LEWISTON, Maine -- A student from a college with an internationally recognized debate program has helped high schools in the nation's capital launch a debate league of their own.

Established in September by Bates College senior Brian O'Doherty in collaboration with the District of Columbia schools, the Brooks Quimby Debate League is an intracity organization engaging teachers from high schools, public and private. Georgetown University debate and mock trial team members have served as mentors and coaches. "Debate builds intellectual abilities," O'Doherty says. "And like sport, debate is competitive. It gives you confidence and self-esteem when you're good at it."

With the support of the city, O'Doherty organized six public school debate teams while inviting all Washington schools to develop teams for competition. The league held its first tournament Oct. 21, with 50 debaters from seven schools, and plans its next meet at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at National Cathedral School.

O'Doherty, a political science and psychology double major and top Bates debater, received a $10,000 Phillips Student Fellowship from Bates to fund his project (named for the legendary 1927-67 Bates debate coach). Of more than 100 Washington high school debaters, about 30 are students of color and approximately half come from economically depressed areas, O'Doherty says. Most debaters are sophomores and juniors while freshman and seniors constitute 20 percent of the league. Participating schools include: Eastern High School, Bannecker High School, Duke Ellington High School, Georgetown Visitation Prep, Maret School, National Cathedral School, St. Anselm School and Field School. O'Doherty, a native of Kennebunkport, Maine, hopes to find corporate support for the league's continued growth by the time he returns to Bates in January 2002.

The Quimby league is dedicated to parliamentary-style debate. Although some Washington schools have participated in a regional league that offers traditional (Lincoln-Douglas, Policy) debate, many students did not have time for the preparation these styles require. According to Emily Eigen, debate adviser at Maret School, parliamentary debate suits her students much better. They don't need to spend countless hours amassing boxes of evidence. They simply need to stay current with contemporary issues.

One of the main motivations for her students' active participation, Eigen says, is O'Doherty's ability to teach them the parliamentary debate style "with humor and passion." Most of the tournament judges are recruited from local universities, says Eigen, and as a result, "the league has great potential for fostering collaboration between area schools and universities."

Phillips fellowships provide major funding to Bates students who design exceptional projects focusing on research, service-learning and/or career exploration. Projects must involve substantial immersion in a different culture. The fellowships were established through the bequest of Charles Franklin Phillips, fourth president of Bates College, and his wife, Evelyn.