For several years, I have provided event photography services for the Boston Debate League, a fabulous non-profit organization here that supports debate teams in the Boston Public Schools. This group is just incredible – the students with whom they work are so incredibly dedicated and smart. They spend hours upon hours studying their cases so that they can present well in a debate and as a result are better students, better classmates, and better prepared for college. The BDL hosts debate tournaments nearly every weekend and have hundreds of kids participating in debate. They are making debate cool! Kind of makes me wish I had been a debater in high school…
Last month was their annual Gala, which is a fundraising dinner held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Boston. The diverse group of speakers included two current BPS students, a BPS alumna, the headmaster of a BPS school, and the interim superintendent – all were just glowing from their work with the BDL.
But the best part of the night was watching the high school students interact with the donors and sponsors during the reception. BDL recruits attorneys, law school students, business leaders, and decision makers, to participate in and donate to their programs. And these folks seem to love getting to know the student debaters in person. At first, the students are so nervous to speak with these grownups, but soon enough they find their confidence and are out there shaking hands and making jokes like old pros. It’s a very cool thing to watch – how many high school students do YOU know who could feel comfortable in a room full of lawyers?
Here is a selection of event photographs from the Boston Debate League’s annual fall gala in mid-November.
