally from Draper, Utah where I debated for two years

at Juan Diego Catholic High School. After spending four years in debate, I am excited to share

all of my experiences with other women at the WDI this summer in the Collegiate Scholars Pro-

gram. I will have an opportunity to give lectures, and inspire a new generation of female debat-

ers. Sometimes there aren't many girls on a debate team so I am excited to meet new women

from different schools and build a community of women in college debate! .
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelmailto:[email protected]://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://womensdebateinstitute.org/http://womensdebateinstitute.org/http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelmailto:[email protected]://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-modelhttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-is-your-debate-role-model


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Inside our Staff: Sarah Glaser

Page 3Our Community Quarter ly


Sarah Glaser joined the Womens Debate Institute in 2005 andtoday acts as Director of Finances. Sarah was a policy debaterfor four years at Emporia High School in Kansas. It wasthere, coached by a fantastic mentor Carol Strickland, that shefell in love with the activity her father forced her to try. Shereceived coaching from college debaters at the local Universi-ty, and this encouraged her to join the Kansas State Universitydebate team. Debating in college was a wonderful chal-lenge. I loved traveling, meeting debaters from all over thecountry, and learning new arguments, Sarah recalls. I spent

every free moment for four years workingon debateand it was the best thing Iever did.

One major challenge was balancing debateand collegeshe was a double major in

Biology and Environmental Science, andshe earned a minor in Womens Stud-ies. While majoring in sciences is notcommon for debaters, Sarah proved it canbe done. After college, she lived in Aus-tralia for a year, and enjoyed the breakfrom debate. But upon returning to theU.S. and moving to San Diego to earn a

PhD in Oceanography, Sarah decided she wanted to reconnectwith debate. Enter the WDI.

Now in her ninth year as a WDI

staff member, Sarah is committedto raising enough funds fromdonations to ensure the WDI isfree to all debaters and that stu-dents receive financial assistancewith travel. Every summer, mytime at the WDI is incrediblyenergizing. I love meeting ourstudents every year, and seeingthem learn debate skills and talkabout debate tournaments. TheWDI brings with it a flood ofmemories from when I was a

debater. Im so thankful I can stay connected to the debatecommunity through the WDI.

Today, Sarah is an assistant professor of marine science at theCollege of William & Mary in Virginia. She studies fisheriesconservation with an emphasis on fisheries in Uganda, Kenyaand Tanzania.

I spent every

free moment

for four yearsworking on

debateand it

was the best

thing I ever

did.

College BoundContinued from page 1 It is true that college attendance may be harder for some students then other, but the WDIfaculty are committed to making higher education a reality for every girl. We are proud that most WDI students have gone to college,many have debated with great success, a few have become officers in the service, and others have continued on to get Masters, Doc-

toral degrees and J.Ds. Below is a list of some of the many colleges our graduates have attended: Agnes Scott College-Boise State

University-Clark Atlanta University-Colorado State University-Emory University-George Mason University-Gonzaga University-

Harvard University-Macalester College-Linfield College-Minnesota State-Mississippi State-Seattle University-Stanford-UC Berkeley-

University of Cape Town-University of Chicago-University of Idaho-University of Iowa-University of Missouri at Kansas City-

University of Oregon-University of Pennsylvania-University of Southern California-University of Texas at Austin-University of

Washington-University of Wyoming-US Naval Academy-Washington State University-Western Washington University-Yale

If you have any WDI news please contact Rae

Lynn [email protected]

[email protected]
http://womensdebateinstitute.org/http://womensdebateinstitute.org/


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The Womens Debate Institute is a non-profit organization that

unites a robust community dedicated to the education of young wom-

en. Each summer we host a free debate institute for high school girlsfrom around the country. Our four day camp increases the number

of girls involved in debate, creates an environment that fosters com-

munity, and encourages young women to attend college.

Womens Debate Institute

3379 22nd Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

Join us this SummerAugust 10-14, 2013

E-mail:[email protected]://womensdebateinstitute.org/

Sisterhood is VocalSpeak Out !

Womens Debate Inst i tute
mailto:[email protected]://womensdebateinstitute.org/http://womensdebateinstitute.org/mailto:[email protected]

wdi news letter spring 2013

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