Spring 2009 Potomac Term - Potomac School

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News On Campus Senior Adam Gerchick (left) and Junior Yar Batmanghelidj practice their skills. 20 The Potomac Term
News On Campus Potomac Debate Team Defends State Title To win the Virginia State Debate Championship in their first year of competition was an amazing feat for The Potomac School team. But to win it two years in a row was nothing short of extraordinary. Junior Esfandyar “Yar” Batmanghelidj, who was state champion last year, and Senior Adam Gerchick, third last year, closed out the final round in February’s tournament at the University of Virginia, choosing to share the title rather than compete against each other. Varsity team members James McElwain (12th grade) and Madhu Ramankutty (10th grade) also won rounds at the tournament for Potomac. Volunteer coach Tom Rollins, Potomac parent of Lower Schoolers Kay and Tommy, challenges his team to excel in Lincoln-Douglas debate, which pits students one-on-one with changing topics. Some of the issues the team has debated this year included: under what circumstances it is permissible to kill an innocent person in order to save the lives of more innocent people; whether felons ought to retain the right to vote; and whether or not the U.S. should join the International Criminal Court. Next year the team will engage in policy debate, which requires two-person teams to debate the same issue for an entire year. The policy issue will be whether or not the Federal government should substantially increase social services for the poor. “Policy debate requires so much research and study that these kids will remain fluent in this subject for the rest of their lives,” says Rollins. The team has competed in Connecticut, North Carolina, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York over the last year, pitting their skills against some very sharp opponents. Potomac easily captured the “Jefferson Award for Excellence” as the best Lincoln-Douglas debate school at the National Forensic League’s Virginia Tournament. Potomac also won the “Dogwood Cup” for outstanding mid-sized school. By virtue of their victories at the Virginia tournament, Batmanghelidj and Gerchick will compete at the National Forensic League’s national championship tournament in Birmingham, Alabama, in June. Volunteer coach Tom Rollins works with debaters McKenzie Klein (9th grade) and Madhu Ramankutty (10th grade). Spring 2009 21
Page 1 and 2: Spring 2009 the alumni Magazine of
Page 3 and 4: “The arts … keep alive and deve
Page 5 and 6: sPring 2009 Departments 1 Message f
Page 7 and 8: In the studio Potomac students have
Page 9 and 10: “There are moments in our lives,
Page 11 and 12: Please Touch In all of our arts cla
Page 13 and 14: Always There Potomac’s approach t
Page 15 and 16: ...Yet! The child says, “I’ve s
Page 17 and 18: Music, visual arts and perfroming a
Page 19 and 20: To A Child At The Piano Play the tu
Page 21: News On Campus Potomac Alums Lead C
Page 25 and 26: News On Campus Students Explore the
Page 27 and 28: News On Campus Teacher Profile: Cin
Page 29 and 30: Athletics Update Co-captain Catheri
Page 31 and 32: Athletics Update Cross Country Runn
Page 33 and 34: Athletics Update Soccer Teams Have
Page 35 and 36: Slice Of Life A washer and dryer jo
Page 37 and 38: Slice Of Life The Senior Powder Puf
Page 39 and 40: Alumni Activities [ top ] Steve Sha
Page 41 and 42: Alumni Connections Fourth Grade: Ja
Page 43 and 44: Alumni Connections Upper School: Ba
Page 45 and 46: Giving back Campaign for Potomac’
Page 47 and 48: Class Notes Class Notes We encourag
Page 49 and 50: Class Notes Parrot Katz, Jane Day R
Page 51 and 52: Class Notes MBA part-time at NYU’
Page 53 and 54: From the Archives Students from the
Page 55 and 56: In Memoriam Pansy Bloomer Carroll

Spring 2009 Potomac Term - Potomac School

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