Hilltop Happenings

Our student leaders recently joined Headmaster Chandler '11 (Hon.) P’17, Instructor of Public Speaking Tom Severo, and Director of Campus Life Jennifer Siff for a day of debate and leadership workshops at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. This is Salisbury's fifth annual trip to the Coolidge Foundation and is made possible through funding by a generous Trustee.

The Coolidge Foundation coaches the US National Debate Team, and holds regular debate workshops for students interested in developing their speaking and leadership skills.The Foundation aims to prepare "America’s future leaders with the understanding of economics and history necessary for continued American prosperity. Learning to gather information and use it to formulate a clear and persuasive message is an important component in developing young leaders." The Coolidge Foundation "teaches students to think critically, identify with new ideas, and expand their sphere of influence." 

Throughout the day, our student leaders were exposed to the ins and outs of the debate process and learned how to direct information properly to communicate a purposeful message. Director of the Coolidge Foundation Amity Shlaes, New York Times bestselling author and rhetoric and debate expert, coached our boys in preparation of their debate championship. 

To conclude the day, our boys partnered together and debated "Resolved: The United States federal government should make reducing the national debt a fiscal priority." Each pairing debated both sides of the topic, honing the skills they learned regarding forming a meaningful and effective argument. The top two teams, Daniel Newman '21 and Vu Ngo '20 vs. Peter Gottsegen '21 and Caleb Gilbert '20 debated in front of the group where, ultimately, Peter and Caleb proved to be the champion debaters.  

It was a great day to be a Knight!