Wisconsin Forensics Daily

WDCA: Special Award-Winners

Each year, the WDCA bestows special awards to a deserving coach and two deserving graduating seniors.  This year, Neenah’s Osahon Okundaye and Merrill’s Neil Jackson were the scholarship winners, and Bradley Tech’s Ernest Chomicki was Coach of the Year.

Our 2007 WDCA scholarship recipients both have demonstrated a great deal of success at the Wisconsin State Debate Tournament.  They are both renaissance young people, admired for their academic prowess, leadership, service to their schools and communities, and yes, athletic ability in track and field.  They have both been delegates to Badger Boys State and have both competed in national debate tournaments.  They both have competed in Policy Debate since middle school, and competed at the Varsity Level all four years of high school.  They both aspire to careers in law, and will assuredly use their fine analytical and communication skills to work toward justice in our society.

Our first scholarship recipient won a best speaker award in the varsity four-person division at this State Tournament.  A natural leader, this young man has given thoroughly of his time and talents to the 4-H organization, even being elected the first youth member to be elected to his county’s 4-H board of directors executive board as vice president!  Under his tutelage, fundraising efforts have been better organized, bringing harmony to that all too divisive issue of how money is handled.  This debater’s coach writes about how he always has the big picture of his team’s livelihood in mind, and how he was instrumental in her first year on the job.  He is a born teacher and often organizes practices and workshops for the betterment of the school’s squad.   This student’s own words regarding what this activity has offered him are perhaps the most poignant justification for this honor “upon completion of my higher education, I intend on remaining in the state – to contribute to others the same way others have contributed to me.”  Hailing from Merrill High School, congratulations, Neil Jackson!

Our second recipient was part of a State Champion team at this tournament last year.  Also a natural leader, he devotes much of his time to improving his school and others as a student council member, and representative to regional student councils, as well as serving as president of his school’s National Honor Society chapter.  He has been instrumental in exposing his school and community to diversity, proudly representing his Nigerian heritage.  It seems fitting that he should win this award the year our Policy Debaters have discussed how to improve public health assistance in sub-Saharan Africa.  His coach expressed a deep admiration for this young human being, who for his relatively short time on this earth, possesses such great wisdom and compassion for others.  What distinguishes this debater is his affable personality and true regard for his peers above and beyond the arena of competition.  “Courteous to a fault,” his coach writes, he “has served as an amazing example of friendship, dedication and teamwork to the entire Wisconsin debate community.  This student intends to work for a justice-oriented non-governmental organization – hailing from Neenah High School, congratulations, Osahon Okundaye!

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This year’s WDCA Coach of the Year candidates bring unrelenting energy to working with their students. They are advocates for debate in their schools and communities, and never hesitate to share their generosity with the overarching debate community for the betterment of this activity. This year’s recipient is a coach at the alma mater this coach once debated at and is also involved in speech activities. This school has gained considerable momentum and success this season. This coach commands an amazing amount of respect from the students he coaches and brings boundless enthusiasm and a quirky sense of humor to our community, always encouraging debaters from his school or others, when it is needed most. Though he may not like the title of “cheerleader” – that’s exactly what he is for this activity. Coach from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, Mr. Ernest Chomicki!

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