Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 15:11:31 -0500 (EST)
From: SMDebate@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list CX-L <cx-l@debate.net>
Subject: Text of Presentation to Richard Sodikow
Last week, Richard Sodikow was presented with a life achievement award by the
NDCA. The award is usually given at the debate assembly on Saturday, but
Richard's travel plans moved the presentation to the Senior Speaker's
Breakfast on Sunday morning. As a result, the presentation was made in a much
less public forum. For that reason, I want to post Les Phillips' remarks for
the enjoyment of the community. Congratulations Richard, and thanks.
--David Baker--
Text of the NDCA Life Achievement Award presentation by Les Phillips of
Lexington High School:
There is no one I would rather honor.
This is an award presented by a group of coaches to a great coach. But we
are at a breakfast for debaters. There are things that the debaters here
should know about Mr. Sodikow.
Many coaches are already possessed by debate when they begin teaching.
Richard Sodikow is an extremely talented person who could have done so many
things, but he chose debate. He was almost a decade into his teaching
career when he found debate, saw how debaters learned so much so fast.
Within a few years the most remarkable public school in America had the
most impressive debate team in America.,
Bronx Science's domination of the national debate circuit from the late
1970s into the middle 1980s will never be equaled. Through aggressive
fundraising and through his own personal support of the program, Mr.
Sodikow made this possible in a public school system which gave him no
budget money.
But it is even more important for you to know how hard today's recipient
has fought for progress in debate. There are reactionaries in debate who
want to go back to the "good old days" -- abolish institutes, ban debate
theory, put speedometers in contest rooms. As a member of the NFL
Executive Council, Richard Sodikow helped beat back a conservative movement
that could have ended debate as we know it. Disclosure in debate rounds,
an end to tedious assemblies before every elim round, disadvantages in
first negative -- Mr. Sodikow invented or championed these and other
innovations. He has always been unwavering in his support for the cause of
women and minorities in forensics. It is hard to believe that it was only
a dozen or so years ago that NFL still maintained separate divisions for
boys' and girls' extemp. I particularly remember an NFL District Chairs'
meeting which was considering abolishing this invidious distinction. Mr.
Sodikow rose, stood in the aisle, and gave one of the fiercest and most
eloquent brief speeches I've ever heard. The house moved.
The debate community is sometimes so divided and confused. Sometimes we
speak far too softly for what we believe. Richard Sodikow does not do
that. He is loud. He perseveres. Fortunately, he almost always gets his
way. We have needed him so much, and we will continue to need him.
Richard Sodikow has honored debate by choosing it, and us. This award does
not begin to repay our debt.
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