Community Corner
Community Update
Nationally-ranked debater has participated at Needham High School debate tournaments...
Sacred Heart School
junior Adam Tomasi heads for Kansas City to compete in largest debate
tournament in US; Kingston student ranked among top nationally in debate
performance
Find out what's happening in Needhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
KINGSTON, MA, ISSUED JUNE 16, 2014…Kingston resident Adam
Tomasi, a junior at Sacred Heart School in Kingston, is about to step onto a
very large national stage, representing his school at the NFL Nationals
(National Speech & Debate Association), one of the country’s premier
debating competitions.
Find out what's happening in Needhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
He will test his skills in the Lincoln-Douglas style of
debate, where he will compete with the “best of the best” of school debaters
from across the United States, at this tournament to be held in Kansas City.
More than 2000 students and hundreds of judges will be at this tournament,
which is among the largest, if not the largest, competition in the world.
Tomasi, who has been a Sacred Heart student since his
days in kindergarten, is acknowledged as the best debater that Sacred Heart
School has. In fact, according to Speech and Debate Coach Daniel Sapir, “Adam
is the best debater I have ever worked with.”
The Sacred Heart School Speech and Debate Program (www.sacredheartkingston.com)
is viewed as a very strong program, offering instruction to students beginning
as early as 6th grade. The program is nationally ranked, and
students travel nationally for competitions.
“Adam began when he was an 8th grade student,”
said Sapir, who recalls that his student earned a First Place in a
Lincoln-Douglas Invitational that year at Columbia University.
For Adam Tomasi, this “Superbowl of Debates” is the
latest in a long series of accomplishments. He has earned more than 2150 NFL
(National Forensic League, now National Speech and Debate Association) points,
which is a record for Sacred Heart School. His debate topic is: “Resolved: The
United States ought to prioritize the pursuit of national security objectives
over the digital privacy of its citizens.” As a participant in this debate, he
will be prepared to argue both sides of the statement.
There is considerable practice needed even for this
skilled debater, who can speak (when necessary) 400 words per minute. His
preparation for national competitions is different than that of other students
in different schools where there are multiple team members. Because he is the
only student at Sacred Heart to advance to this level of competition, he has
had to make his own arrangements in his out-of-school debate prep, which
includes working with the network of debaters he has built up over the years.
His out-of-class debate preparation is with colleagues and friends all over the
country via Skype, which helps him prepare for both sides of the same argument.
“Being able to think quickly on your feet is key to succeeding, because at a
moment’s notice, an opponent can require us to change direction,” he said.
Adam’s parents, Steve and Linda Tomasi, speak with great
pride in their son’s accomplishments and note the amount of time and travel
that this takes, with his preparation and travels to competitions all across
the United States. In his earliest competition at Columbia University, he was
competing with 16-year olds when he as an eighth grader. And his pace has
continued to pick up. In January of this year, he competed successfully at the
Columbia University National Tournament in New York City; and in February, his
travels took him to the NFL Nationals Qualifiers, Manchester-Essex, MA (Top
seed, undefeated, Lincoln-Douglas) and to the Boston Catholic Forensic League
Qualifiers, Shrewsbury (where he qualified for nationals). He earned the Top
Speaker award at the Harvard University Invitational Debate Tournament in
Cambridge, MA, and recently auto-qualified for next year at the Tournament of
Champions, at the University of Kentucky.
Pamela Desmarais, President of Sacred Heart School, said,
“Our entire school family is so proud of Adam and all that he has been able to
accomplish. He is an exceptional student and debater and we know that he will
continue to excel.”
About Sacred Heart
School
Sacred Heart is a private, co-educational Catholic school
system, which provides educational opportunities for students throughout
southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, from preschool through grade 12.
As a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence, Sacred Heart
School strives to inspire minds, define character and encourage responsible
leadership through a curriculum that prepares students to pursue knowledge
throughout their lives. The school provides students with a strong liberal arts
curriculum, and integrates technology into the hands of students with its One
to One iPad Program. Sacred Heart also offers extensive athletic, arts and
extra-curricular activities for students. Founded in 1947, the school
underwent a governance change in July 2011, incorporating the Sacred Heart
Schools in Kingston, MA as Sacred Heart School System, Inc. This new structure
was implemented to assure the continuation of academic excellence of the Sacred
Heart Schools for the future, as well as the Catholic mission and the religious
community traditions. The school system serves students on a beautiful,
expansive campus on Route 80 that includes three school buildings, a central
administrative office, and athletic fields and facilities. Sacred Heart School
welcomes students of all faiths and diverse backgrounds. The school prides
itself in a commitment to developing the whole student, offering an independent
school atmosphere and top-tier academics. Pamela Desmarais serves as the
school’s President. The Sacred Heart campus is located at 251-399 Bishops
Highway, Kingston, MA 02364. For additional information about the school,
please visit www.sacredheartkingston.com
or call 781-585-7511.
Photos: Adam Tomasi shown at the Beltway Invitational in
2013; and also at Tournament of Champions,Lexington, KY with Sacred Heart
Speech and Debate Coach Dan Sapir.
