Where was no debating that the Aventura Marketing Council’s July breakfast meeting was great networking, building business and proving why the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues is helping students prepare for college, have successful careers and contribute to their communities. The event was hosted by Zaner Bloser – developing and publishing effective educational programs; and IntraLogic Solutions – simplifying security systems.
Former great debater AMC Chair Cliff Schulman of Weiss Serota Helfman welcomed hundreds of business and community leaders gathered at Turnberry Isle Miami along with Chy Davidson of Zaner-Bloser; Jeff Marano and Joey Amodio of IntraLogic Solutions; and Linda Listrom of NAUDL.
Following an inspirational video on how debate has helped diverse students from all socio-economic backgrounds become more articulate, critical thinkers; and why debate is so important to Miami-Dade County inner-city schools, special guest debaters Fatah Adan and Elvis Alvarado, both 18, were introduced. Adan credits debate with “finding his voice” and being accepted by Harvard, Princeton and Yale after coming out of a refugee camp in Somalia. Alvarado, who feels debate provided him with tools to “analyze problems in a more intellectual way” won Boston University’s prestigious Menino Scholarship.
Debating the question: “Should the U.S. Abandon the War on Drugs?”, Adan and Alvarado presented logical, affirmative and negative opinions with persuasive supporting evidence:
Alvarado contended, “America is expressing racist ideologies and wasting billions of dollars annually via the war on drugs. It is a failed policy that does not address the root issue, which is the demand for drugs in this country. The U.S. spends $450 billion annually on incarcerated inmates; and 1.15 million prisoners convicted for small drug crimes are not paying taxes or being allowed to be productive members of society.”
Adan argued, “The war on drugs is necessary due to the threat of violent drug cartels. Continuing U.S. policies will help save lives and reduce the costs of drug abuse and addiction. Removing the war on drugs is not feasible because this would give cartels opportunities to extend their U.S. operations, access our southern borders and control all aspects of society. The war on drugs ensures our safety – without it we’ll be moving backwards and leaving ourselves vulnerable.”
After it was concluded that Adan and Alvarado both deserved to win the “great debate,” AMC members learned more about Zaner-Bloser and IntraLogic Solutions.
Part of the Highlights Family of companies, Zaner-Bloser creates dynamic, appealing and effective educational programs and services that help inspire students to become engaged, literate participants in the global society. Zaner-Bloser has a long history of providing an excellent handwriting curriculum, supporting changing classroom needs and partnering with educators and the business community to support students at “every age of literacy.”
IntraLogic Solutions is dedicated to providing cutting- edge, user friendly and affordable security solutions for all types of businesses, municipalities, government agencies and school districts. ILS clients appreciate the protection of state-of-the-art systems including video surveillance, access control, alarms, pool occupancy detection, fiber optic fence sensors and vehicle monitoring/tracking technology. For more information, visit zanerbloser. com,
