BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (September 30, 2010) – Brother Rice High School will showcase its best current and past debaters as it presents “The Great Debate” at the school’s gymnasium on Friday, October 8 at 11:00 a.m.
Brother Rice alumnus Chris Hansen (1977), correspondent for the award-winning Dateline NBC television news magazine, will moderate the debate, which will focus on the theme of “How to Save Michigan.” The debate will specifically address jobs, taxes, health care and education.
Participants will include members of the school’s current debate team facing off against a select group of alumni from a program that has won state, national and world championships, including the 2009 United Nations Foundation Global Debates.
“The extraordinary success that the Brother Rice debate teams have enjoyed throughout our history underscores our proud academic tradition,” said John Birney, president of Brother Rice High School. “The topic for ‘The Great Debate’ could not be more urgent and in addition to a lively discussion, we look forward to learning about substantive ideas that can improve the outlook for all of us who call Michigan home.”
The following former Brother Rice students will make up the alumni debate team:
Matthew P. Allen ’92, a principal in the Troy, Mich., office of Miller Canfield;
Anthony Vittiglio ’95, a principal member of Deneweth, Dugan & Parfitt, P.C. in Troy, Mich.;
Louis Brown Jr. ’99, an attorney and associate director, social concerns, for the Maryland Catholic Conference in Annapolis; and,
Shaun M. Van Horn ’00, an associate attorney at the Chicago law firm of Jenner & Block LLP.
Ken Calvert, classic jock for the “Ken Calvert in the Morning” show on WCSX 94.7 and a Brother Rice alumnus, will broadcast his show from the debate site from 6 to 9 a.m. The entire Brother Rice student body will be on hand for the debate along with many alumni and guests. The debate is free of charge and the public is invited.
Later on Friday, a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Regis and a ceremony to rededicate the school offered by Archbishop Allen Vigneron at 6 p.m.. The “Golden Jubilee Weekend” festivities will culminate in the 50th regular season meeting between archrivals the Warriors of Brother Rice and the Shamrocks of Catholic Central on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Wayne State University’s Adams Field.
Brother Rice, which was dedicated in 1960 by Cardinal John Dearden, has established a proud history of success in and out of the classroom. More than 99 percent of Brother Rice graduates go on to colleges or universities, with a similar percentage of alumni receiving advanced degrees. The 50th Anniversary theme, “A Powerful Legacy and A Promising Future,” draws on this tradition of academic achievement.
Brother Rice High School is a private, fully accredited, four-year Catholic College Preparatory school for 700 young men. Brother Rice was founded in 1960 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers of Ireland.
