-
10/8/2015 NewYorkPrisonersBeatHarvardDebateTeam
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/newyorkprisonersvsharvardstudentsdebate/ 1/4
(http://stocktwits.com/valuewalk)(https://twitter.com/valuewalk)(https://www.facebook.com/valuewalk)
ValueWalk (http://www.valuewalk.com) (http://www.valuewalk.com)
Posted By: Clayton Browne (http://www.valuewalk.com/author/clayton-browne/)Posted date: October 08, 2015 03:08:07 PM In: Politics (http://www.valuewalk.com/category/politics/)No Comments (http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/new-york-prisoners-vs-harvard-students-debate/#comments)
New York Prisoners Beat HarvardDebate Team
Preparationisthekeytomostthingsinlife,andnowhereisthatmoretruethanin
competitiveacademicdebates.Acaseinpointisarecentdebateinwhichateamof
NewYorkstateprisonersconvictedforviolentcrimessurprisinglybeatateamofwell
regardedHarvardundergraduates.
(http://www.valuewalk.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/10/Harvarddebate.jpg)
Thewinningdebaters(http://www.wsj.com/articles/anunlikelydebateprisonvs
harvard1442616928)werestudentsattheBardPrisonInitiative,aprogramofferinga
challengingcollegeexperiencetoinmatesattheEasternNewYorkCorrectional
Facility.Theprogram,runbyBardCollegeinAnnandaleonHudson,NewYorkhas
beenworkingforalmost15yearstogiveasecondchancetofelonswillingtowork
hardandtryandcreateabetterlife.
More on the Bard Prison Initiative versus Harvarddebate
Russias Goals, Tactics, And Strategy In Syria War (http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/russia-war-syria/) Group 42 Letter to Vaalco Energy (http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/group-42-letter-to-vaalco-energy/)BREAKING NEWS
Home (http://www.valuewalk.com/) News
About
Books
VALUE INVESTING (http://www.valuewalk.com/sign-email/) Stock Screeners
Value Investors
Videos (http://www.valuewalk.com/category/videos/) Links (http://www.valuewalk.com/links/) Timeless Reading
Register (http://www.valuewalk.com/register)
-
10/8/2015 NewYorkPrisonersBeatHarvardDebateTeam
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/newyorkprisonersvsharvardstudentsdebate/ 2/4
Therathercontroversialtopicoflastweek'sdebatewas:Resolved:Publicschoolsin
theUnitedStatesshouldhavetheabilitytodenyenrollmenttoundocumented
students.TheBPIteamwasdebatinginfavoroftheresolution,andtheHarvardteam
wasthe"negative"side.
CarlosPolanco,a31yearoldfromQueensconvictedofmanslaughter,commented
followingthedebatethathewouldneverwanttobarachildfromschoolandwas
extremelygratefulhewasablepursueaBarddiploma.Wehavebeengracedwith
opportunity,hesaid.Theymakeusbelieveinourselves.
JudgeMaryNugent,theleaderofapanelofexperiencedjudgesforthedebate,noted
thattheBPIteammadeastrongcasethatalargenumberoftheschoolsattendedby
undocumentedchildrenwereperformingsopoorlythatstudentswerebeing
warehousedinsteadofeducated.Theyarguedthatifthesedropoutfactorieswith
overcrowdedclassroomsandinsufficientfundingdeniedthesechildrenadmission,
theninthevastmajorityofcasesyouwouldseenonprofitsandwealthierschoolsstep
inandprovideahigherqualityeducationfortheseundocumentedkids.
NugentwentontopointoutthattheHarvardCollegedebatingteamdidnotrespond
toagoodbitofthatargument,butnotedthatbothsidesputonanexcellentdebate.
TheHarvardteamadmittedtheywereimpressedbythepreparationoftheBPIteam
andthesurprisingandeffectiveargument.Theycaughtusoffguard,explained
AnaisCarell,ajuniorfromtheWindyCity.
Ofnote,theprisondebatingteamhaditsfirstdebateinearly2014,overcominga
teamfromtheU.S.MilitaryAcademy.Initsseconddebate,theBPIdebaterswon
againstanationallyrankedteamfromtheUniversityofVermont,butearlierthis
spring,theylostacloserematchagainstWestPoint.
TheBPIdebateteamisoperatingatasignificantdisadvantageintermsofresearch.
That'sbecauseInmatescantusetheInternetforresearch.Prisonofficialsmust
approveallrequestsforbooksandarticles,whichoftentakesweeks.
Debate was not riggedNugenthighlightedthatwhileitmightseemtheywouldbebiasedtovoteforthe
prisonersteam,allthreejudgesmustjustifytheirvotestoeachotherbasedon
exactingrulesandstandards.
Wereallhuman,shenoted.Idontthinkwecaneverjudgedevoidofcontextor
whereweare,buttheideatheywouldwinoutofsympathyisplayingintopretty
misguidedideasaboutinmates.Theiracademicabilityisimpressive.
More on Bard Prison InitiativeTheBardPrisonInitiativewaslaunchedin2001,andisdesignedtoprovideliberal
artseducationstotalented,motivatedinmates.BPIadministratorsreportthatcloseto
10inmatesapplyforeveryspotintheprogram,andtheapplicationprocessincludes
bothwrittenessaysandaseriesofinterviews.
-
10/8/2015 NewYorkPrisonersBeatHarvardDebateTeam
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/newyorkprisonersvsharvardstudentsdebate/ 3/4
What Happens When You Boost Testosterone(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2062/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
Forget 'Googling' Your Name, Controversial Site Exposes The Truth(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/4943/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
Clever Way To Pay Off Your Mortgage(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2907/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
Journalist Exposes Where iPads Sell For Under $25(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2335/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
New "Steroid Alternative" Builds Muscle And Burns Fat(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/3621/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
You Wont Believe This Simple Way to Erase Wrinkles(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/5154/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
You Won't Believe This Car Insurance "Cheat"(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2631/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
You Can Save 85% On Your Energy Bill Using Your Trash Can(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/4784/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(http://stocktwits.com/widgets/share)
TheBPIprogramdoesnotchargeanytuition.Ithasabudgetofcloseto$2.5milliona
year,allfromprivatedonors,andthatfigureincludesasignificantsumofmoneythat
BPIisinvestingtohelpprisonsandcollegesdevelopsimilarprogramsinnineother
states.
AccordingtorecordskeptbytheadministratorsofBPI,todateover300alumniofthe
programhaveearneddegreeswhileincustody,andlessthan2%returnedtoprison
withinthreeyears(thegenerallyacceptedtimeframeformeasuringprison
recidivism).
KeepinmindthatinNewYorkstateasawhole,morethan40%ofthosereleased
fromcustodyeventuallywindupbackinprison.Thenumberonereasonexoffenders
endupbackinjailisparoleviolations,basedondatafromtheNewYorkDepartment
ofCorrectionsandCommunitySupervision.
Likethisarticle?Signupforourfreenewslettertogetarticlesdelivered
toyourinbox
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2062/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/4943/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2907/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2335/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/3621/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/5154/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/2631/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
(/2015/133/7NfAGxWb/4784/pro-golfer-were-exercising/2062,4943,2907,2335,3621,5154,2631,4784)
Previous(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/shake-shack-shak-stock-falls-after-a-massive-dilution/)Shake Shack (SHAK) StockFalls After A Massive Dilution(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/shake-shack-shak-stock-falls-after-a-massive-dilution/)
Next(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/insurance-vs-banking-understand-the-
differences-with-new-bpc-report/)
Insurance vs Banking:Understand The Differences
With New BPC Report(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/insurance-
vs-banking-understand-the-differences-with-new-bpc-
report/)
(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/shake-shack-shak-stock-falls-after-a-massive-dilution/)
(http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/insurance-vs-banking-
understand-the-
differences-with-new-
bpc-report/)
-
10/8/2015 NewYorkPrisonersBeatHarvardDebateTeam
http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/10/newyorkprisonersvsharvardstudentsdebate/ 4/4
0Comments ValueWalk Login1
Share SortbyNewest
Startthediscussion
Bethefirsttocomment.
Subscribe AddDisqustoyoursited Privacy
Recommend
Copyright 2015 ValueWalk - Privacy Policy (http://www.valuewalk.com/legal-disclaimer-valuewalk/)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(http://www.valuewalk.com)
(https://www.facebook.com/valuewalk)
(https://twitter.com/valuewalk)
(https://plus.google.com/+ValueWalkNews/posts)
(http://www.valuewalk.com/author/clayton-
(https://www.linkedin.com/company/value-
Clayton Browne(http://www.valuewalk.com/author/clayton-browne/)Clayton Browne is an experienced writer, editor and translator with a broadbackground in the social sciences, technology, finance and investing.Favorite pastimes include science fiction, sports, poker and good food. He isan active volunteer at the Austin Children's Shelter and a member of theAustin-area Salvation Army Advisory Board.