Republican Rant Against Schools Debate in USA

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This individual obviously yearns for a past that never existed and even if it did could not be duplicated now (Douglas would give speeches of more than an hour). He may have a point about speaking too fast (unless the audience and judge can understand it) but his moans about having to debate both sides of a question is closed-minded and is an issue that was settled in the USA at the beginning of the 20th Century.

From http://www.republicanoperative.com/forums/cigar-lounge/21027-gene-edward-veith-debate.html

The Lost Art of The Debate:
How Today's Debates Teach Cynicism and Relativism

Gene Edward Veith

On October 16, 1854, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas debated in Peoria, Ill. Neither was a candidate for president at the time; it would be four years before they ran against each other for the U.S. Senate. But they were already debating the issues facing their state and their country.

It started at 2:00 p.m. and Mr. Douglas spoke for three hours. When it was Mr. Lincoln's turn, he said that he would need at least as much time to respond, and then Mr. Douglas would need time for his rebuttal. He proposed that everyone go home for dinner and come back for the rest of the debate. The audience consisting of pretty much the whole community agreed. After they came back, the debate went on for four more hours.

In 1858, the Lincoln Douglas debates had a faster paced format: Mr. Douglas would speak first, for an hour; then Mr. Lincoln would take an hour and a half to reply. Then Mr. Douglas would have a half hour for a rebuttal.

By all accounts of the Lincoln Douglas debates (a good one can be found in Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death), ordinary Americans down to the lowliest farm boy turned out as part of their participation in their own self government. The crowd could get boisterous, with applause and catcalls, but they were able to follow complex, sophisticated discussions with rapt attention.

In contrast, in today's presidential debates, each candidate has two minutes to make his case, with rebuttals and answers measured in seconds instead of hours. The format never allows time to develop a coherent argument or to answer fully an opponent's charges. Both candidates know that image, not truth, is the real issue. How they come across not what they say is what really matters to the media and to the American public. To score points, they must avoid gaffes, score zingers, and, above all, seem presidential.

Pundits attempt the ultimate micro poll in actually charting a focus group's reactions as the debate takes place. On a graph, we can see opinions rising with good lines and falling when the candidate "goes negative." After the vice presidential debate, which actually did involve some high level discussion of the issues, just about all the CNN focus group wanted to talk about was "Mr. Lieberman's smile," how relaxed and confident Mr. Cheney was. Above all, the focus group representing a culture in which all ideas have to be seen as equally valid and in which the only moral absolute left is tolerance appreciated how neither candidate was excessively "negative" about the other person.

The decline of the art of debate can also be seen in our schools. "Disputations" once played an important part in the great Christian universities of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Scholars sharpened their intellects by having to defend their positions against their peers and against faculty members. Disputations on different topics forced them to apply the liberal arts of logic (to prove their case) and rhetoric (to present it effectively). Such debates were ways to think through important issues. Luther's 95 Theses were a challenge to a theological debate.

If you go to a high school or college debate tournament today, you are likely to find little attention to measured reasoning or rhetorical eloquence. Instead, debaters speak as fast as they can (to stay under the time limits) with arguments consisting mainly of isolated statistics (since numbers are considered more factual than logical chains of thought). Worse, debaters must prepare to argue for both sides of any issue, and they do not know the position they will have to take in the debate until they have to perform. If they are debating, say, the morality of capital punishment or euthanasia or abortion, their own convictions may have nothing to do with it.

This may be a good way to train lawyers, but it teaches that thinking is nothing more than an arbitrary game, a matter of scoring points rather than reaching truth. One side really is as valid as the other, and your own beliefs, being nothing more than a private interior opinion, are not allowed to get in the way. Depth of conviction and intellectual honesty the refusal to advocate what one does not in fact believe can have little place in a typical debate tournament.

Debate practiced this way teaches not logic or rhetoric but intellectual cynicism. And that cynicism which in turn breeds relativism and the disconnect between truth and opinion is what makes our culture incapable of conducting or even sitting through a Lincoln Douglas debate.

Debate Summer School Finishes in Slovenia

Dom Gorenje

Anja Serc knows what it is like. This is her seventh debate summer school that she has attended in Slovenia. She started as an inexperienced student and now she is a trainer at the school as well as a coach at a leading high school in Ljubljana and an important force in the administration of Za in Proti, the national debate program of Slovenia. The one-week program ends on 4 July 2009.

Like so many events in Slovenia, this one has taken place in an extremely beautiful place. High in the mountains of the region of Pohorje in a litle spot near the ski resort of Rogla is the location. The school itself is taking place in a youth ecological education center called Dom Gorenje. There, the students live in the dorms and debate in the classrooms, but they also walk in the fields, play basketball on the courts and sip coffee at Smogvasc, a tavern across the street (where sometimes to staff ends the day and trades stories).

View from a bedroom window

It has been a busy week, with lectures and electives filling the days in the gap between the many debates. The students are a hearty lot, and even though the schedule is demanding they seem anxious for more and genuinely committed to debate. They are all high school students, though a few of them are entering university in the fall and just want more debating. The event is also part of the selection process for the Slovenian team to attend the World Schools Debating Championships to be held in Qatar in 2010.

The motions have been an interesting mix, including:

• Social networking websites like Facebook do more harm than good
• We should not eat meat.
• We should forcefeed anorexics
• Casino gambling should be made illegal
• Gay couples should be allowed to adopt children.

Because they are interested in debate at the university level there was a demonstration debate one evening in the WUDC format on the motion that this House would engage with any leaders chosen through elections as credible partners. It was a vigorous debate and the students voted for a winner at the end. That debate should be available at the Dbate Video website as soon as it can be uploaded. See http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/

During the week there were teacher workshops, with over fifteen techers receiving intensive advanced instruction on administering debate clubs and training students.

It is clear why the debate program in Slovenia is excellent, popular and produces so many excellent debaters. It has sophisticated training, the students are enjoying it and the teachers are dedicated and committed.

Iraq Debate Gets Press Coverage in UK

From http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/3735836/debating-in-iraq.thtml

Debating In Iraq
ALEX MASSIETHURSDAY, 2ND JULY 2009
The university debating circuit isn't quite what it once was. Once upon a time it was, if not a closed shop, a cosy cartel organised by Scottish, Irish and English universities with the Australians and the occasional American or Canadian providing whatever passed for international glamour. Changed times and these days English-speakers can lose to debaters from any number of other countries all of whom are trouncing you in a language that is not their own. Gone are the days when being beaten by Zagreb B ("If that's what they're like, I wouldn't want to come up against Zagreb A etc etc") was considered a rogue result.

This is, doubtless, progress and globalisation and all that. The latest country trying to establish a spot in the international arena is, however, a horse of a different colour. That is, there's a movement afoot to try and bring some Iraqi debaters to this year's World Championships, taking place, conveniently, in Turkey.

As the blurb puts it:

Iraq Debate is an independent civic engagement initiative to foster and promote open discussions and debate culture in Iraq and plans to promote and teach debate across Universities and Schools in the country.
Iraq Debate brings together Arabs, Kurds, Chaldo-Assyrians, Turkmen, and all components of Iraq communities to participate in debate workshops and tournaments.

Currently, Iraq Debate works with students from University of Duhok- Duhok, University of Salahaddin- Erbil and University of Technology- Baghdad. however we are looking forward to extending our activities to all Universities and Schools in Iraq in near future.

Recently, Iraq Debate held a successful workshop in the University of Duhok for 22 students debaters [ April 1-7, 2009]. we then trained and sent students to participate in Qatar National Schools Debate Championships and Qatar National Universities Championships with 5 students debaters representing the Iraq Debate Team...

Iraq Debate currently is planning to train students for the Worlds Universities Debate Championships 2010, to be held in Turkey, where they will compete with over 300 teams.

Understandably, they need help and could do with some extra sponsorship to help make this happen. If this is the sort of thing that interests you or you think you can be of some assistance, then get in touch with Iraq Debate here.Certainly, the Iraqis would bring more to the tournament than, to choose a university completely at random, yet another team from University College, Dublin...
Happily, I'm retired and out the game and so no longer liable to be trounced by Kurdistan C...

Shanley Brothers Bring Home Speech Success

Teagan, left, and Mason Lende talk about competing in the National Forensics League tournament in June. Six of their Shanley High School peers also competed. Carrie Snyder / The Forum

From http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/245671/group/News/

Shanley brothers take home high forensics honors
It’s likely most people aren’t too familiar with the Puntland region in Somalia or the status of the Russian economy.

By: Kelly Smith, INFORUM

But two local teens could tell you all about both – and many more topics – thanks to their success and passion for debate and speech that recently made them among the nation’s best.

Last month, Shanley High School’s Mason and Teagan Lende took home two of the top honors at the National Forensics League’s national tournament.

“If you don’t take it seriously, you don’t have much of a chance,” said Teagan, 15. “I enjoy it greatly. It teaches you to take a different perspective.”

His older brother, Mason, said he had the highest number of earned points of anyone in the nation going into this year’s national tournament. And in the end, the 17-year-old won second place out of 483 students in the nation – the highest finish ever, he said, for a North Dakota student.

In the same category, extemporaneous commentary, his younger brother took home fifth place.

Six of their Shanley peers also competed at the tournament – the highest number of students to qualify from a North Dakota school for this year’s tournament, they say.

It’s a lot of achievement in an activity Mason calls a high school hobby.

“Just competing in itself was a crash course,” said the recent Shanley High graduate.

The teens plan to use the public speaking and researching skills later in their careers – Mason with bioengineering and Teagan with politics or law.

Teagan, a sophomore this fall, aims to surpass Mason next year by bringing home the No. 1 spot.

“Mason is his goal,” said their mom, Nancy. “He sets the standards, and he sets them pretty high.”

It’s friendly competition that has only propelled the brothers higher.

“They’ve always been supportive of each other,” she said. “I’ve learned unbelievable amounts of information from them.”

VH1 Network Creates "Debate Club"

From http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/07/02/03/4910-72/index.xml

Published 21:49, July the 1st, 2009

You may be surprised to find out who wins this battle.

VH1’s ‘debate’ club

New Vh1 show poses the ultimate pop culture questions

Who is more bootylicious, J.Lo or Beyonce? Who was the greatest band of all time, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

We can spend hours with friends debating these earth-shattering issues, and now Vh1 will bring them to television with “The Great Debate,” in which our favorite talking heads discuss who wins out in the realm of pop culture stardom.

We asked one of those heads, comedian Chuck Nice, to weigh in on our own dilemmas.

Dorkier franchise: “Harry Potter” or “Lord of the Rings”?
Oh my God, wow. That’s like asking, ‘What is the worse kind of cancer?’ I am going to have to say “Harry Potter.” When grown people dress up like a child wizard, you know there’s a problem.

Better remake: “Star Trek” or “Land of the Lost”?
Oh, come on. First of all, I’m a trekker. The better remake by far is “Star Trek.” You’re dealing with J.J. Abrams. Is there anything that he cannot do?

Most annoying male romantic comedy staple: Matthew McConaughey or Ryan Reynolds?
Definitely Matthew McConaughey with his bongo-playing, weed-smoking, ‘I had a baby in a birthing chair underwater’ hippie-ass self. I’m not buying that Southern gentlemen vibe that he’s kicking.

“Transformers” or “G.I. Joe”?
It’s as simple as this: Let’s talk about the cartoon theme songs. “G.I. Joe, a real American hero” — if you say that to somebody, they may or may not know the song. But if you say to someone, “Transformers,” people will go, “More than meets the eye.” People will sing it right back to you.

Bigger pop star mess: Amy Winehouse on crack or Britney Spears on psychotropic drugs?
First of all, you would have to ascertain whether Britney Spears was on psychotropic drugs. She just might be crazy. She may not need the benefit of drugs. We all know Amy Winehouse was on crack. We don’t know what Britney Spears’ excuse is.

Messier public divorce: Jon and Kate Gosselin or Paul McCartney and Heather Mills?
I am going to go with Jon and Kate, and the reason is because we actually do care about Sir Paul McCartney — that’s why we were interested, whereas with Jon and Kate, you don’t know who you care about less.

Debatepedia Completes Overhaul, Makes Use Easier

From http://www.live-pr.com/en/debatepedia-makes-site-fully-categorized-searchable-r1048291655.htm

Debatepedia Makes Site Fully Categorized, Searchable, Usable

30.06.2009 12:02:35 Debatepedia finished making its site fully categorized, searchable, usable by categorizing all of its more than 2,000 pro/con articles into over 1,200 categories. This allows readers to browse the site, find areas of interest, dig in, and become active contributors.

(live-PR.com) - Washington, DC June 30, 2009 -- Debatepedia finished on June 30th a complete overhaul of its site organization. This started with a highly ambitious effort to categorize its more than 2,000 articles into over 1,200 categories. Categories range from politics to security, international law, bioethics, animal welfare, climate change, history, entertainment, personal choices, culture, United States, Latin America, Taiwan, to any range of possible categories that a debate article could fit within. All categories are organized into a topical hierarchy, so that, for example, the category on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict falls under International Politics. This ensures that users can narrow their search for topics of interest by first starting with the international politics category and then moving to such categories as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One objective of this effort is to make every page on Debatepedia find-able within three clicks of the main page. This is actually really challenging, but it is also a wonderful rule of thumb for organizing a site and optimizing for search engines, as search engine "crawlers" make page-rank judgments based on links from the main page (and many argue it's "within three clicks" that is Google's rule of thumb).

The importance of this effort also reflects the fact that Debatepedia has grown massively, proliferating from around 500 articles to over 2,000 articles in just over a year. With such a large swath of articles, it has become increasingly unappealing for users to rely on basic categories such as politics or law or for alphabetical listings in their searches. A robust categorization of all of Debatepedia's articles was inevitable and necessary.

Debatepedia is a global wiki encyclopedia of public debates, pro and con arguments, and supporting quotations. A project of the International Debate Education Association (IDEA), Debatepedia is something like "the Wikipedia of pros and cons". It aims to engage you and other citizen-editors in centralizing your original arguments - as well as arguments and quotations found in millions of articles, essays, and books - into a single encyclopedia. This helps you and other citizens better weigh the pros and cons in important public debates and make decisions.

Related links:
Home page (for category browser): wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Welcome_to_Debatepedi ..
Media kit: wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Debatepedia:Media_Kit
Categories: wiki.idebate.org/index.php?title=Special:Categor ..
Community portal: wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Community_portal

Contacts:
Brooks Lindsay
Founder of Debatepedia
Debatepedia
3731 E Prospect
Seattle WA, 98112
206-406-7558
brooks@debatepedia.com
wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Welcome_to_Debatepedi ..
Twitter: brookslindsay, debatepedia

Contact information: Debatepedia Seattle WA, 98112 Contact Person: Brooks Lindsay Phone: 206-406-7558 eMail: eMail Web: http://wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Welcome_to_Debatepedia! Author: arun kum e-mail Phone: 04422644656

Virginija Paksiene of Lithuania Gets Recognition in Doumentary

Image via Wikipedia

FROM cphillip@idebate.org

IDEA-NL board member to be interviewed for documentary
In late July, IDEA-Netherlands board member Virginija Paksiene of Lithuania will be interviewed for Daily Life in Europe, a documentary commissioned for the new Visitors Center of the European Parliament, Brussels.
During documentarian Viviane Blumenschein’s stay in Lithuania, she will capture the personal stories of Paksiene and one of her students. Blumenschein also plans to cover “Youth for Europe, Europe for Youth,” a project Paksiene implements as Executive Director of the Informal Education Debate Center. Paksiene‘s project, “Youth Debates in the Baltic States,“ received a grant from the European Parliament in 2008.
Daily Life in Europe will share the European Parliament’s positive impact throughout Europe with 54 personal stories told in 27 countries.

Support Iraq Debate

Hello supporters of debating.

I am working with some Iraq debaters to promote debating in Iraq. I feel
a special burden to assist our brave brothers and sister in Iraq to try
and improve their society through debate. It is easy for us to take for
granted the debating communities we have, but we should not forget about
others for which it is not so easy.

The spearhead for this is Muhammad Duhoki who has organized a group
called Iraq Debate. Muhammad received training in Korea from Jason
Jarvis and others at the Asian Debate Institute and at the Korea
Development Institute. Muhammad has been back in Iraq for a while now
and is acting very vigorously to train debaters and create debating
networks. He took a group to Qatar recently for a competition and the
Iraqis did quite well. He is also coming to the Serbian Debate Camp to
be held later this month.

http://www.iraqdebate.org/

Iraq Debate has several teams now registered to attend the World
Universities Debating Championships to be held in December-January in
Antalya, Turkey. He has teams and enthusiasm and some financial support,
but he is just a bit short and the time draws near to pay up or drop out.

If you would like to help Iraq Debate it would be greatly apprciated. I
have personally made a financial commitment of $300 and will help
sponsor them. I chalenge you to do as much if not more. If you would
like to find out how you can donate, please email him for details at
muhammad@iraqdebate.org

We need to act soon and they need our help now in order to attend worlds.

Future projects involve a debate workshop in Iraq featuring instruction
in Arabic, Kurdish and English to be held in the fall. Muhammad and I
will be reporting more on this in the future.

Hee is some text from their website.

"Mission:

1. Iraq Debate’s mission is to promote debate culture among Iraqis,
especially Students across the universities and schools, to provide them
with the modern concepts of analysis and communication skills so that
they can meet the challenges which face Iraq. Iraq's challenges and
diversity means that it can and should be a leader in Debate Education
and Research.
2. Promoting the value of Education.
3. Showing Iraq's unique cultures and civilization to the world.
4. Promoting a sense of community.
5. Promoting Peace through dialogue and understanding."

-- Alfred C. Snider aka Tuna Edwin Lawrence Professor of Forensics University of Vermont Huber House, 475 Main Street, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405 USA Lawrence Debate Union http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/LDU/ Global Debate Blog http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com Debate Central http://debate.uvm.edu 802-656-0097 office telephone 802-656-4275 office fax

Iraq Debate Emerges Into Debating World

From http://www.iraqdebate.org/

For the First time, A Debate Team represented Iraq. Its Iraq Debate Team which participated successfully in a workshop and followed by moving to Qatar to have a series of workshops to debate, judge and observe then participating in Qatar National Universities Debate Championships and Qatar National Schools Debate Championships in April 2009.

In Qatar National Schools Debate Championships they all Judged and for the Grand Final of the competition Ms. Suzanne and The Coach of Iraq Debate Mr. Muhammad Duhoki judged on the panel.

Iraq Debate Team, experienced Qatar Debate and the State of Qatar with a Scheduled timetable. H. E. The Ambassador of Iraq in Doha met them and was proud that this team represented his country for this cultural event in Doha. Iraq Debate Team attracted views of many people who were visiting there for debate. as was something historical to be done by Iraqis Students Debaters .

Hussein Bakr asked to participate, at late notice, in the National Universities Championships; the student was placed third on individual speaker scores and assisted his team to make the Grand Final.

Iraq Debate Team has a high respect to Qatar Foundation and Qatar Debate for their very kind hospitality and the invitation. we are dedicating our thankfulness to Dr. Hayat Maarafi the Executive Director of Qatar Debate and Ms. Rita Edde the Coordinator of QD and every single one in QD for their helpfulness and facilities to Iraqi Delegation.

We are dedicating our special thanks to Dr. Asma Bamerni for her support to company her university students and to participate in promoting debate in Kurdistan and Iraq. She contributed to have seminar on Qatar Debate Experience in the College of Arts at University of Duhok.

We are looking forward working together to promote debate in the region and we are expecting to participate in the World Schools Debate Championships, to be held in Doha in 2010.

for more details please visit http://qatardebate.org/news/item.asp?n=4304





www.iraqdebate.org

World Schools Debate Academy About to Begin

WORLDS SCHOOLS DEBATE ACADEMY AND TOURNAMENT

Zreče, Slovenia, 5th – 12th July 2009

Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga Slovenia, www.zainproti.com and World Debate Institute, USA, debate.uvm.edu kindly invite you to participate at the International Worlds Schools Debate Academy and Tournament Zreče Open, 5th – 12th July 2009.

The Academy is divided in two parts. The training part starts on Sunday evening, and finishes on Friday lunch time. The tournament starts on Friday early afternoon, finishes on Sunday evening. The participants can apply for the whole event or for the tournament only.

High school students, teachers, coaches and trainers are invited. At the training part the participants will be divided into three different groups based on their experience and expertise - beginners, intermediate and advanced. There will be a special group for trainers and coaches. There will be small groups with a 1 to 6 student trainer ratio, meaning lots of individual attention.

Participants will be staying in Hotel Smogac in the center of Zreče. You can check about the hotel at www.smogavc.si

Prepared motions for this year:

This house has no confidence in capitalism.
This house would focus more on adapting to climate change than preventing it.
This house believes that religious belief is the most important barrier for multiculturalism.
This house would forcefeed anorexics.

Quarterfinals: This house would make only organ donors eligible for organ transplant.
Finals: This house believes trade unions should be mandatory.

Trainers:

Maja Cimerman, member of the Team Slovenia at Worlds Schools Debate Championship 2006, 2007 (EFL World Champion WSDC Korea)

Filip Dobranic, member of the Team Slovenia at Worlds Schools Debate Championship in 2006, 2007, 2008 (Top EFL speaker at WSDC 2007 Korea and 2008 USA, EFL World Champion WSDC 2007 Korea and 2008 Washington).

Anna Mojca England Kerr, member of the Team Slovenia at Worlds Schools Debate Championship 2006, 2007 (EFL World Champion WSDC Korea).

Rhydian Morgan, Great Britain, Chief Adjudictor at numerous tournaments and trainer.

David Register, University of Vermont. USA, award-winning coach.

Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia (EFL Worlds Champion Coach WSDC Canada, Korea, USA).

Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont, USA, award-winning coach.

Anja Šerc, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia

Ruth Zisman, Doctoral Fellow at New York University, USA, award-winning coach.

Organising committee:
Miha Andric
Bojana Skrt

Attend the entire event:
Arrival on Sunday late afternoon, July 5th
Departure on Monday morning, July 12th
Participation fee: 250 EUR covers all instruction, accomodation and food for 8 nights, trainers, materials and tournament.
Application form for entire event

The participants should apply individually.

Attend the tournament only:
Arrival: Friday, the 10th, morning
Departure: Monday, the 12th, morning
Participation fee: 100 EUR covers accomodation and food for 3 nights and tournament expences.
The cost for an additional night (coming on Thursday) is 30 EUR.
Application form for tournament only

The participants should apply as 3 members teams. Each team should be accompanied by a judge.

Participation fees should be paid in cash upon arrival or via bank tranfer prior to the event. The ones who would like to pay via bank tranfer, please, contact debata@siol.net for additional information.

Application forms in the attachments. Please, send the application forms to debata@siol.net as soon as possible but not later than June 25th.

You can check the news and updates at http://debate.uvm.edu/wsda.html

SCHEDULE

Sunday, 5th of July 2009
16.00 – 19.00 Registration
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner
20.00 – 22.00 Opening, participants test, demo debate and introduction to the format.

Monday, 6th of July 2009
7:30 -- 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Morning announcements
9.00 – 10.00 Lecture: Public speaking
10.00 – 12.00 Exercises
12.00 – 13.00 Lecture: Points of information
13.00 – 14.30 Lunch
14.30 – 19.00 Debates (preparation for debates, debates, feedback)
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner

Tuesday, 7th of July 2009
7:30 -- 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Morning announcements
9.00 – 10.00 Lecture: Argumentation
10.00 – 12.00 Exercises
12.00 – 13.00 Lecture: Argumentation
13.00 – 14.30 Lunch
14.30 – 19.00 Debates (preparation for debates, debates, feedback)
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner
20.00 – 21.00 Electives

Wednesday, 8th of July 2009
7:30 -- 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Morning announcements
9.00 – 10.00 Lecture: Building proposition case.
10.00 – 12.00 Exercises
12.00 – 13.00 Lecture: Motions analyses
13.00 – 14.30 Lunch
14.30 – 19.00 Debates (preparation for debates, debates, feedback)
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner
20.00 – 21.00 Electives

Thursday, 9th of July 2009
7:30 -- 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Morning announcements
9.00 – 10.00 Lecture: Building opposition case.
10.00 – 12.00 Exercises
12.00 – 13.00 Lecture: Refutation.
13.00 – 14.30 Lunch
14.30 – 19.00 Debates (preparation for debates, debates, feedback)
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner
20.00 – 21.00 Open Forum

Friday, 10th of July 2009
7:30 -- 8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Morning announcements
9.00 – 10.00 Lecture: Third speeches
10.00 – 12.00 Exercises
12.00 – 13.00 Lecture: Reply speeches

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Prepared motions will be announced during first weekend in May.

Friday, 10th of July 2009
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.30 Openning of the tournament

15.00 – 17.00
Debater briefing
Adjudication briefing and judges test

17.00 Round 1 prepared

19.00 – 20.00 Dinner

Saturday, 10th of July
9.00 Round 2 – prepared

11.00 Impromptu motion announced
12.00 Round 3 – impromptu

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 Impromptu motion announcement
15.00 Round 4 – impromptu
17.00 Round 5 – prepared
19.00 – Dinner and socials

Sunday, 11th of July
9.00 Round 6 – prepared

11.00 Impromptu motion announcement
12.00 Round 7 – impromptu

13.30 – 14.30 Lunch

14.30 Quarterfinalists announcement
15.00 Quarterfinal – prepared

16.30 Semi – finalists announcement, impromptu motion announcement
18.00 Semi – finale
19.30 Dinner

21.00 Finale – prepared
Closing ceremony
Party

High School Debate Increases College Attendance in Chicago

From http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-debate-city-zonejun17,0,6855202.story

More than idle talk

Debate team skills put students on a special stage

By Cara Anthony |Tribune reporter

June 17, 2009

Brandon McNamara (center) hugs fellow graduate Felice Kimbrew after the Harlan High School graduation June 5. McNamara received a full ride to Northwestern University because of his debate skills. (Photo for the Tribune by Yvette Marie Dostatni / June 5, 2009)

Some high schoolers use free time to goof off with friends, but Brandon McNamara studied tough topics like nuclear war and alternative energy when he was not in the classroom.

McNamara was a member of the Harlan Community Academy's debate team, which meant he often stayed up late doing research on issues like biofuels and global warming, and he and his teammates set up mock debates on weekends so they could practice for tournaments. Because of his dedication and debating skill, McNamara won a full ride to Northwestern University. He's just one example of how participating in debates has helped Chicago Public Schools students excel academically, while also improving their social skills.

"I was never really a good speaker when I was younger, that's how most people are," said McNamara, who joined the team his sophomore year and stayed because of the "real world" experience he gained on the team.

"It makes you want to learn more," he said.

Debate students at Chicago schools participate in Chicago Debate League competitions. Sylvia Nelson, who manages the debate program for the school district -- there are teams at 51 high schools and 9 elementary schools -- said increased awareness of the program helped the Chicago Debate League to grow.

The number of competitive academic debaters in the league grew to more than 1,000 this school year -- a 37 percent increase from a year ago, said Les Lynn, executive director of the Chicago Debate Commission, which gives support to schools with debate teams.

Like McNamara, Halle Apy said she didn't like speaking in front of people before joining the debate team at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School on the Near North Side.

"It's one of the best decisions I made in high school, and I am glad I stuck with it," said Apy, who just finished her junior year.

Apy and teammate Jeremiah Pickert in April took first place at the National Association for the Urban Debate League's high school debate championship in Chicago.

The two are in Birmingham, Ala., competing in the National Forensic League's National Speech Tournament, which ends Friday. The tournament is the originator of the oldest high school debate competition in the country

Pickert, 17, a recent graduate, isn't sure where he will go to college but knows his research and study habits honed by debating will help him to succeed.

"The things you learn in debate spill over," Pickert said.

Research indicates Pickert is likely right. 2004 University of Missouri study found that debating skills have a positive effect on academic performance. And researchers at the University of Michigan are looking at the impact on academics.

Robert Pincham, Harlan's debate coach, says all of his debaters have received college acceptance letters from such schools as the University of Illinois, Howard University and Vanderbilt University.

canthony@tribune.com

DAPDI Adds Judging Workshop

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Dear all,


As you know, there's no better place to practice for Euro's and improve your debating skills than DAPDI (July 13th - July 17th, in Rotterdam): A three days summer school, topped by a 2 day tournament.

DAPDI is not only for improving your skills as a speaker. New at DAPDI this year are workshops for Adjudicators. There will be the opportunity to judge different debates, get to know different perspectives and judging styles and get to know how the mentioned trainers evaluate a BP debate.

You can still register, just send this registration form (http://www.dapdi.nl/registration_dapdi09.doc)
to convenor@dapdi.nl

DAPDI will be held in Rotterdam and starts Monday the 13th at noon. Our trainers are:
- Will Jones (head trainer),
- Gavin Illsley
- Jo Box
- David Middlemiss
- Max Kasriel
- Mark Manson
- and Jack Watson

The registration fee is € 95. This includes workshops, tournament, and off course crash & food.


I hope see you in July,

------
Abulhassan Al-Jaberi,
convenor@dapdi.nl
www.dapdi.nl
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10848834884

Last Chance to Register for Euros 2009

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Oskar Avery

Co-Convenor EUDC Newcastle 2009 @NewcastleGateshead

Dear Debaters,

After all the excitement from Worlds Reg, here is the latest news from EUDC Newcastle. We've been having a good summer so far. It's decided to rain today but the forecast is for more sunshine tomorrow. Let's hope for good weather come August!

1) Registration: This has dragged on a lot longer than we expected, but hasn't proved too much trouble in the end. Reg will finally close to everyone on Friday July 3rd at 1700hrs GMT. Reg currently stands at 192 teams. That leaves us some spare capacity, so if you are still looking to attend a major international competition (wink) maybe we can help. Remember, non-European teams can come but will not be eligible for the Open Break. We will be running a small non-Europeans final in order to provide incentive to do well. European teams, are of course, extremely welcome.

2) Weather: continuing the weather theme, many people have asked for advice about what weather to expect in Newcastle. It'll be British summer time, so expect a little of everything. At a guess, anything between wet and temperatures of 5deg C and sunny up to 25degC. Packing advice: a little of everything, be prepared. The British Meteorological Office forecast is available here: http://tinyurl.com/bsm7vy

3) Location: Accommodation will be at Castle Leazes Halls of Residence. The Address is

Castle Leazes Halls of Residence
Spital Tongues
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear
NE2 4NY

and can be found on Google maps here http://tinyurl.com/mo999t

4) Arrival: Remember that you need to arrive and be registered by 1600hrs on the 1st August so that judges can sit the Adjudication Test at 1700hrs. There will be a separate adjudication test at the Halls at 2230hrs for observers of Shabbat. We will have volunteers posted at Newcastle Airport, Newcastle Central Station and the Ferry Terminal. If you're arriving anywhere else strange, please email us on eudc.union@ncl.acl.uk Parking will be a massive problem. We will try to find a side street for you to park in, but that's not guaranteed!

Please be advised that unlike previous years, we don't have the funding to provide a shuttle bus service to the accommodation. We will be escorting people on the Metro service from the station and airport. On arrival this means that you will need a small amount of UK pounds in your hand. The cost of a Metro ticket will be Airport - £2.90. Railway Station - £1.40. The Ferry Terminal shuttle bus to the Station is £3.00 from where you can get a Metro onwards.

5) Also, we have a nice new sponsor. Many thanks to OneNorthEast!

Thanks,
Russell Haswell
EUDC Newcastle'09
@NewcastleGateshead
Co-Convenor

Indiana High Schools Wins Bruno Jacob Award

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From http://www.chestertontribune.com/Education%20Duneland%20Schools/62291%20chs_speech_and_debate_team_wins.htm

The Chesterton High School Speech and Debate Team won the prestigious Bruno E. Jacob National Award of Excellence at the National Forensic League’s national tournament in Birmingham, Alabama. In doing so, Chesterton became the first public school to ever win the award for the third time.
Marquette University High School is the only school to have won the award four times, and Bellarmine Preparatory School in California is the only other school to have won it for a third time.
The Bruno E. Jacob Award recognizes team excellence based on cumulative rounds of performance at the national tournament.
Once a team has won the award they go back to zero and start all over again. The last time the team received the award was in 1994.
In addition to the team honor, junior Tyler Fabbri was a finalist in U.S. extemporaneous speaking, placing fifth in the nation.
Based on a new rule for NFL qualification, Fabbri, as an underclassman, is guaranteed a spot in next year’s national tournament.
The NFL Executive Director, J. Scott Wunn, explained the new qualification rule as a reward for underclassmen who start the year along with 36,000 students competing in their event, advance to the national tournament along with 235 other qualifiers, and then finally place in the top six in the nation.
Fabbri competed in twelve rounds of competition at the national tournament before advancing to finals. This is the second time in three weeks Fabbri has received national recognition in forensics; he placed eighth in the nation in original oratory at the NCFL national tournament in Albany, New York.
The Bruno E. Jacob award recognizes team efforts based on the number of rounds accumulated over a period of years. Coach Chris Lowery pointed out, “If just one of our entries had not advanced we wouldn’t have won this award this year. This is what team is all about.”
Advancing beyond the six preliminary rounds for all qualifiers, were the public forum teams of Dakota McCoy (10) and Alec Donelson (12) - 9 rounds - and Luke Morgan (11) and Spencer Hadley (10).
In addition, Elisabeth Kindmark (10) in Oratory, Adam Potrzebowski in international extemporaneous, and the senior duo team of Jack Deuberry and Jackson Fox advanced to octafinals (8 rounds), placing them in the top 60 in their respective events.
Students not advancing but whose rounds helped to contribute to the Bruno E. Jacob recognition included Hayley Miller (11) in oratory, Matt Keeley (11) in drama, and Aris Ringas in student congress.
Also contributing were Lincoln/Douglas debaters Aralan Brooks (12) and Megan Adamczewski (11), as well as the policy debate teams of Siva Muthusamy (12) and Manhur Grewal (12), and Ben Andrews (12) and Jeff Tucker (11).
Coach Jim Cavallo, who also received the Bruno E. Jacob coach award, commented, “This really took all of us by surprise. We didn’t think we would be able to overcome the lead of the schools ahead of us, but the team really came through.”
This is especially rewarding for Cavallo, as he retires from teaching and coaching after more than 35 years.
Coaches Cavallo, Bob Kelly, Chris Lowery, Scott Woodhouse, Doug Pishkur and Kayla Fleming were joined by former student Molly Deuberry.
All helped with judging duties.
The team and its coaches will be honored at a banquet Tuesday evening, hosted by Michael and Susan Harris.

Piedmont College Debate Camp Does Rural Oureach

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A three day debate camp was held at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia in late June. The purpose of the camp was to give basic debate instruction to students in rural north Georgia as well as to introduce them to Piedmont College and its debate program.

The director of the program, Dr. Janice Moss, said that this was a first attempt to try and give rural students a chance to go to a debate camp without having to go far from home. She stressed that the camp also was a chance to showcase the tremendous new facilities that the college has as well as its debate team. The camp featured instruction in public forum debate along with practice debates and a tournament. Students debated, "Social networking websites like Facebook do more harm than good." The students were enthusiastic about the content of the program as well as the topic.

Alfred Snider of the University of Vermont and the World Debate Institute dropped in as a guest instructor. "I really wanted to support Dr. Moss and Piedmont because I like what they are doing. They are keeping costs low and trying to reach students who have not previously had a chance. I think they are on the brink of something really good and I hope next year's program will grow and become a week in length."

For information, contact Dr. Janice Moss at jmoss@piedmont.edu