Michael Marks - Executive Director

“For a lot of students no the debate team, Michael Marks was as close to us as our own parents. We could always talk to him about real world problems. We knew he really cared. He was a genuine mentor.”

“Marks traditionally served as the emcee for the university’s summer band camp. A hit with high school musicians, he has a real flair for connecting with kids.”

“What I remember about Coach Marks was that he taught six academic classes, staged four full scale musicals a year, coached the debate team, mock trial team, and still had time to take drama classes on field trips to see professional theatre. His energy amazes me!”

“As an interview coach, he was second to none. Interviewing and landing a job as a teacher was a breeze after his class unity on Job Pursuit.”

“Michael has always allowed me the freedom to find my own way as an actor and as an individual. He helped me to understand that life, like art, must be explored and lived without a net. Michael was unwavering in his support of me as a human being and that allowed the fledgling artist in me to thrive in a safe, creative, and utterly loving environment. I’m proud to say he is one of the finest teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”

“As an African-America, I appreciated the lessons that Mr. Marks taught us about interpersonal problems in diverse settings. His college public address course always underscored the value of communicating with people from all walks of life.”

“As an Economics graduate of Harvard, I now negotiate deals for a living, and the ability to see all sides while remaining consistent with the goals of the company is crucial. The critical reasoning and improvisational skills Mr. Marks instilled in me, refined over countless hours of practice, repetition, and competition, has made the million-dollar negotiation an inferior challenge.”

“Now that I look back at high school, Coach Marks really worked our tails off! We didn’t mind, though, because we wanted to be the best and we wanted him to be proud of us.”

“I always admired his gung-ho spirit. He could get us excited about anything!”

“What Michael Marks has taught me as friend, teacher, and mentor, was not limited to the arts, drama, or speech. He instilled in me a drive to exceed, excel, and to never be complacent. I owe much of my early success to Mr. Marks and am grateful to have a continuing friendship with him.”

“Mr. Marks always taught us that personal success means nothing if you don’t improve the lives of those around you. Following his example, I am an attorney by day and volunteer community educator by night.”

“Not only did he teach me to act and speak, but he taught me the importance of being involved in my community, state, and nation as a citizen and as an advocate for what we do and what we love—teaching.”

“Our production of A Raisin in the Sun sold out during Black History Month. Boy, were we proud to be in the cast of the first held over showcase in school history! The quality of Mr. Marks’ shows always produced capacity crowds.”

“The single greatest asset afforded the United States, and indeed any nation, as we move into the next millennium, is people. Developing a globally competitive workforce is critical to our future. On an individual basis being an expert in one field is obviously important, but Michael Marks, my high school debate coach, taught me that real competitive edge is derived from embracing many disciplines. The ability to think across many disciplines results in a synergy that will be required to drive creative solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.”

“Of all my high school studies, Mr. Marks’ speech communication class added the most value to my life. As A.R. Gurney, Jr. said in his play, The Dining Room, ‘It prepared me for life in the work-a-day world.”

“As a lawyer practicing in the field of complex commercial litigation, I find that I still call upon the fundamentals of oral advocacy and communication first instilled in me by Mr. Michael Marks.”

“Who would have thought that the research skills I first began to hone as a member of Michael Marks’ debate and mock trial teams would later become so useful?! My field of research touches on many ‘hot’ political issues—Social Security, pensions, saving—and I’m often called upon to explain research findings to the press, politicians, and other economists. I am indebted to Mr. Marks for those all-important communication skills that many of my colleagues were never given an opportunity to develop.”

“I bugged him for eight months to play guitar with the professional musicians in the pit orchestra of Jesus Christ Superstar. Finally he gave me a shot. Now, I play Broadway shoes all over the country.”

“I was a football jock who was determined to land a spot on the varsity debate team. Coach Marks believed that students ought to be well-rounded and gave me a chance to prove myself.”

“Although I earn my livelihood as support personnel for a public-school district, I fill my spare time by performing gospel music, a hobby I developed by being in Mr. Marks’ showchoir.”

“La familia es muy importante. Through my work in the private sector, I put my mother through school, but Michael never let me forget my dream of becoming a teacher. At his urging, I went back to school and earned both my teaching credentials and a seat on the NEA Board of Directors.”

“Realizing the need for more minority educators, Marks insisted that I consider teacher as a career choice. It is no coincidence that I ended up president of the MAE Student Program.”

“He was a task master when it came to preparing for the national pageant in Atlantic City. I appreciated, sincerely, his ability to critique, correct, and build character simultaneously. He always said, ‘All talent is – is knowing that you can do something well.’”

“Other than the football coach, Mr. Marks was the only other male teacher that I had my senior year. He was a good role model for us guys and a great listener when we had questions beyond X’s and O’s.”

“As a props mistress, I kept up with the personal effects of students actors. He taught me to h ave pride in my work and that no job was unimportant.”

“I always thought Mr. Marks’ attention to details was overboard. Now, as a producer of television commercials, I owe my longevity to what he taught me in theater production.”

“If it hadn’t been for the opportunities in the drama department, I would never have finished school. Marks helped make high school palatable and gave me incentive to focus on all my studies.”

“When I served as president of The Dramat at Yale, I was grateful for the organizational skills and box office management techniques that I accrued working with Mr. Marks. When he interviewed here as a Yale director finalist, the committee was not only impressed with his body of work but with his sense of values as well.”

“As a community theatre student, I learned the true value of laughter. As a director, Marks has a way of putting those around him at ease.”

“With Mr. Marks, theatre always mirrored real life. When we staged Oklahoma!, we gave the money to victims of the tragic bombing there. We were the first high school in The United States to officially join Broadway Cares/Equity Funds A.I.D.S. To combat teen drug abuse, we mounted the world premier of Raising Stallions, a show that involved an audience forum on drugs following the performance of this specially commissioned work.”

“Working with students in the break-away USSR republic of Georgia as an English translator, I understand the tremendous power of the spoken word. Michael marks is directly responsible for my career choice as a communicator.”

“Even after he became state union president, he found time to help. His volunteer coaching at the extemporaneous speaking finals in Chicago helped me to do well at nationals.”

“As my college speech teacher, Marks helped me understand marketing a program to the public. That knowledge was crucial to me because 50% of my job is pure public relations.”

“Mr. Marks taught me the value of being a team player. I put many of the concepts that I learned in his college communication class to use in my daily work.”

“I had put off public speaking until my last semester at the University of Southern Mississippi. He gave me the confidence I needed to enter the job market.”

“Coach Marks took us to competitions all over the country. To this day I still network with friends that I made at debate tournaments at schools like Harvard, Yale, and Wake Forest.”

“Marks brings new meaning to the word ‘disciplined.’ By the time Opening Night arrived, we had actually become our characters. Once, as preparation for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he took the entire cast to visit a mental health hospital. He believed in being well-researched and infinitely prepared.”

“In his capacity as an instructor of musical theatre, he has taken students to perform around the world. He’s the teacher everybody wanted!”

“During summer vacation I would teach dance to small children in my hometown. Marks recognized the educator in me and served as a great role model in my chosen profession.”

“As captain of Coach Marks’ mock trial team, I learned the value of analyzing facts and always asking ‘why’. Finishing in the Top Five at the national competition helped me gain exposure for college scholarships.”

“I hated my debate partner. Coach Marks made us understand that only through teamwork could we be successful. My job requires that I work with people who are diverse and who have different values from me, Sixth Period Debate philosophy has gone a long way in life.”

“The debate team that he inherited as a new coach was all white and all male. His inclusion of females and minorities brought not only diversity to the squad but eight State Championships as well!”

“I knew after my first day on the floor of State Youth Congress that I wanted a career in politics. I thank Coach Marks for opening that door for me.”