Tournament at Stockholm School of Economics in December

SSE Riga & LMT IV 2008
It is our pleasure to invite you to SSE Riga & LMT IV 2008 taking place from 12-14 December. Celebrating its 10th jubilee edition, we are committed to making the tournament an experience way beyond just ordinary debating.
For ten years maintaining high quality debating and competent judging accompanied by lavish socials with unlimited free alcohol and excellent food in the splendid surroundings of the central Riga’s Art Nouveau architecture, SSE Riga & LMT IV has become a real highlight among the events of this kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It will indeed remain such in 2008 captivating with a funky atmosphere, creative flare and passion for controversy only Riga can offer.
While keeping the cornerstone aspects of our traditional package we constantly strive for further enhancements. During this year’s event we will be delighted to accommodate you at the 5-star Radisson SAS hotel.
Delivering our promise of fair and professional adjudication Co-CAs of the tournament - Nick Devlin, the former director of Debating at the Cambridge Union Society, and Yuri Romanenkov, the ESL finalist at WUDC 2007 in Vancouver, are in the process of selecting a pool of highly qualified adjudicators. It already includes Debbie Newman, a former president of the Cambridge Union and the coach of the winning team at World Schools 2008, as well as several high profile alumni of the SSE Riga & LMT Debate Society.
We offer this entire package for mere €40 per debater and €20 for adjudicator coming in compliance with n-1 rule.
The registration closes on 30 November, or when the cap of 40 teams is reached, whichever is earlier. For more information, registration form and encounter with a blue speaking cow (yet another highlight of this year’s event) please visit our website www.sserigaiv.com
We will continue putting every effort to make the tournament unforgettable and look forward to seeing you in December.
Should you have any questions do not hesitate to contact:
Convenor
Paulius Pikelis
Email: info@sserigaiv.com

Debate Team Denied Funding at College of New Jersey

It doesn't always go well in these matters.

From http://media.www.signal-online.net/media/storage/paper771/news/2008/10/29/News/Sfb-Rejects.Funding.For.College.Debate.Club-3510319.shtml

SFB rejects funding for College debate club

By: Nate Currie

Posted: 10/29/08

The Student Finance Board (SFB) narrowly rejected a new club budget for the College's debate team at its meeting last Wednesday in an 8-7 vote.

The decision, reached only after an hour of tense discussion, was a blow to the team, which has been funding both in- and out-of-state competitions out-of-pocket.

Despite the team's arguments that it enhances the College's reputation, the board's majority felt the group was not doing enough work or sponsoring the necessary on-campus events to deserve funding.

"They could be putting on events on campus," Jim Gallagher, equipment center manager, said. "It's ridiculous that they couldn't propose one thing."

Student Government Association (SGA) representative Brian Block said, "I think they're an important group that deserves our support."

Freshman representative Warren Samlin added, "They seem to be a pretty dedicated group and debate is an important aspect of any campus community."

The debate team's proposal to eventually sponsor a yearly debate at the College, along with arguments from the SFB minority that the team simply couldn't sponsor campus events without board funding, did not sway the majority. The group must wait at least one semester before appearing in front of the board again.

SGA was unanimously allocated $17,299 to sponsor TCNJ Holiday, a campus-wide celebration of diverse cultural and religious holidays that, according to its official request, "provides an opportunity for campus organizations to come together, celebrate the season, make holiday crafts for local charities and de-stress generally." The event is scheduled for Dec. 4.

In a 14-1 vote, Leadership Development Program (LDP) was granted $3,614 to sponsor a retreat, which according to LDP's proposal, "is open to the entire student body and allows students to leave the campus setting and take time to focus on leadership and teambuilding skills."

Ink, the College's creative writing organization, was granted $2,867.50 to host popular contemporary poet Dean Young on Feb. 25. According to the proposal, Young will "offer a poetry reading in the New Library Auditorium, participate in a Q-and-A session and book signing and host a poetry workshop/lecture."

Prism, the College's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group was allocated $2,700 to host lecturer Elaine Pasqua, who according to the proposal, "will be presenting about AIDS in general; her personal experience with it, along with a frank discussion about how living with AIDS affects people's relationships and social standings." She will speak in room 101 of the Physics Building on Nov. 3. Prism was also unanimously granted $963 to sponsor a campus-wide AIDS Awareness Week starting Nov. 2.

The Deaf-Hearing Connection was unanimously granted $2,679 to bring Christy Smith, a deaf participant in CBS's "Survivor" and Dave Justice, her hearing colleague, to the campus to discuss her experiences with deaf cultures around the world. The program will take place in the Mildred & Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall on Nov. 5.

The organization was also unanimously allocated $1,169 to bring Josh Swiller, an internationally known deaf author and lecturer. The presentation will take place Oct. 27 in the New Library Auditorium.

Unión Latina was unanimously allocated $1,790.51 to host Explosion Latina, an event that, according to the proposal, will "promote a cultural awareness of the Latino community throughout the campus." The gala, which will include a cultural meal and DJ, is scheduled for Nov. 7 in Brower Student Center.

The Indian Student Association was unanimously allocated $719 to host a coffeehouse showcasing cultural talents Nov. 12 in the Cromwell Main Lounge.

In a 13-1-1 vote, the College Democrats were allocated $390 to host an Election Night victory party. According to its proposal, the purpose of the event is to "provide students with a traditional election night, win or lose 'victory party.'" The event's ultimate goal is to foster political awareness at the College. The College Democrats were also granted $236 to raise organization awareness through campus-wide advertising.

SFB, which previously had a balance of $237,881.10, allocated a total of $34,434.01.

Debate Grows as it is "Cool" to be Nerdy

From http://www.record-eagle.com/education/local_story_302094015.html

Nerds Are Back: Debate becoming popular again with students

By MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS
mdrahos@record-eagle.com
October 28, 2008 12:00 am

—

TRAVERSE CITY -- Katlyn Westmaas strode purposefully down the hall in her muted brown plaid suit, toting two large tubs of research on a hand truck behind her.

Looking a lot like a lawyer going to trial, the McBain High School senior was preparing for her first debate of the season in Traverse City Debate League competition.

"I'm nervous and excited both because this is the first debate of the year and we're kind of getting back in the swing of it," said Westmaas, part of last year's Class C state championship team.

Once considered the province of the nerdy, debate is making a comeback in some area high schools where brainy now is beautiful. The proof is in the numbers: Traverse City Central High School's debate team jumped from 42 students last year to 60 this year, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing teams in the state. After it's win, state champion McBain skyrocketed from 10 students last year to 30 this year.

"No one was more surprised than I was," said McBain Debate Coach Kathy McCauliff.

The two teams will face off in league competition this year along with Traverse City West, Cadillac, East Jordan, Elk Rapids, Gaylord, Petoskey and newcomer Inland Lakes. Competition kicked off Oct. 22 at host school Traverse City Central and continues Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

This year's national policy debate topic is one on everyone's mind: increasing alternative energy incentives in the United States.

Anna Frick took debate class in the ninth grade, when students needed a public speaking class to graduate high school, then joined the Central debate team.

"The choices at my junior high were theater or public speaking or debate so a lot of smarter people ended up taking debate," said Frick, now a third year debater on the team. "It's really fun and it definitely challenges you to know a lot of stuff and use it effectively.

"Some people like me who are really enthusiastic about it are pretty nerdy, but nerdy has become less of a bad thing," she added. "We're proud of the fact that we know a lot about things and can use it effectively."

Traverse City first gained a reputation for its debaters thanks to a local tobacconist, said Jon Fitzgerald, executive director of the 200-or-so-member Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association.

"Michael Nolan not only was an outstanding debater but a fabulous debate coach and was responsible for the early success of the Traverse City school (program) when it was a single school," Fitzgerald said. "There have been lots of talented people that have come out of Traverse City."

Though the program has waxed and waned since, "it's cool to be a debater at Central," said the school's current debate coach, Carol Roehrich, who aims to put Traverse City back on the Michigan debate map. In fact, debaters win varsity letters and get their names in announcements just like athletes.

"I've really sold them on how much of a rush it is to defeat an opponent with your mind and analysis and thinking on your feet," Roehrich said. "It's every bit as satisfying as a touchdown or making a three-pointer."

Westmaas wants to study international business in college and said her debate experience at McBain will help her achieve her goals.

"It's the research factor, because in college there's a lot of that," said Westmaas, whose debate partner also is her cousin, Rachel Westmaas. "And I'm really not afraid of speaking in front of people."

Those and other debate skills are advantages college admissions boards look favorably upon, Roehrich said.

"The competition for getting into a good school is greater than ever before and the kids know debate looks good on a transcript. Debaters are good communicators, researchers and problem solvers and they're real good indicators of what kind of student a college is getting," she said.

Better yet, debate skills are skills for life, said McCauliff, whose competition sweatshirt proclaims her philosophy: "Debate is Life. The rest is just prep time."

"It's never about winning," McCauliff said. "It's all about having fun and learning to use your brain and communicating effectively."

While Michigan has been relatively stable with regard to the number of debate teams, that may change as state mandates give schools less flexibility regarding curriculum, said Fitzgerald. For instance, debate class at Traverse City Central and West is only a trimester, making it harder for the schools to compete against others with year-long debate programs and bigger budgets.

That McBain won the state championship in its division last year is a testament to the preparation schools get through competition in the Traverse City Debate League, said league president Terri Reisig, whose Elk Rapids debate team was state runner-up in 2006-07.

"They won for all of us," she said. "They showed you can be from up north, you can be small and you can win."

Pan Pacific Championship Debate Tournament Results

From Rose Helens-Hart:

Aloha colleagues,

The Hawaii Pacific University Sea Warrior Debate Society hosted the
second annual Pan Pacific Championship Debate Tournament, October
18-19 at the Hawaii Loa Campus. Twenty debate teams representing 10
universities from Hawaii and the mainland competed in World style
debate for the title of Pan Pacific Champions of debate! Rocky
Mountain College (Katie Berst and Allison Reidmohr) won the overall
Championship title and a team from Hawaii Pacific University (HPU)
(Craig Ursuy and Cody Corcelius) won the title of the overall best
team from Hawaii.

This year the tournament featured topics on democracy in Zimbabwe,
protecting ocean resources, women in international peace negotiations,
selling human organs for profit, expanding NATO and the financial bailout.

Teams from the Claremont Colleges (Claremont, CA), Loyola Marymount
University (Los Angeles, CA) Northwest University (Kirkland, WA) and
Rocky Mountain College (Billings, MT) reached the grand final round
held at the Kalama Beach House in Kailua, HI and debated on whether
the Israeli-Palestinian crisis could be solved without violence.
Before the final round, teams were treated to Hawaiian style BBQ on
the beach and a Hula presentation performed by award-winning HPU
students from the Hawaiian Culture Club.

Other institutions represented at the tournament were Portland State
University, Reed University, California State University San
Bernardino, Linfield College, and the University of Hawaii. The
tournament is held in the World's style BP and registration of
international teams is welcomed and encouraged.

Next year's Pan Pacific Championship will tentatively held next Oct.
9-11. See you next year in paradise!

Mahalo,

Rose Helens-Hart
Director of Debate
Hawaii Pacific University
1132 Bishop Street, Suite 510B
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone :(808) 544-9378
Fax: (808) 544-0835
rhelens@hpu.edu

Two Million Enter English Speech Contest in China

From http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/09/content_10172373.htm

English speech contest attracts millions of students
www.chinaview.cn 2008-10-09 22:55:20

BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 14th National English Speech Contest has attracted two million college students in its online preliminary selection since opening three months ago.

The competition, jointly sponsored by the China Daily, the country's leading English-language newspaper, and the Lenovo Group, chose "the city and the quality of life" as its theme.

Topics of the speeches may cover city construction, environment protection, migration and communication, as well as social problems brought about by urbanization.

Huang Qing, the newspaper's managing editor, said on Thursday at a press release the competition would have four stages, i.e. preliminary selection online, oral test via the phone, regional contests and final contest.

At the first stage, contestants can submit their recitals of English stories, poems, film scripts and even songs to the official website. The public are invited to vote for talented contestants either online or through mobile phone messages.

To enhance the transparency and fairness of the competition's judging system, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) was invited to provide professional testing standards and expert support, as well as offering topics and scenarios from the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), for the oral exam portion of the competition.

Learning English became a fashion and even a fever since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy 30 years ago. Almost all college students in the country study English as a touching stone to apply for overseas studies. In recent years, English skill has become a necessary quality to get a good job.

For a long time, English teaching in China emphasized more on reading and writing instead of listening and speaking, therefore, students could easily get high exam scores despite poor spoken English.

To improve the situation, China began to change the English teaching methods in 2002 by emphasizing the ability of communication.

Liu Xianghong, a Ministry of Education official, said the competition not only gives students a platform to showcase their language skill, but also encourages Chinese schools to improve communication-oriented teaching methods of English.

Li Yanshu, a member of the jury committee and a Beijing Language and Culture University professor, said the competition had become a sub-regional contest for the UK-based International English Speaking Competition; Chinese contestants had gained wide acclaim from the international circle.

According to the organizer, the final competition will be held in April.

Finalists for USA 2009-2010 Schools Topic Announced

From Tara Tate:

Health Care and Poverty are the final
choices for the 2009-2010 national debate topic

The National Federation of State High School Associations recently tabulated debate ballots from 35 states, the National Catholic Forensic League, National Debate Coaches Association and the National Forensic League. The returned ballots narrowed the five proposed topics to two for placement on the final ballot to select the 2009-2010 national high school debate topic. The five topic areas were ranked 1-5 with the two topic areas receiving the lowest totals – Health Care and Poverty– placed on the final ballot. On January 8, 2009, the NFHS will announce the preferred topic area and resolution.

In addition to the NFL NCFL and NDCA, the following states returned ballots:
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Within each of the five topic areas appears one resolution. The resolutions within the two final topic areas are:

HEALTH CARE
Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a universal health care system in the United States.

POVERTY

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

The following chart summarizes the balloting on the topic areas and their respective resolutions.

** Areas ranked 1-2-3-4-5 with low combined total indicative of top ranking.
** National CX Debate Topic Area Balloting:

110 Space – Topic I
87 Health Care – Topic 2
110 Immigration – Topic 3
155 Federal Elections – Topic 4
108 Poverty – Topic 5

Hope vs. Action Debate in Germany

From http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2574395/U-S-Presidential-Debate-in-Berlin.html

U.S. ELECTIONS ABROAD
U.S. Presidential Debate, in Berlin

14.October 2008, 13:53
Inspired by the political fervor in the United States, the German capital Berlin is abuzz with election-themed events. One of these, the Debate Club, examined whether or not vision is more important than action.

The passion released by the battle for the White House is not limited to the United States. Barack Obama’s speech before 200,000 screaming Berliners was criticized as a publicity stunt, but there’s no denying the zeal with which people around the globe, but particularly in Germany, follow the twists and turns of the U.S. presidential election campaign.

The enthusiasm is so great, in Berlin it has spawned a host of election-themed events, from Obama parties organized by Democrats Abroad, to a McCain-Obama debate between the Republicans and Democrats abroad. There’s a weekly film series at a major cinema showing U.S. presidential-themed films, panel discussions at the historic Amerika-Haus built after World War II to foster intercultural exchange, and a number of parties across the city planned for watching the returns come in on November 4th.

Of course one finds American expats at these events. At many, however, the vast majority are Germans, just as enthusiastic as their American counterparts. Estimates of the number of Americans living in the German capital run from 12,000 to 20,000. Either way, even without the scores of American students, artists, designers, musicians, government employees, and business people populating the city, there would be enough German interest to sustain these events.

One such event is the Debate Club, a German debate forum on topics related to the U.S. campaign, modelled loosely after the American tradition of presidential debates. Debate Club is held in a typically Berlin-hip location, the Rodeo Club in the old Berlin post office. Under a large domed ceiling decorated with intricate woodwork, a crowd of perhaps 200 politically-savvy Berliners gathered to relax and watch the two debating teams argue over the theme of the evening: do we need new bearers of hope?
At the door, guests were asked whether they supported hope or action. A difficult choice, but this was also the basis for the debate, in which the two teams argued for one side or the other, for vision or for pragmatism.

The ten debaters were instructed to stick to the evening’s theme, and not argue directly for one candidate or another, but this proved too much for some debaters. The final debater simply stated outright, she would use her five minutes to shamelessly deliver pro-Obama “propaganda”. At least she was speaking to a sympathetic audience: in Germany, where Obama is referred to as “the black Kennedy”, Obamamania rules.

McCain versus Obama has inspired debating forums overseas, including in Berlin.

As for the debate itself, perhaps due to its overly-polite format, or perhaps due to the abstract topic, it never really became a full-on debate. Instead, each participant delivered a five-minute statement, only a few of which directly addressed the other debaters. Some of the speeches were more rehearsed than others, but only one really stood out.
Sascha Lobo, a well-known blogger, underground marketer and author with a giant red mohawk, stood out even before he began to speak his piece. He said he was there to debate, and debating meant attacking the statements of the opposing team, representing hope and vision.

The argument of a member of the hope team, that those with utopian visions have changed history for the better, is bogus, he said; Kant’s treatise on “perpetual peace” did not come about through his philosophical musings. The American Dream, he said, was only possible through hard work: dreams did not put an American on the moon.

Finally, he quoted the old West German chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who said that when he had visions, he went to the doctor.

After the debaters had all had a chance to speak, the audience had a chance to vote again, via blue ‘yes!’ and red ‘no!’ cards, whether they believed we need new leaders emphasizing hope. Sascha Lobo’s performance proved convincing: while the first vote had been 70 to 30 percent in favor of hope, the second vote reversed this, with 72 percent supporting action over 28 percent for hope.

Debate Club concluded, then, with a call to action. An outcome that also reflects the mood that in tackling serious problems such as the present financial crisis, dreams are not enough.

USA Schools Students Debate in French

From http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10827371?nclick_check=1

Students wow crowd with debate in French

By Joe Rodriguez
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/27/2008 07:08:17 AM PDT

There were the three presidential debates with an entire nation tuning in -- and then there was, well, the high school debate Sunday in Cupertino.
To begin with, it's safe to say the debaters at Monta Vista High had more fun, and just as much to say, if not more. The audience appreciated that they didn't pander for votes and stayed respectfully on the two topics: the worldwide financial crisis and global warming. And at the end there was a clear and gracious winner.
But the biggest difference was language: Where Barack Obama and John McCain dueled in English, the students squared off in "le français.''
"They were amazing,'' said Flora Djenadi, language and education coordinator for the French consulate in San Francisco. She had traveled down Interstate 280 for Silicon Valley's first high school debate in French — at least the first anyone in the Francophile crowd could remember.
About 40 people filed into a surprisingly boisterous room to see 18 advanced-French students from Monta Vista, Lynbrook and Saratoga high schools. Most members of the audience were their classmates, but there also were some parents who could not understand a word, including Kalpana Galagali.
She was in the front row, nervously rubbing her hands. Her son Tarun organized the debate and had recently found its sponsor, the Bay Area French Public Forum. The Monta Vista senior has become a heavyweight in this league, but to his mother the whole thing about learning French was a surprise from the start.
"We had absolutely no clue when he said he wanted to do this,'' Galagali said. "He came home one day saying he loves French. I think it's because he likes to talk, likes to debate and likes the way French sounds. It's so beautiful. Now I'm cheering for him to do well.''
This was a friendly match. The 18 students didn't represent their schools but were instead mixed into three teams of six each. So there was no school-vs.-school rivalry.
Early jitters were noticeable in the first round over the financial crisis. Some students became tongue-tied, grunted in exasperation or blurted out some English words — a big no-no. But by the second round, over global warming, the diplomatic gloves had come off.
The teams mostly jousted but sometimes agreed. The debating went along these lines: We need to regulate the credit market, or rein in reckless consumer spending. Adopting alternate energies is the ultimate answer — and perhaps we should punish companies that don't adopt green policies. And so on.
Usually, a debater from each team stood one at a time to speak. But at one point, Tarun's team made a bold move. They all stood and lined up in front of the five judges. Each gave his or her argument. It was an in-your-face tactic to intimidate the other teams.
But Quinton Beck wasn't fazed. By then the Lynbrook student had become a crowd favorite with his engaging smile, animated delivery and facial contortions from straining for the right word in French.
"Bon,'' he said after Tarun's team seemed to score points. "Good!"
And then he worked his magic.
Quinton's team eventually won the contest for its clear and concise arguments, but the real winner was foreign-language instruction.
"Of course, I am French so I have my favorite language,'' said Jacqueline Walker, president of the Alliance Française of Santa Clara Valley and a judge at the debate. "But it's important for all American students to study a second language. It helps their first one, English, but it also helps them to understand other cultures."
Lise Gabet, the French teacher at Monta Vista who inspired Tarun, noted that France is home to many global companies and non-profits, such as Doctors without Borders, that are eager to hire bright, bilingual young people. Sylvie Le Meur, another French teacher at Monta Vista, said more students around the world study French than any other language except English.
The teenagers, of course, added personal reasons for debating in the original lingua franca.
"I first fell in love with speech and debate and then with French,'' Tarun said. "It just seemed natural to combine them.''
Wenwan Yang, another co-founder of the French forum, had learned the language in Canada, where her family had moved from China. After moving to Silicon Valley, English gradually took over.
"I wanted to keep my French alive,'' she said. "Speaking it, debating in the language, it's so magical.''
Of all the debaters, Karolina Plonowska seemed to be the most natural, with near-flawless pronunciation. Six years ago, newly arrived from Poland, the Monta Vista student couldn't speak a word of English, let alone French.
"My parents decided to just throw me into the educational system,'' she said. "I used my Polish to strengthen my French accent.''
While a few of the student debaters were thinking of careers as interpreters, most were undecided or set on going into other fields such as biochemistry, computers and teaching.
But just in case any of them need a job four years from now, there will be a presidential debate format that could use some expert help, in any language.

NEDA - Yet Another American Debate Format

Call the USA a land of diversity, at least in debate. With the current bad publicity for policy debate, organizations that sponsor different sorts of debate are getting more attention. In this one, for example, you can only attend a tournament if you are approved by the organization, and judges can punish with double losses behavior they disapprove of. You decide what you think. The list of schools competing is interesting.

More information can be found at
http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/underberg/neda/
and also http://www.neda.us/

Here is some background information from
http://gisskystudio.com/22/national-educational-debate-association/

National Educational Debate Association

The National Educational Debate Association (NEDA) is a collegiate debate association emphasizing audience-centered debate. It was founded by debate educators who believe that the debate tournament is an extension of the communication classroom and that even competitive debates should provide students with skills of research, argument selection, and presentation style that will benefit them as public advocates. NEDA schedules eight invitational tournaments a year, primarily in the mid-west. The association debates two resolutions per year. The fall resolution is one of value, and the spring resolution is one of policy.

Several aspects of NEDA make it distinct from other debate organizations, including the ability to decide topicality at the end of the constructive speeches, the ability of judges to give “double losses” in those cases in which neither team argues in a manner consistent befitting a public advocate, closed cross examination, and a focus on argumentation and delivery. Also, half of all tournament judges are ‘lay judges’ - that is, they are not debate coaches. Membership in NEDA is awarded to individuals, not institutions, and all members must apply and be approved the governing body. The intended focus is on the clash over the issues central to the debate proposition. The debate is similar to Public Forum debate in that it is audience-friendly, but is more formal, and more evidence-based.

History
NEDA began in the fall of 1994 at the Central States Communication Association convention in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. About thirty debate educators and their institutions left the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) because they felt CEDA tournaments were no longer condusive to the audience-centered debate to which they were philosophically committeed and desired to teach their students. The resulting organization was co-founded by Gary Horn, professor at Ferris State University, and Larry Underberg, then a professor at the University of South Dakota. There were quickly nineteen other founding members of the association. In 1999, the Western division of NEDA became the Great Plains Forensic Conference.


Divisions
Teams in NEDA compete in one of three categories:

Novice - Standard cross-examination format of debate for competitors who have participated in six or fewer tournaments ever (including high school).
Open - Standard cross-examination format debate for debaters who have competed at six or more tournaments.
Crossfire Debate - Developed from Ted Turner style televised debates, this format is more interactive, involves more cross-examination, and emphasizes succinct arguments that get to the heart of the issues quickly.

Institutions With Current NEDA Members:

• Anderson University (AU)
• Ball State University (BSU)
• Bob Jones University (BJU)
• Capital University (CAP)
• Duquesne University (DUQ)
• Hillsdale College (HILL)
• Owensboro Community College (OCTC)
• Patrick Henry College (PHC)
• Saint Peter’s College (SPC)
• Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO)
• Transylvania University (TRA)
• University of Dayton (DAY)

Institutions that formerly sponsored NEDA teams:
Baptist Bible College, Missouri
Carthage College
Cedarville University
DePauw University
East Central University
Eastern New Mexico University
Ferris State University
Missouri Southern State University
Murray State University
Northeastern State University
Northern Oklahoma College
University of Oklahoma
University of South Dakota
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Western Illinois University
Wheaton College, Illinois

Resolutions

• Spring 2008: Resolved: The U.S. federal government should make adequate and affordable medical care available to all U.S. citizens.
• Fall 2007: Corporations exert undue influence over public policy
• Spring 2007: Resolved: The U.S. Government should significantly increase the acceptance of immigrants.
• Fall 2006: Resolved: U.S. foreign policy inappropriately emphasizes military action over diplomacy.
• Spring 2006: Resolved: Non-violent crimes should not carry prison sentences.
• Fall 2005: Resolved: Wal-Mart’s business practices are detrimental to the United States.
• Spring 2005: Resolved: The United States should substantially reform public secondary school education.
• Fall 2004: Resolved: Separation of church and state is being inappropriately eroded.
• Spring 2004: Resolved: The United States should significantly reduce its foreign military commitments.
• Fall 2003: Resolved: United States corporations are insufficiently loyal to American workers.
• Spring 2003: Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its citizens’ access to affordable health care.
• Fall 2002: Resolved: Civil liberties are being inappropriately eroded.
• Spring 2002: Resolved: The United States should substantially expand its efforts to prevent terrorism.
• Fall 2001: Resolved: A national missile defense system would be beneficial to the security of this nation.
• Spring 2001: Resolved: The United States should significantly decrease its dependence on foreign oil.
• Spring 2000: Resolved: The federal government should significantly increase the use of privately operated prisons.
• Fall 1998: Resolved: Corporate emphasis on profit is excessive.
• Spring 1998: Resolved: The United States should abolish the use of peer jurors.
• Spring 1997: Resolved: The Central Intelligence Agency should be eliminated.

Week of Debate Workshops in Chile

Alfred Snider surrounded by debaters from a girls' school

I was in Chile this last week for a series of events sponsored by Universidad Andres Bello's Sociedad de Debate. My hosts were Felipe Karadima, Alvaro Ferrer and Catalina Bascur.

There were huge groups turning out, at least 150 at each session, and with some sessions more than 280, which means overflow rooms and a shortage of headsets for the simultaneous translation that was offered.

Monday 20 October - Workshop with teachers and schools alumni in Santiago, conference about Advanced Debate Skills for competition: general skills on strategy, argumentation, points of information and delivery.

Tuesday 21 October - National Debate Tournament Final in Santiago: I was the judge of honor and made a few remarks. After this we took a plane to Concepción.

Wednesday 22 October - Workshop for teachers in Concepción: "Critical Thinking in the class: debate as a teaching method across the curriculum".

Part of the big crowd in Concepcion

Thursday 23 October - Workshop in Concepción: conference about Advanced Debate Skills for competition: general skills on strategy, argumentation, points of information and delivery. This is the one that was a total overflow.

Friday 24 October - Workshop with teachers and schools alumni in Viña del Mar: conference about Advanced Debate Skills for competition: general skills on strategy, argumentation, points of information and delivery.

Alvarro Ferrer and Catalina Bascur

It was a great experience, I got to reconnect with many old debate friends in Chile (Max Murath, Rodrigo Rojas, Lila Diaz and others), and experience what is a beautiful, friendly and extremely active debating nation.

IDEA Hosts Tournament in Beijing

From Elizabeth Humphrey

Beijing Foreign Studies University and IDEA are holding an international Worlds Style debate tournament December 5th through December 7th, 2008. You can find the invitation, schedule, and entry forms in English and in Mandarin here: http://www.willamette.edu/cla/debate/events/China/IDEA-BFSU4-TeamTournament2008/. There are no entry fees for this tournament.

We hope to see many of you in Beijing!

Best wishes,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Humphrey
IDEA Program Coordinator
ehumphrey@idebate.org
www.idebate.org
phone from Korea: 02.2646.7659 ext. 157
phone from outside Korea: (+82) 2.2646.7659 ext. 157

WUDC and Policy Formats Share Tournament Spotlight in Connecticut

There will be over 100 teams at this tournament, with 66 policy teams and 42 WUDC teams. I believe this shows that the different formats can grow together.

From http://www.newstimes.com/ci_10796588

WestConn to host weekend-long debate tournament
Newstimes
NewsTimes.com
Article Last Updated:10/24/2008 12:07:31 AM EDT
By Eileen FitzGerald
DANBURY -- Students from 15 public and private colleges in the Northeast will debate the most crucial issues facing the country during a tournament at Western Connecticut State University this weekend.

The Hat City Debates will be run by the Roger Sherman Debate Society at WestConn on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament is free and open to the public.

About 100 teams will participate. Participating schools include New York University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Baruch College, Cornell University and Marist College.

Students can choose to debate in one of two formats.

One is the policy debate, in which teams will argue whether the United States should decrease its agricultural subsidies to farmers.

Students arguing in the policy debates prepare by conducting research on agricultural policy.

The policy debates are 1½ hours, and at the end of six rounds, the winners qualify for the elimination rounds.

The other kind is the parliamentary debate, which is less formal.

"For the parliamentary debate, they will only get the issues right before they debate,'' said Wynn Gadkar-Wilcox, WestConn debate team adviser and associate professor of History and Non-Western Cultures. "It will show their current knowledge on a topic."

The topics will include the top issues of the day and will definitely include the election and the economic bailout.

He said the parliamentary debates show off the students' general knowledge, while the policy debates highlight their research skills.

Last year, WestConn's debate team was ranked 12th highest for Masters-Level public universities nationally.

Regionally, WestConn's debate team ranked at No. 11 in New England regardless of size and type of university.

The debates will take place on the first floor of Warner Hall, on the university's Midtown campus, 181 White St.

Debating will start at 8 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Policy Debate Becomes Full-time Job in Salt Lake City

From http://www.sltrib.com/slc/ci_10795964

The great debaters
Rowland Hall-St. Mark's team will compete around the U.S.
By Natalie Dicou
Close-Up Staff
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Launched:10/23/2008 02:50:33 PM MDT
At Rowland Hall-St. Mark's Upper School, debate is not for the faint of heart.
Being a member of the private Salt Lake City school's debate team is more than a hobby.
"It's almost like a full-time job [when preparing for a tournament]," said Rowland Hall debate coach Mike Shackleford.
This year, Rowland Hall's debaters will compete in 20 tournaments, traveling to Chicago, Los Angeles, Massachusetts, Atlanta, Tennessee and other destinations.
The team will spend countless hours studying in libraries to prepare for the high-stress competitions.
Some students - including senior Melissa Leeworthy, for example - spend their summers at seven-week-long debate camps where they live, eat and sleep debate.
The hard work is paying off. Rowland Hall recently returned from a national tournament in Chicago where two of the school's two-person teams reached the equivalent of college basketball's Sweet Sixteen. The senior team of Leeworthy and Ankita Gupta and the junior team of Andrew Arsht and Mario Feola beat out some of the country's top prep schools. "Seniors dominate the national tournaments," Shackleford said. "I was surprised that our junior team did so well."
More than 100 teams from 60 schools took turns arguing for and against the following statement: "The United States federal government should substantially increase its alternative energy incentives."
In preparation for the tournament, the debaters became alternative-energy experts, Shackleford said, adding that high school debaters spend as much time researching academic articles as a master's student working on a thesis.
A good debater, says Shackleford, is feisty and has a desire to win and be tested intellectually.
Leeworthy fits the bill. Spending the summer honing her debate skills is paying off for the feisty senior. She was named a Top 10 speaker at the Chicago tournament.
Junior Jordan Friedman is the fifth member of the Rowland Hall debate team's Fab Five. She didn't compete in the recent tournament but will likely be a key part of Rowland Hall's success in upcoming tournaments.
"In terms of the activity itself, my favorite part of debate is how it's helped me become a more informed citizen," Friedman said. "I love that we're given the opportunity to travel."
Friedman - who hopes to attend Yale someday - said being a member of the debate team has become a lot more demanding since the 25-year-old Shackleford took over the program.
Shackleford's philosophy: "If you want to go to tournaments, then you need to work," Friedman said.
"I honestly think it's better," said Friedman of Shackleford's high standards, noting that it's better to enter a tournament knowing your stuff.
ndicou@sltrib.com

Chile Schools Championship has 144 Schools Compete

In Santiago, Chile the final round of the national schools tournament took place on Tuesday October 21 2008. It was the conclusion of a long process as 144 schools from all over the nation participated. Regional tournaments were held throughout this geographically diverse nation. The event was sponsored by Universidad Andres Bello, long a leader in promoting debating here.

Four teams made the journey to Santiago for the final day. In the semifinal round the teams of six debated the topic that "Love at first sight is impossible." In this format there are five speeches, the middle ones allowing points of information, and one of the team members specializes in making points of information. The two teams advancing were the Newland School of Santiago and Colegio Sancredo Corazon from Concepcion.

They met in the final round, where the motion was that (loosely translated) in everything we do or say and in all instances we must be true to our principles. Sancredo Corazon was affirmative and Newland School was negative. It was a spirited debate, especially the points of information. The judges were a distinguished panel of citizens (an ambassador, naval officer, journalist) along wth two debate experts, Alvaro Ferrer from Universidad Andres Bello and Max Murath of the Universidad de los Andes. Both of the debate expert judges, by the way, are fellows of the World Debate Institute and have studied there, and Alvaro has also been a faculty member.

The decision was announced among some tension and fanfare, and the winner was Colegio Sancredo Corazon of Concepcion.

48 schools also participated in the English languag version of the tournament which had been concluded earlier.

This was an amazing turnout for Chile. Congratulations to all the schools and especially to the sponsor, Universidad Andres Bello.

Urban Debate Newsblast, Fall 2008

Letter from Executive Director, Scott Deatherage

Greetings friends,

Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s a time when debaters new and old can look ahead to a season ripe with opportunity. Although this is the first time in over two decades I will not be busy teaching and preparing for tournaments, I feel a new sense of excitement for the many urban students who will begin debating this fall. Thanks to you, supporters of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, thousands of urban students will, for the first time ever, participate in the life-changing activity of urban debate.

This September, your support enabled us to launch brand new Leagues in the Bay Area, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, St. Louis, and Tampa. We have also expanded and strengthened extant UDLs in Boston and Detroit. You can read more details of the renaissance in Detroit urban debate below. And, I certainly do not want to forget to mention Dallas - our successful 2007 launch - which is off and running this fall with a new slate of tournaments and expanded participation.

Because of the efforts your support has enabled, this year we are adding over 100 schools to the Urban Debate Network. By the end of this year, we expect an additional 2,000 participating students. With your continued support, over the next three years the NAUDL will add more than 10,000 urban debaters to the Urban Debate Network. Like so many of us, these students will have their lives and futures transformed through participation.

Having now been Executive Director of the NAUDL for six months, I am profoundly hopeful about the trajectory of the urban debate movement. With the dedication of supporters like you, the NAUDL will continue to produce breakthrough results as it brings debate to the many urban youth who need and deserve this opportunity.

Please consider aiding these efforts by giving a tax-deductible donation to the Urban Debate League in your community. This season in particular, they can use your support. In addition, I truly encourage you to consider making a contribution to the NAUDL as we take the urban debate idea to scale around the country. For more information and to make your gift, please visit us online at UrbanDebate.org/support, or e-mail Eric Tucker at EricTucker@urbandebate.org.

This fall is a thrilling time for us, and the NAUDL staff and I have prepared this NewsBlast to share our progress with you as we launch our 2008-2009 debate season.

All the best,

Scott Deatherage

Executive Director
NAUDL

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Mark your calendars and reserve a table!
National Championship weekend set for April 24 -26

Thanks to the continued generosity of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the second annual Chase Urban Debate National Championship and the adjoining Annual Dinner will take place on the weekend of April 24-26. Building on the success of last year's competition, the tournament will bring together outstanding debaters from cities throughout the Urban Debate Network for a weekend of fierce competition and celebration of urban debate.

On the evening of Saturday, April 25, the NAUDL will host its second Annual Dinner. Dinner Chairman Leonard A. Gail invites Dinner patrons to take advantage of this unique opportunity to watch today’s urban debaters in action and to honor the Chase Urban Debate National Champions and Top Speakers.

Dinner attendees from last year will remember its tremendous success. In addition to honoring key figures in the urban debate movement, such as Emory University’s Melissa Wade, and hearing from keynote speaker United States Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the dinner brought together over 300 enthusiastic supporters and guests to celebrate the expansion of the Urban Debate Network. This year promises to be equally inspiring. Stay tuned for further updates on who this year’s special guests will be.

The NAUDL is currently taking reservations for tables and other sponsorship opportunities. Individual tickets will be made available after table sales are completed. We encourage you to consider sharing a table with friends, clients, and former debate colleagues. Please contact Eric Tucker directly at EricTucker@urbandebate.org to make reservations.

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Urban debate revs up in the motor city

The Detroit Public Schools has approved a proposal for the support of a 10-school Urban Debate League for this academic year. Participating schools are: Community Media Arts, Denby, Detroit Academy for Young Women, Martin Luther King, Mumford, Northwestern, Osborn, Renaissance, Southeastern, and Southwestern.

The newly-strengthened Detroit UDL will bring a deeper and more rigorous calendar to the urban debate season. A Detroit Urban Debate League Advisory Board that includes Detroit area attorneys and business people has been forming under the leadership of retired Allstate Insurance Vice-President Ron McNeil.

The Detroit UDL and the NAUDL are partnering with Wayne State University, whose deep and historic involvement with urban debate in Detroit stretches back over 30 years. George Ziegelmueller, Wayne State’s legendary Director of Debate, has provided long-term leadership and vision. As part of the revitalization of the Detroit UDL, Wayne State has given even greater commitment to urban debate in Detroit by naming Amy Young, a graduate student at WSU, as a paid part-time liaison.

These developments have been met with great enthusiasm by the Detroit Public Schools, which proudly tout the new public-private partnership facilitated by the NAUDL, as well as the anticipated positive achievement outcomes.

According to Shirley Brown, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, "DPS is eager to bring the private sector to the business of helping provide a challenging, standards-based public education to the hundreds of thousands of youth in Detroit. The Detroit Urban Debate League is a model program in this regard, and we are expecting very positive outcomes from this newly expanded partnership-based program."

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New League Directors hit the ground running

The NAUDL convened eight new Urban Debate League Directors representing the Bay Area, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, and St. Louis for a conference Chicago on September 11-12 to discuss the opportunities and challenges that their respective UDLs would face in the coming year. Bringing a wide range of professional and personal experiences to the table, the Directors, along with the NAUDL staff, addressed such varied issues as the logistics of hosting a debate tournament; publicity, development, and advocacy; and the socioeconomic complexities of building an Urban Debate League. Not only did the Directors receive training in key areas of running a UDL, but they were also able to meet and form professional relationships with their fellow incoming Directors, thereby creating a nation-wide support network among new UDLs.

The Directors returned to their respective cities prepared and excited to begin the 2008-09 urban debate season. They are working day in and out to bring urban educators into the activity and ensure students in their respective cities have access to debate. Below, are short biographies about each of our talented new recruits.

Bay Area – Blake Johnson
Mr. Johnson directs the Bay Area Urban Debate League. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy, Mr. Johnson comes to the Bay Area UDL with a successful record as a debater and debate coach. His most notable accomplishments include coaching the University of Oklahoma to a National Debate Tournament qualification and the Kinkaid School to the Texas State Championship.

Boston – Steve Stein
Mr. Stein brings fifteen years of experience working with urban debate programs to his new position as the Director of the Boston Urban Debate League. Beginning as a co-founder of Atlanta’s middle school debate league, Mr. Stein has since worked at numerous UDL summer institutes, consulted with Leagues in Atlanta, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and conducted many coach training and professional development workshops. As a teacher and a debate coach, Mr. Stein led multiple successful campaigns to expand student participation and significantly boost recruitment for debate programs.

Dallas – Kason Kimberley
Mr. Kimberley became the Director of the Dallas Urban Debate League and Executive Director of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance in the summer of 2007 after gaining experience in debate administration with the Chicago Debate League. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Wiley College debate program, and organizes public debates for the City of Dallas. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Mr. Kimberly has debated all across the US and Europe.

Denver – Jessica Clark
Ms. Clark, the Director of the Denver Urban Debate League, previously worked for the New York Urban Debate League. She was the founding Program Director of the Brooklyn Debate Resource Center, where she served as a full-time mentor for coaches and students in the New York UDL. Ms. Clark received her Master of Fine Art in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and her Bachelor of Arts at the University of New Mexico, where, as a debater, she qualified for the National Debate Tournament four times.

Houston – Ken Ogden
A lifelong Houstonian, Mr. Ogden brings a wealth of experience and commitment to the Houston Urban Debate League. He has been a successful high school debate coach for 15 years in the Houston area, and his students consistently made it to the eliminations at the state tournaments in Texas and on the national circuit (including winning the policy championship at St. Mark’s Heart of Texas tournament.) Mr. Ogden also spent five years teaching at alternative schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District. He was a successful college debater at the University of Houston.

Los Angeles – Brett Flater
Mr. Flater became Director of the Los Angeles Urban Debate League after a successful career in educational reform. He was heavily involved in the Atlanta Urban Debate League's operations, instruction, curriculum development, and college-prep training. Mr. Flater has taught at Summer Institutes for students in the Baltimore and the Southern California Urban Debate Leagues. He also taught with Teach for America and the Inner City Education Foundation and was a Site Manager with Jumpstart. Mr. Flater received his Masters of Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University and a Bachelors degree in Political Science from Emory University.

Memphis – Sarah Meltzer
Ms. Meltzer accepted the position as Director of the Memphis Urban Debate League after a successful career in the legal profession. She is a graduate of Emory University and the University of Chicago Law School and subsequently worked in the corporate insolvency and litigation department of K&L Gates LLP. Ms. Meltzer brings to the Memphis Urban Debate League a unique perspective of the importance of using urban debate to diversify the legal profession.

St. Louis – Ravi Rao
Mr. Rao comes to the St. Louis Urban Debate League as their Director after having completed a Certificate in International and Comparative Law at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. He began working with the St. Louis Urban Debate League in 1998 when, as a student debater at Washington University in St. Louis himself, he was hired as an assistant debate coach. He subsequently worked as an instructor at three UDL Summer Institutes before taking over as a policy debate coach at the Chaminade College Preparatory School.

These directors are on the ground, working to make sure students and teachers in their cities have access to debate. Please join us in welcoming them.

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Urban debaters take up America’s energy policy using the NAUDL’s argument kit

Rising gas prices and uncertain energy supplies have led to a vibrant national debate over energy policy. In fact, the Presidential candidates have emphasized the issue to the point where a recent analyst dubbed the contest the “energy election.”

Urban debaters across the country are participating in this national dialogue. They are researching, analyzing, and debating the timely resolution – Resolved: that the United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.

To facilitate these debates, the NAUDL has prepared its annual Argument and Research Kit. For the sixth consecutive year, the Kit is being distributed for free use to all UDL coaches and debaters. This year’s version consists of over 600 pages of Core Files, plus Argument Summaries, an Article Anthology, and a Research Guide.

Edited by former Boston UDL Director Andrew Brokos and NAUDL Senior Program Consultant Les Lynn, the packets allow UDL debaters to get off to a quick start on the new topic, provide a model for argument structure and use of evidence, introduce the broader literature on the topic, and help build the research skills of debaters.

This year’s Core Files affirmative cases include ones advocating a Renewable Portfolio Standard, safer nuclear energy, expanded biofuels, and a Cap and Trade climate regime. Negative arguments include the implications of these policies on energy prices, oil producers, government budgets, business investment, and the environment itself. Global warming, of course, is one of the central issues.

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Urban Debate in the news

UDLs across the country have been receiving recognition in the news this fall. Here are links to just a few examples of pieces featuring urban debate:

• From the Baylor Line, the magazine of the Baylor Alumni Association – NAUDL Executive Director and seven time national championship coach Scott Deatherage was interviewed recently about what inspires him in urban debate and how he sees the future of the NAUDL. [Read More]


• From PBS, from on Sept. 19, 2008 – a show entitled “Women, Power and Politics” featured a segment on a group of diverse high school girls competing in a debate tournament for the chance to participate in the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute. Congratulations go out to the Associated Leaders Of Urban Debate, whose partners were featured in the story. See clips of the show here.


• From the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Sept. 21, 2008 – "Normally weekends mean hanging out together and watching TV for Denise Richard and Markettia Morrison. But on Saturday, it was all about U.S. energy policy as the two Trezevant High School freshmen matched wits and traded verbal jabs with teams from other Memphis City Schools in the district’s first scholastic debate in almost 40 years…." [Read more]


• From the Houston Chronicle, Aug. 27, 2008 – "Once upon a time, only a generation ago, debate teams were a fixture at almost every Houston high school. From these teams came figures such as the late U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan and many other civic and business leaders. Over the years, however, the number of teams dwindled until debate – which has been called “the smart sport” – resided at only a few elite campuses such as Bellaire and Lamar…" [Read More]
  


• From the Tri-State Defender, Sept. 25, 2008 – "High school debate returned to Memphis last weekend for the first time in nearly 40 years. The venue was Overton High School and the Scholastic umbrella was the Memphis Urban Debate League. In the first of six scheduled tournaments, students were pitted against each other with U.S. energy policy sandwiched in between…" [Read More]
  


• Recently the Houston Chronicle ran a letter to the editor from Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Houston. Dr. Lee discussed the role that former UH debates are playing in the new UDL in that city. Dr. Lee wrote: “The core members of the Houston Urban Debate League Board are former UH debaters. …The University of Houston is committed to the success of its collegiate team, but also to providing a place where high school debaters can continue their participation in an activity that is in Mayor Bill White's word: transformative.”


• From the Kansas City Star, Oct. 10, 2008 – Students from the Kansas City area were treated to a special Great Debate Forum centered around the film The Great Debaters, in which Denzel Washington portrayed Melvin B. Tolson. Nate Parker, a star of the film, was present at the event, along with Tolson’s nephew and his son, Melvin B. Tolson, Jr. Mr. Parker was the keynote speaker and has been active with the urban debate movement, having attended the 2008 Chase Urban Debate National Championship.


• From Fox News Memphis – The local Memphis station has a video report of the Memphis UDL’s first tournament. [Watch the Segment]


• The Jersey Urban Debate League will host its annual College Bridge Tournament on November 7th and 8th at Rutgers University’s Newark campus. This is the fifth year of the event, which is a joint debate tournament and college recruiting event. Recruiters from 24 colleges and universities will meet urban debaters from Baltimore, New York, Rhode Island, Boston, and New Jersey.
  


• Sean Easterwood, Top Speaker at the first Chase Urban Debate National Championship, is now a student and debater at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Sean, a graduate of Kansas City Central High School, debates at UMKC with his former high school partner, Deshawnta Brunson. Part of the recognition that Sean received for winning the Top Speaker Award was a $2,500 college scholarship provided through the generosity of Holland & Knight LLP.

Hart House results - It Is a Good Day for the Irish

From Colm Flynn:

Hart House IV 2008

Champions: UCD L&H: Ian Boyle Harper & Stephen Boyle (on a 4-3 decision)

Finalists:
Brandeis - Turkish Secularism (Mark Samburg & Evan Green-Lowe)
Harvard - CUSID West (Alan Cliff & Chris Kolerok)
Queen's - Happy (Claudia Newman-Martin & Anisah Hassan)

Semi-Finalists:
Queen's - Doc (Christine Wadsworth & Sheldon McCormick)
McGill - Von Bering (Nicole Gileadi & Calvin Rosemond)
McGill - Van't Hoff (Sean Stefanik & Sophie McIntyre)
Alaska A (Severin Randal & Ben Ferguson)

Top Speaker: Mark Samburg (Brandeis - Turkish Secularism)

Top Public Speaker: Mark Samburg

Top Novice Team: Carleton Hates Fun (Emma Cole and Waleed Malik)

Top Novice Speaker: Max Rau - Western B

Not Too Late To Join NPPF, WIn $10,000

There is still time but it is running out. Every school IN THE WORLD can participate in this contest. No cost, great opportunities.

If your team missed the registration deadline for the 2008-2009 National Public Policy Forum, we have good news! The deadline has been extended to October 22, 2008.

We hope you'll talk to your friends, teacher or coach, and sign up your team today!

For more information, please log on to www.nppf.net.

Good luck!!

Venezuela Completes First University Tournament

The winners!

The finals

The top five speakers, Nazly on the right is the top speaker

The tounament is now over. Universidad Simon Bolivar, the team of Pedro Montuenga and Jamil Navarro are the champions. They defeated UCB VV Gabriela Vera and Nelson Villavicencio in the final round on a 5-4 decision.

The last day featured a talk by me (Alfred Snider) about the global debating community and what it means for Venezuela to join it, and a review of the accomplishments Venezuela has made under the leaderhsip of Rita Moncada and the Instituto Venezolano de Debates. Then Brenda Montes and Luis Magallon, formerly of California State University Fullerton) staged a demonstration debate for the audience. I did a short session on training for our judges, who come with impressive backgrounds in various parts of Venezuelan society. Then the final round was held. It was an impressive and dynamic contest.

The top five speakers were announced, and four of them were women, with special recognition of Nazly Escalona who was the top individual debater.

We have a new nation in the family of debating nations. Congratulations, Venezuela.

Harvard Tournament - Best Menu In Debate

Dallas Perkins and Sherry Hall of Harvard Debate, Inc.

The headline indicates my opinion and I am standing by it. CAFO stands for "concentrated animal feeding operations" which are a part of the USA national policy debate topic on agricultural subsidies.

From Sherry Hall:

I am excited to announce that I am seeking to eliminate nearly all of the Harvard College Tournament subsidy for CAFOs by securing non-CAFO produced animal products for the food for the tournament this year. I have made changes in my personal eating choices in response to this topic's spotlight on the plight of factory-farmed animals in this country. I was struggling with what to do about the vast amounts of products I purchase for the Harvard tournament. A couple of weeks ago I began investigating alternatives and was happy to find that affordable, locally produced, humanely-raised products are available. I will have information about these local farmers available at the tournament and would be happy to communicate with anyone who is interested in how to find humanely raised, non-CAFO alternatives.

2008 Harvard Debate Tournament

Menu

Saturday November 1, 2008

Breakfast:

Bagels, Lox, Cream Cheese, Assorted Breakfast Pastries, Carrot-Pinon Chile Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Fresh Fruit, Juice & Coffee

Lunch:

The Starter Table:

Salsa Bar: Guacamole; Roasted Garlic and Tomato Salsa; Grilled Pineapple Salsa; Chipotle-Peach Salsa; Salsa Verde; Cranberry-Habanero Relish

Ceviche Bar: Halibut with Lemon & Coriander Oil; Salmon with Mustard & Scallions; Mussels on the Half Shell with Roasted Red Pepper; Smoky Maine Shrimp with Tangerine

Chili Bar: Aunt Vicky’s Award Winning Texas Chili con Carne; Turkey Chicken Verde; Vegetarian Chili

The Big Enchilada: New Mexico Style Cheese Enchiladas with home-made Red Chile Sauce; Chicken, Grilled Poblano Pepper and Sour Cream Enchiladas; Pumpkin and Roasted Veggies Vegan Enchiladas; Chile Rellenos stuffed with Goat Cheese & Queso Blanco; Green Chile Polenta with Three Cheeses; Spanish Rice & Refried Beans

Sweets: (All made from scratch) Oatmeal Cookies, Fudge, Texas Apple Cake

Sunday November 2, 2008

Breakfast:

Breakfast Tacos: Egg, Cheese & Chorizo; Egg, Cheese & Potato; Grilled Vegetables & Potato

Muffins, Fruit, Juices and Coffee

Lunch:

Salads: Green Bean & Roasted Hazelnut Salad; Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Vinaigrette; Moroccan Carrot Salad; Malaysian Cole Slaw with Grilled Pineapple; Jicama & Orange Salad; Red-Hot Potato Salad; Chilly Chile Lentil Salad; Chickpea, Hazelnut & Pepper Salad; Black-Eyed Pea and Cilantro Salad

Sandwiches: Hummus Roll-Ups – with or without Roasted Swordfish; Assorted Sessa’s Italian Deli Sandwiches

Desserts: Rum Balls, Bread Pudding

Champagne Reception (At the Sheraton):

Starters:

New Mexico Pumpkin Seed Dip, Chipotle Hummus, Spicy Feta-Cheese Dip, Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, with Pita Chips; Smoked-Salmon Roulades; Assorted New England Cheeses; Vegetable Crudite;

Main Course:

Smoked Salmon with Sour Cream Dill Sauce; Carving Station with Turkey; Chicken Parmesan; Pasta Station with Marinara and Al Fredo Sauce; Grilled Vegetables; Rolls

Desserts: Cookies and Fruit.

Complementary glass of champagne for participants of legal age, must provide identification.

New NPDA Website Launches in USA

From Michael Dreher:

Colleagues,

The new NPDA website is up. The old site at Bethel is no longer being updated. Please go instead to:
http://www.parlidebate.org. I will be setting up redirects on some of the key pages. There are still a few pages that need to go over to the new server (such as the results submission pages and some of the past results pages), but that will go over soon. Also, the print style sheets and website style sheets will be tweaked; they're functional, but I will get rid of some of the navigation that currently appears on them.

We wanted to get the site up so that Danny's pages and the main site are unified in one location. There is now a better search function on the website, and for those of you using iPhones, you'll even find a special iPhone friendly style for the website.

What this means:

1. Please check your team websites and your tournament invitations. If you have links to:
http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/npda/ -- please change those to http://www.parlidebate.org/

If you have any links to internal pages, please change those - the new website files don't end in .html. If you need help in finding the new files, send me an email, and I'll send you the new link. If I don't respond right away, it's probably because I'm at one of those tournaments where there's not internet access on campus.  :) 

2. If you have thoughts or suggestions as far as new content, please let me know. I'd love to have more information in the "coaching helps" section of the website. It's important for new debaters and coaches to have information that will help them in the activity. I'm also open to having other content on the website as well - let me know your thoughts and suggestions.

Michael Dreher
Chair, Dept. of Communication Studies and Director of Forensics
Bethel University
NPDA Webmaster
mdreher@bethel.edu
Office: 651-638-6052

European Schools Open in Late November-Early December

From Angelika Hoeness:

Dear friends,
this winter again Debating Society Germany is again runniong the European Open Schools Debating Championship from 30th November to 6th December 2008. The competition is the only one of its kind in Central Europe. After the overwhelming response and success of last year's event we are committed to making Europeans 2008 even better and more memorable!

This year’s competition, like always promises to bring together the top student public speakers from across the globe and offer them all a unique chance to interact with each other. This will also be a wonderful opportunity for all our international teams to experience the exotic and rich culture of Germany and there is no better place to do that, than the historical region around Stuttgart.

The registration fee is 60 € per participant/coach or judge. This will cover all the boarding & lodging arrangements for the duration of the stay. The registration fee will also include all the social events and excursions to various places. The only thing that international teams would have to pay for, apart from the registration fee will be the travel expenses to Germany! The registration fee can be paid upon arrival in cash or we can give you the bank/account details where they can transfer the necessary amount.

Attached please find the registration form that we would request you complete and send to us latest by 8th November, 2008. You can either fax it to us at 0049715134945 or email it to us at hoeness@t-online.de and our website www.schoolsdebate.de.
Hoping to see many of you soon
Best wishes
Angelika
--
Angelika Hoeness, president
Debating Society Germany e.V.
www.schoolsdebate.de

Day Two in Venezuela

Debaters from one semifinal

Day Two has come to the first ever university debate tournament in Venezuela. Let me answer some questions about it that you may have before I get to the results.

The format used was American parliamentary debate with teams of two and three speeches by each team. Each team has five minutes prep time during the debate. The topics were announced well in advance so there was a lot of time to research. There were a number of workshops and practice sessions leading up to the tournament, with one being all day Thursday. The workshops just before the tournament were presided over by Luis Magallan (ex of CSU Fullerton) and Yvanna Cancela (Northwestern University). There were seven preliminary rounds. Teams had indicated whether or not they could debate in English. Some teams debated in English, some only in Spanish, and some in both. Teams were then cleared to semifinals. There were sixteen total teams in the tournament.

The four teams that reached the semifinal round were: UCB VV vs. USM NP, and USB MN vs. UCAB MH. Both rounds were tightly contested and the winners were: UCB VV and USB MN. Tomorrow they will meet in the final round in front of a panel of luminaries from Venezuelan society.

I cannot say enough about the spirit and determination of Rita Moncada. Here is a woman who had a dream and a vision, and she has turned it into a reality. She wants her country to have a more open expression of ideas and wants to stimulate its democracy through preparation of young people for real democratic participation. She has knocked on many doors, sought many allies and paved the way for this tournament. None of this would be here if it were not for Rita. At some point she will be revered and remembered for her tireless work here. For me, that moment has already arrived. Thank you, Rita.

The atmosphere at the end of the semifinals was excellent. People did not wnat to leave (to the consternation of the custodians) as they continued to linger and share their experiences and stories. People seemed very happy, very motivated and hopeful about the future and what they would do in future debates. Those of you with debate experience have seen it, and you probably agree that it is awesome. I love seeing young people get so excited about ideas. I know in that moment that our civilization will survive.

Tomorrow we will have a varied program:

• Judge training for the finals
• Rita Moncada will welcome the crowd.
  
• A speech by me about Venezuela entering the confederacy of debating nations
• The Final Round.
• The judge deliberation and decision.
• The awards assembly: team and speaker awards.
• The end.

I will have a nice afternoon and then make my way down the hill to the airport at the seaside and wait for my evening flight to Chile. I will fly through Lima to Santiago and on to my next debate adventure in Chile.

And the beat goes on...

IDEA Seeks Youth Forum Host

From Veronica Vikova:

IDEA Solicits bids for hosting Youth Forum 2010! Host the unforgettable event in your country! The Youth Forum is the largest and most important event IDEA NL organizes annually since 1995. It hosts over 250 students and teachers from over 30 countries of the world and it is a place to become more knowledgeable and impressive debater and to meet many fantastic people from all over the world. Based on my own experience, of once being run-around volunteer (when Slovakia hosted it) and once being in the position of the Forum Coordinator (Bulgaria 2008), organizing the Youth Forum equals to a lot of sleepless nights, make-up tubes because of the bags under one’s eyes and also it is lot of responsibility. On the other hand it is also great experience in developing skills of your team, increasing visibility of your organization in debate world and also at home and the feeling that you can pull off such event successfully! All in all it’s definitely worth it! 3 important dates for your bid 1st the Forum Coordinator solicits bids 1,5-2 years prior to hosting of the event. The deadline for submitting your bid for the YF in 2010 is: November 30, 2008 2nd the Board of Directors decides about the next host on their meeting prior to the GA; this year it is on December 4th, 2008 in Amsterdam 3rd the next years’ YF host country is officially announced at the GA and they are expected to make a short presentation regarding the organization and the venues; this year it is on December 5th and 6th, 2008 in Amsterdam For more information read the document below or contact the Youth Forum Coordinator.

IDEA Introduces the YF Curriculum Committee The Curriculum Committee chooses the trainers, determines the topic areas and helps to steer the Youth Forum to safe heaven of the best debate events! Robert Trapp (US) is the Director of the IDEA program at Willamette and a professor of rhetoric at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on debate and rhetoric. He has coached debate at several universities in the United States and since working with IDEA he has been involved with debate training in a number of countries including Russia, Romania, Belarus, China, Macedonia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Uganda. Robert attended the YF 4 times; last year he was a member of the Committee as well. Jurate Motiejunaite (Lithuania) is a former Executive Director at IDEA NL, a position she recently exchanged for her motherly duties. She has recently defended her PhD thesis at the University of Alberta, Canada. She has published several books and numerous articles on debate and women's topics. She was the Curriculum Director of the YF in 2004 and 2005 and has been to all Forums since 2000, apart from the last one. Ronna Liggett (US) is a full time faculty member in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Nevada, Reno, U.S.A. where she teach debate, intercultural communication, public speaking, persuasion and nonverbal communication. She has done debate since she was 15 and joined IDEA Youth Forum in 2004 and stayed very active and engaged ever since. She was serving on the Curriuclum Committee also last year. Kenda Cunnigham (US) is a Georgetown MA graduate. She has extensive debate coaching and judging experience. Apart from being a very successful debater, she coached and judged hundreds of debates at summer institutes around the country, including: Dartmouth, Michigan, Northwestern, and North Texas. In October of 2006, Kenda directed a debate institute in Caracas, Venezuela and was a trainer at the 2007 IDEA Youth Forum in the Czech Republic. She was the Chief Adjudicator at the last YF 2008 in Bulgaria. Logan Balavijendran (Malaysia) has debated and adjudicated at many worlds' leading debating competitions. He has also coached debate around Asia, in 10 different countries (Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia). He currently teaches Speech and Debate in South Korea, where he works mostly with students from an English as Second an Foreign Language background. He has been to the last YF, being one of the trainers in the newly introduced British Parliamentary Track. Tamara Bobakova (Slovakia) is currently finishing her MA at London School of Economics. Winner of the KPDC in 2002, Tamara attended 4 Youth Forum since then in the capacity of a coach as well as trainer. In 2006 she graduated University of Pennsylvania, where she was a very active member of the Model United Nations club. In 2008 she has graduated from Sciences Po in Paris. Amila Koso (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a second year student at Law Faculty, the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She started debating 6 years ago and since she debated and held several seminars for debaters and trainers. A year ago she began to work in the office of the Center of Cultivating Dialogue in Sarajevo (the YF 2009 host organization), where she currently holds the position of a Program Assistant.

Next issue will feature Youth Forum Topics Trainers selection procedure and call for trainers!

Bidding for the Youth Forum I. what are the hosts responsibilities II. why would you like to host III. when should you make the bid IV. what do you need to do for your bid to be considered V. what are the relevant sections of Standards I. Host Responsibilities The Forum host is responsible for smooth running of the Youth Forum in terms of Logistics. The org.com teams’ responsibilities are to select the appropriate venues for the Youth Forum (see below for an excerpt out of Standards document defining suitability of venues and list of supplies host needs to provide) and prepare the Forum site by arranging properly equipped rooms for classes and debates. The host is also responsible for providing meals for all its participants for everyday of the YF, adequately addressing the cultural and dietary requirements. The host is also responsible for supervising the work of volunteers, who help out with technology, transportation, registration on spot, copying, entertainment and free-time activities etc. Although OSI and IDEA subsidize the Youth Forum it is crucial that also the host raises funds. In order to do that the org. team needs to come up with an effective PR strategy and implement it within its own country. II. motivation to organize the Youth Forum The Youth Forum is the largest and most important event IDEA NL organizes annually since 1995. The Youth Forum develops critical thinking, communication, team work and public speaking skills of the individual, which are essential for success today. Many of the past YF participants now play important roles in youth organizations, public offices as well as private companies. Additionally the Youth Forum provides great opportunity for formal but also informal communication and thus enables to form international networks, which are reinforced by use of blogs and forums provided on our websites. These often result not only in lifelong friendships but also in developing partnership on the organizational level. Hosting the IDEA Youth Forum means increased international recognition for the national debate association, for the region and country that hosts the Forum. Most of the participants of the Youth Forum tend to remember the hosting country and the winner of the competition. And winning the event has impact mostly on the individuals that won. Additionally as one needs to knock-out about 15 times more teams, it is more difficult to win the KPDC than the competition to host the event. On top of that, hosting the event provides a unique opportunity to promote communication, debate and youth engagement among greater number of people in your organization, (debate) network, community and the host country. The debate programs tend to grow in size after hosting the Youth Forum, since more debaters, volunteers, and public are directly exposed to benefits of this activity. Moreover in the past the Youth Forums have been endorsed by such prominent figures as former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the leading figure of change of regime in former Czechoslovakia or Nobel prize Laureate Lech Walesa, which increased the visibility of the event, the organization and its members at home as well as abroad. Based on my own experience, of once being run-around volunteer (when Slovakia hosted it) and once being in the position of the Forum Coordinator (Bulgaria 2008), organizing the Youth Forum equals to a lot of sleepless nights, make-up tubes because of the bags under one’s eyes and also it is lot of responsibility. On the other hand it is also great experience in developing skills of your team, increasing visibility of your organization in debate world and also at home and the feeling that you can pull off such event successfully! All in all it’s definitely worth it! III. 3 important milestones for your bid 1st step: the Forum Coordinator solicits bids 1,5-2 years prior to hosting of the event. The deadline for submitting your bid for the YF in 2010 is: November 30, 2008 2nd step: the Board of Directors decides about the next host on their meeting prior to the GA; this year it is on December 4th, 2008 in Amsterdam 3rd step: the next years’ YF host country is officially announced at the GA and they are expected to make a short presentation regarding the organization and the venues; this year it is on December 5th and 6th, 2008 in Amsterdam IV. what do you need to do for your bid to be considered Each bid should have the following (needs to be submitted to the Youth Forum Coordinator by November 30) - name of the organization and a brief background about the organization - name and CVs of the main organizers (specify the main contact person) - outline of the event – including 3 options of venues (accommodation and debating rooms/classes), their distance from the capital, airport and train/bus station, food options, theme of the event - motivation why would you like to host the event (you may want to include what is the catch of your bid, why should you be chosen) - supporters – list of supporters that would be willing to endorse your event (important figures in your country, potential sponsors, important figures in the world of debating) - transportation costs from major cities of the world to - budget – outline of the expected budget – following lines should be included: a) accommodation and venue rental b) food and refreshment (coffee breaks) c) transportation d) equipment rental e) personnel costs f) activity and entertainment g) PR costs Submit this document in electronic form to Veronika Vlckova, the Forum Coordinator no later than November 30, 2008! Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me : IDEA NL Prinsengracht 397 sous 1016 HL Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel/Fax: +31 (0) 20 692 72 99 vvlckova@idebate.org cell: +31(0)619074358 Standards for the IDEA Youth Forum (p. 14-15) Forum Site Requirements Hosts should use the following guidelines when looking for a Forum Site: The site must accommodate all Forum participants. Apart from bedrooms, the site must have at least 10 rooms available for use as “lab rooms,” each of which should accommodate 20 people. The site must have an available staff meeting room (if necessary, a bedroom of sufficient size could be used for this purpose). The site must have a room available for the Tournament Director and his/her staff (a large bedroom can be used for this purpose). The site must provide camp participant access to at least ten computers equipped with high-speed Internet connections. The site must have at least one fast computer for the Tournament Director and two computers with Internet access for the trainers. The site must provide two high-capacity copy machines for the needs of the tournament. Host Supply List Hosts should provide the following supplies: Magic-markers in all colors, with the majority being red/blue/black and green. Each Trainer should receive three markers in their supply bag and fifteen markers should be retained for office use. A number of wide highlighters and Sharpies are also helpful. One black and one blue pen for each participant (including all volunteers and staff), to be provided in the welcome folder. Approximately twenty more should be retained for office use. A notebook or paper pad (for note-taking) for each participant (including all volunteers and staff) and an additional fifteen or more for office use. One folder for each participant (including all volunteers and staff). The folders should be large enough to hold the notebook, pen, schedule, and information distributed on the first day. Because a great deal of information is accumulated during the camp, a folder design that features pockets and a rubber-band binding or strap (to keep the folder closed) is advisable. A single roll of scotch tape for inclusion in each trainer’s supply bag. Additionally, at least six rolls of scotch tape and two rolls of masking tape should be retained for office use (alternatively, glue tack can be procured and distributed instead of tape). Four staplers and several boxes of staples for office use. Additionally, trainers often request packets of material copied and stapled for distribution. If the copy machine is equipped with a staple option, two staplers will suffice. Staple removers should also be available. Six boxes of white paper and a variety of colored paper (pastels and neons). (The colored paper is useful for sign-up sheets, reminders, various items of importance in the welcome folder, etc.). Large manila or plastic-covered envelopes (used for camp completion certificates), to be distributed by NGO group or by team. A sufficient number should be supplied for students, coaches, trainers, volunteers/interns, as well as for a variety of other purposes. At least ten pads of large “flip-chart” paper or newsprint sheets, and an equal number of stands. At the beginning of the Forum, Trainers should receive ten to fifteen sheets for use in their preparations. Trainers should have access to the paper storage area, which should be restocked as needed. Three or four pairs of scissors One large box (or several smaller boxes) of crayons, for use throughout the camp

Denver Urban Debate League Opens Season

From http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/18/high-school-debaters-in-training-for-verbal/

High school debaters in training for verbal fisticuffs
By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published October 18, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Javier Manzano / The Rocky

Manual students Karen Perez, left, and Jamayah Brown hone their debating skills in class. They are among students from four Denver high schools - George Washington, Manual, Martin Luther King Jr. Early College and Thomas Jefferson - who are participating today in the first of six debates.

In the dark of the early morning, while most of the city is sleeping in, Jumayah Brown will be praying that she makes it through today without stuttering and Teague Harrison will be reminding herself to breathe.

Jessica Keys, the girls' classmate at Manual High School, will be hoping there are no cute boys to distract her at Denver's first Urban Debate League tournament.

"I'm most nervous that I'll get up there and I'll have what I need to read and I'll be looking at it and I'll look up and I'll go, uuuuhhh," Jessica, who's 16, said, mimicking a face freeze. "I'll blank out and I'll start to sweat and my hands will start to shake and I'll go, I've got to sit down now."

Jumayah, her partner in debate, shakes her head as the two begin laughing Thursday in Charlie Smith's classroom at Manual: "She's on my team," she says in mock sorrow.

Students from four city high schools - George Washington, Manual, Martin Luther King Jr. Early College and Thomas Jefferson - are participating today in the first of six debate contests this year, the launch year for the Denver league.

'The Great Debaters'

Few of the teens knew much about debate before they joined the teams three to four weeks ago, except perhaps for seeing Denzel Washington's recent movie The Great Debaters.

Washington plays the role of a professor in Marshall, Texas, who coached the Wiley College debate team to the first debate between U.S. students from white and black colleges and ultimately to face Harvard University's national champions.

Mostly, the teens say they like to argue, often in class, often with their teachers.

"My teachers told me I should join because I'm always arguing and I could keep an argument going for a long time," said Ramon Wise, an MLK sophomore whose smile could mean trouble for Jessica and Jumayah.

Even so, the stereotype of the typical debater - white suburban geek wearing a pocket protector - had to be overcome.

"When they first announced it at morning meeting (at Manual), I was like, 'Are you serious? Ain't nobody going to join that,' " said Jumayah, who had not seen The Great Debaters.

But teachers at MLK and Manual put up posters asking questions such as "Should school uniforms be required?" and "Should high school students have more privileges than middle school students?"

"Our optimistic number for our first meeting was two or three," said Smith, who coaches the Manual team with teacher Andrew Kearl. "We had 16."

Kearl shrugged: "Kids like to argue."

Fueling a trend

A growing number of middle and high school students in urban schools apparently do.

Begun in 1997 in Atlanta, the national Urban Debate League has grown swiftly in its campaign to seed debate teams in mostly minority, mostly poor schools.

Denver and Dallas are the latest cities to join the effort, which is now established in 18 cities and more than 300 high schools. The National Association of Urban Debate Leagues says more than 37,000 students have competed.

"I only was able to go to college when I did because I had a debate scholarship," said Roberto Corrada, a law professor at the University of Denver who is co-chair of the Denver league's advisory board.

"I come from a large family of six kids and there was no way college was going to happen without me working first and saving up some money on my own," Corrada said of growing up in Austin, Texas. "I went to college for free by being on the college debate team. I very much feel I am where I am today because of that."

Corrada and Rico Munn, head of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs, are co-chairs of the Denver league's advisory board and were key to bringing it to Denver.

Rigors of debate

"Unfortunately, debate in this country has essentially been left to kids in suburban schools and . . . to higher socio-economic classes because of the level of research it takes and the level of access to resources," said Munn, a lawyer and former debater.

"What the Urban Debate League tries to do is to level the playing field."

In Kelli Lesh's classroom at MLK on Thursday, Jessica Clark plunked down big black tubs containing files, one tub for each debate team.

Inside were the core research documents for this year's debate topic - renewable energies - and Clark, the Denver league director, was ready to dispense advice.

"This is a trick, a very secret trick that I only know because I've been doing this for 20 years," she said.

The six debaters, seated around the room, leaned in closer.

"Rebuttal is not about the evidence, you're just going to put everything together in a way that makes sense to the judge," she said. "Why your case is important, why your plan is such a good idea."

Sophomore Marilyn Calderon took a stab: "Because it will save the polar bears?"

Clark nodded, "Why is that important?"

"Because you want your grandchildren to see them?" Marilyn asked.

Clark nodded again.

"This is where it's important to make the judges cry, talk about those polar bears," she said. "You're performing at this point."

A prof's advice

Debate is not for the faint of heart or the easily fatigued. As Clark, Lesh and co-coach David Shanks explained the format for today's tournament, their dia gram began to look like an algebra equation: 8 1AC, 3 X, 8 1NC, 3 X, 8 2AC, 3 X, 8 2NC, 3 X.

That translates to - the first affirmative speaker gets eight minutes, followed by three minutes of cross-examination, followed by the first negative speaker who gets eight minutes, and so on.

"I am suffering from anticipation," deadpanned sophomore Stefan Keith, Ramon's debate partner.

Over the next school year, the four schools and possibly more - West High School is recruiting - have scheduled five tournaments culminating in a city championship in March at DU.

The debaters will continue to hone their research and debate skills on the same topic, renewable energies. Their case file will grow to 24 files totaling more than 540 pages, with headings including "Nuclear Power negative" and "Social Ecology Critique affirmative."

"The words might be big and I don't understand them but I've got my trusty dictionary next to me," Jessica said Thursday at Manual, "and I'm looking up the words and writing them down on a piece of paper like, that's what that word means and that's how you pronounce it."

If research from other city debate leagues holds true, more than 75 percent of the Denver participants will go on to a four-year college. The new debaters talk about scholarship opportunities and Chicago, the site of the national debate tournament, in hushed tones.

But today, they are in the nerve-racking throes of their first tournament. Corrada will be judging one of the four rounds.

Asked for advice for the new debaters, he laughed and said he threw up after every round of his first several tournaments.

"It will get better," Corrada said. "It's tough at first but you're going to learn and you're going to calm down and you're going to know what you're doing and it will get better."

mitchelln@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5245

The competition

Four Denver high schools will compete in the first Denver Urban Debate League today at Martin Luther King Jr. Early College, 19535 E. 46th Ave.

Here are times:

* Round One: 8:30 a.m.

* Round Two: 10:30 a.m.

* Round Three: 1 p.m.

* Round Four: 3 p.m.

* Awards Ceremony: 5 p.m.

Richard Young, Hall of Fame USA Debate Coach, Guilty of Child Molestation

Not one of my prouder moments, me with Richard Young at the 2006 NFL Nationals

As I sit here in Caracas, Venezuela, I have to go to press with this story, one I have been following for many months. I have refrained from publishing the story until now because I wanted to let the legal system come to a conclusion.

The evidence seems overwhelming, and I wonder about all of those people who have been so vigorous in defending Richard Young up until now. Look at the comments attached to the earlier stories! I also wonder at the educational system that I suspect, but do not know, has sheltered this individual. It is amazing that a coach who has been so successful had moved from high school to high school during his career. Why? Could it have been because this is a common occurrence, and schools have covered up for him in order to avoid adverse publicity for themselves? Too often this occurs in debate, an abuser has been allowed to leave a school without comment because they do not want adverse publicity, just to pass him on to another school system and another group of victims. Shame on any school who has done this. Justice will out and it appears to have done so now.

Every school and all of us involved with debate must stand firm to expose and condemn individuals like this abd not just pass them on to other school systemjs to create more victims.

This is a long post, because I want readers to see the process of this, in reverse chronological order. Let us resolve to break the silence and to end OUR complicity in these events by not exposing offenders when they first commit crimes.

What follows is a series of stories that tell the tale. The comments to the stories, especially the early ones, are revealing.

From http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=9197456&nav=menu486_2_2

Young Found Guilty in Molestation Trial
Posted: Oct 18, 2008 05:06 PM
Updated: Oct 18, 2008 05:59 PM

by Sarah Kallail and Chris Durden (HUTCHINSON, Kan.)

A jury convicts a former Buhler High School debate coach on all counts in his child molestation trial.

Jurors found Richard Young guilty on one count aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count indecent solicitation and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Prosecutors say young molested a foreign exchange student who stayed with him. The victim testified during the trial that young asked him about sex on his first day in the United States. During his stay at young's house, the victim says he would touch and fondle him. The 17-year-old from South Korea was 15 when he lived with Young.

Young's three ex-stepsons testified he molested them for years while their mother was married to him.

It took jurors less than a day to reach a verdict. Young now awaits sentencing.

From http://www.hutchnews.com/Localregional/pastt

Published online 10/7/2008 11:05 PM

Past behavior likely testimony focus in teacher's trial

By Jon Ruhlen - The Hutchinson News - jruhlen@hutchnews.com

Testimony in the trial of a former Buhler debate coach accused of molesting a Korean foreign exchange student in August 2007 is expected to begin today, after a day of jury selection Tuesday.

Attorneys picked a jury of six women and six men to hear the case against Richard Young, the former Buhler teacher accused of fondling a 15-year-old South Korean boy who was staying with him a year ago. The attorneys also picked two alternate jurors, one man and one woman.

About 100 potential jurors showed up for the jury pool. While several indicated familiarity with the case through media coverage, most said they would not let that influence their ability to be fair and impartial if picked to serve on the jury.

The jury pool for Young's trial was larger than usual because of concerns that widespread media coverage of the case would make it difficult to find nonbiased jurors. Additionally, Young was a popular teacher at Buhler and taught for years at schools in Hutchinson and Little River.

At least one potential juror indicated that her son had Young as a debate coach when he was at Hutchinson. That woman was excused.

Neither defense attorney David Moses nor Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder sought to individually question jurors on media exposure to the case.

Young is charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of indecent solicitation of a child. The trial is expected to stretch into next week, with days off for Yom Kippur and Columbus Day.

The case will likely feature testimony from witnesses on both sides regarding Young's past behavior. District Judge Richard Rome issued an order last week denying a request by the defense to preclude testimony from three men who allege that Young molested them in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Rome also denied a request by prosecutors to preclude testimony from foreign exchange students who stayed with Young and denied any wrongdoing.


3 comment(s) found!
teachers trial : 10/8/2008
I think that those men who say Young did something to them in the 70's and 80's should be allowed to testify against him I know how it feels to have something like that happen to you and that it can cause you alot of problems through out your life so anyone that can help put someone like that away let them help.

susie
old dirty man : 10/8/2008
this man will get what he deserves WHEN he is convicted. I hope he realizes what happens to child molestors in prison. i feel sorry for him. those poor kids should have there chance to have their way with him. IF HE IS GUILTY he is a nasty nasty man. RICHARD YOUNG: if you did this I hope you have fun being a "woman" in prison!!!

bendergender
: 10/8/2008
Like the rest of the Kansas sex offenders He will be treated here in Hutchinson. Then released back onto the streets of Hutchinson.

From http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=9146356

Teen Testifies in Richard Young Case
Posted: Oct 9, 2008 01:08 PM
Updated: Oct 9, 2008 01:08 PM


By Alana Rocha (RENO COUNTY, Kan.)

Day one of the trial against a former Buhler High School Debate Coach began with graphic details. Richard Young is accused of molesting a foreign exchange student who was staying with him. He's charged with two counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties With a Child and one count of Indecent Solicitation of a Child.

The victim in the case took the stand Wednesday morning. The 17-year-old from South Korea was 15 when he was living with Richard Young in August of 2008.

The teen lived with Young for a month and a half. He told the court, even before he moved here, he and Young communicated through e-mail. One of those communications, he said, included a photo of his body at Young's request.

He testified that from the moment he arrived in the states, Young asked him about the sexual lives of Korean students. He said, days into his stay in Buhler, Young asked him to stay in his bed where he proceeded to touch the boy and have the boy touch him in return.

The teen testified this happened several times over eight days.

Both sides in the case have different takes on the reasons why it took the student so long to report the crime. During opening statements, the defense said it will be the focus of their case.

Look for updates here at kwch.com throughout the trial.


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A Hope for Justic
October 9, 2008
This trial will prove that Mr. Young is innocent. He deserves to have his name cleared by the courts. He also deserves an appoligy from this station for slandering him and showing only one side of this case. If this was real news then both sides would be shown fairly. But with the way it's been presented it's more about who can find the biggest issue of gossip instead of who can find all the facts.
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HHS Alum
October 10, 2008
I was first apalled by the allegations, but unfortunately this does seem very likely. Too many details ring true in this case. I hate that this happened, but I'm leaning toward the fact that he is guilty.

From http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/25616914.html#comments

Buhler Teacher Pleads Not Guilty To Sex Crimes Save Email Print

Posted: 10:44 AM Jul 18, 2008
Last Updated: 10:44 AM Jul 18, 2008
Reporter: Abby Barnett
Email Address: abby.barnett@kake.com
3 comments

A Buhler High School teacher today pleaded not guilty to indecent liberties with an exchange student.

During a brief hearing in Reno County Court, Richard Young entered his plea and asked for a jury trial.

The debate coach is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old foreign exchange student who stayed with him last fall.

Judge Richard Rome did not set a trial date for Young.


Posted by: David on Jul 18, 2008 at 02:57 PM
This foreign teenager deserves the same protections and justice as our American children. Only ignorant people would believe this young person is lying and mentally ill. The victim does not deserve the horrible treatment he is being subjected to and he is a brave strong person to confront this evil predator to stop him from victimizing other children.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 18, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Of course he did, because not only is he a pervert he is a coward and is trying to get out of his punishment.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 18, 2008 at 01:30 PM
Dont most of these perves plead not guilty

From http://www.hutchnews.com/Todaystop/buhlerteacher

Buhler will fire teacher set for trial

Debate coach involved in sex case has 15 days to initiate a challenge to the decision.

By Darcy Gray - The Hutchinson News - dgray@hutchnews.com

A Buhler High School teacher and debate coach awaiting trial on child molestation charges could soon lose his job at the school.

During a school board meeting Monday, Buhler USD 313 board members "unanimously adopted a resolution of intent to terminate Richard Young's contract of employment," according to Kelly Nelson, the district's public information officer.

Young, 68, was bound over for trial last week on three counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of indecent solicitation of a child for allegedly fondling a 15-year-old male foreign exchange student from South Korea in August 2007.

"The board's decision last night to move forward was made with the best intentions of our students in mind," Nelson said.

According to the school board's resolution, the district cited "inappropriate relations with a student, inappropriate touching of children" as reasons Young's current contract should be terminated.

Young has 15 days to request a hearing to challenge the school board's decision. David Schauner, Kansas National Education Association general counsel, said he would represent Young in any hearing on the board's action - but so far, no such plans have been made.

"I have not had a chance to visit with Mr. Young yet," Schauner said Tuesday, noting he'd just learned of the board's decision.

Young was initially suspended with pay when authorities began an investigation last November. It wasn't until early March, shortly after charges were filed, that the district decided to change Young's status to suspended without pay. His annual salary was $42,000.

Nelson said the timing of the board's recent decision for termination was "based on information we had received during the preliminary hearing."

Along with testimony from the alleged victim in the hearing last week, three men also testified to being molested by Young as teenagers. The prosecution presented as evidence copies of letters Young allegedly sent to the three men in 1994, apologizing for those alleged actions.

Arraignment for Young is set for July 7 before Reno County District Judge Richard Rome.

A teacher and debate coach at Buhler High School since 2003, Young has a 47-year career in education and has previously worked for schools in Hutchinson, Great Bend, Little River, Stockton and Topeka.

Attempts Tuesday to reach Young were unsuccessful. A number listed for his Buhler address has been disconnected.

At the Buhler school board meeting Monday, board members also approved the hiring of Gary Minor as the new forensics teacher and debate coach.

From http://sexing-the-cherry.blogspot.com/2008/05/richard-young-is-not-second-coming.html

Richard Young is Not the Second Coming


This is oldish news but nonetheless warrants an entry. Feminism is centered on the notion that all people deserve to be equal, and seeks to address injustice as it is encountered in everyday life. Most often, these injustices go largely overlooked because the victim is one who is usually marginalized. Feminism argues that, most often, those who are silenced are women. However, feminism also looks to people of color, differently-abled, children, the economically disenfranchised, and immigrants as those who are routinely swept under the rug. Their problems are not our problems because they are so obviously the Other.

In August of '07, a high school debate coach in Buhler, Kansas was alleged to have engaged in inappropriate actions with a 16-year-old minor, a foreign exchange student that he had been hosting. In fact, Richard Young has hosted several exchange students over the years. The allegations led to a full search of Young's home and office, including the computers therein. During the investigation, Young continued to be on paid leave ($42,000/yr), even after formal charges were filed.

Initially, the charges were 3 counts of indecent liberties with a child and 1 count of indecent solicitation with a child, including "lewd fondling or touching of a child." Court dates were pushed back, again and again, until finally, Young appeared in court in early May. Only to have the preliminary hearing pushed back until June 4th. However--there is good news. The charges were upped to 3 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, a more serious felony charge.

Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder says he increased the severity of the charges because the student did not consent to the alleged abuse, and because he was under Young's care.

Young was supposed to be a trusted adult for this student. The student lived with Young and literally had nowhere else in the entire hemisphere where he could be safe. The nature of their relationship involved a unique trust--the student's safety and security was tied up in Young, in much the same way it would be with a parent and child. The offenses, if true, are even more heinous due to the student's obligatory reliance on Young for safety and shelter.

Oh, but it gets so much worse.

Schroeder also rebuked a request by Young to waive his preliminary hearing and proceed straight to trial.

At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors are required to prove to a judge that enough evidence exist to warrant a trial.

"Most prosecutors welcome a waiver," said David Moses, Young's defense attorney.

Schroeder said it is important to establish victim's testimony at the preliminary hearing in the event the student must leave the country before the trial begins.

The testimony could then be used at the trial if the victim was unavailable.

Disturbing. Young is so desperate to avoid the student's testimony, that he'll try to waive a preliminary trial altogether. He is willing to concede that there is grounds for a trial, flat-out. The fact that "prosecutors welcome a waiver" means that Young knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that, if the prosecutor was sloppy, s/he would jump the gun and accept the waiver. But this prosecutor knew the ramifications of accepting the offer and declined it. If the preliminary trial was waived, it would take longer to get to the real trial--time enough to possibly send the exchange student home, foreclosing on the chance to allow his testimony and potentially risking a mistrial, if Young argued that his right to confront the accuser had been violated.

But this is a feminist issue for more than just the obvious. Young has been at Buhler for 5 years and teaching for 47. He is actually somewhat of a legend in the debate community, for coaching his students to so many victories in high school debate rounds. There are tons of folks in this tight-knit community that vow that Young is a father figure, a mentor, a hero, etc, all because he was a "successful" coach (despite alienating any student who disagrees with his coaching style and leaving debaters unprepared for college debate). The community, by and large, unquestioningly came to Young's defense. It was terrifying.

Every single rape apologist came out of the woodwork, for every cliche reason you could imagine. Facts about the exchange student that should've never become public were suddenly common knowledge: his name, his mental health status, personal conversations that he'd had with others, personality traits, you name it. Not a single one of the people divulging this kind of information is interested in any kind of real justice. I'd love to link to the discussion but it has since been deleted by people who felt like nobody should dare doubt the holiness of Richard Young. You'll have to take my word for it--people literally claimed that they wouldn't lose any respect for him, even if convicted.

However, there is a facebook group dedicated to providing support for Young, and it contains the following description (in part):

I know my position on this incredibly evil and malicious stride towards the degradation of this noble man, I AM TAKING MY STAND and encouraging others to voice their opinions, knowledge and truth behind this deviance... don't let OUR hard work and alma mater be blemished by foolish and negligent accusations... be courageous, if not for yourself, for our pride and school!!!

See that? Young must be innocent because he is so noble. Any claims to the contrary (despite evidence found during a police investigation) are evil, malicious, degrading, deviant, ignorant, foolish, negligent, cowardly, etc. Simply because Young has an otherwise "good" reputation among a select few rich white kids. Even though these same people say innocent until proven guilty, they still somehow know the Truth, even though the premise behind that principle is that we can't possibly know the truth without evidence.

When called out on his seriously messed up description, the creator of the group added this little addendum:

I want everyone to know that I am seeking nothing more or less than the truth in this matter. I do not believe that students, adults or anyone in between should be silent about being a victim of sexual assault, of any kind. I feel that we should support being open about these occurences, so as to combat the happenings of sexual violence, to cease it for ALL.

Yes. He is so willing to end all sexual violence that he left the original group description up--the group description that foreclosed on any possibility that the alleged victim was telling the truth. The creator of this group formed his own conclusion, absent of any evidence whatsoever, and impugned the character of the exchange student in nearly every way possible, and yet still claims to seek justice for all. He claims to seek truth, but believes that he knows the truth on faith alone, rather than proof. Obviously, the truth doesn't interest this person or others who support Young in this manner. The way he speaks of the allegations literally silences anyone around him who may disagree, and further works to silence anyone who may have also suffered sexual abuse. Basically, it is hard to come forward when the whole world screams "liar!" the second you do.

The apologists continue: the student wanted attention, the student had mental health problems, the student didn't want to go home, the student wanted a visa, the student was a "known" liar, most people who make rape accusations are lying (despite this being untrue). Young couldn't possibly have done this: he was a reputable teacher, he was admired and respected by many, too many people had known him for too long, he was active in the community, and so on. And--I couldn't possibly make this up--students gathered in the courtroom to support Young, and they had planned on wearing matching outfits to school that day. You think the ridiculous-ness is over?

A Press Conference, by Superintendant David Brax around 9pm, suggested that "illicit material" had been found on a computer... this claim remained exactly that... just a claim. As a debate coach I'm sure they found something along the lines of research on "female genital mutilation" or "child rape" in africa as part of the years topic or maybe even for a forensics speech later in the season...

Yes. Investigators make baseless claims that could compromise their entire investigations and could, for no reason at all, jeopardize a person's long-running career. Even though this claim was made by the person employing Young, the creator of the facebook group still believes that it's "just a claim." He also seems to believe that investigators would use Google searches as their sole evidence in convicting someone of 3 very specific, very serious charges.

Basically, this story is repeated over and over, all over the country, all the time. However, usually it is a woman making the accusation. But all the arguments are the same--she's a liar, she's a whore, she was asking for it, she wants the attention, she has a bad past, she's mentally disturbed, etc. It's no wonder that most people think so many rape victims are making false accusations--if the rapist is not convicted (even for such reasons as the victim was not a virgin at the time) the general public marks another tally for false accusations. The whole system is set up to favor the accused, in some cases forbidding the victim even from using the word "rape." The whole thing serves to keep other people from coming forward, from naming their attackers, from feeling absolutely blameless. Because that's really the issue--no rape victim is to blame at all. Period. Attire, blood-alcohol content, nationalization status, mental health, social/class status (of victim AND accused) are absolutely irrelevant and truly need not enter the conversation at all. Ever. At the point in which this issues are discussed, the case is no longer about rape--it is about who is most privileged.

Young is lucky enough to be Caucasian, wealthy, of high social standing, well-known in the community, and so on. He's hosted many exchange students before, and yet somehow, most people take that as evidence of his innocence, rather than a very strong coincident indicator of the possibility that this is not his first victim. What other demographic would be easier to prey on?

It's not often that such a gigantic case occurs so close to home. Buhler is in my home state and is the high school which my partner attended. I also participated in debate pretty actively for 4 years, and was also aghast when news of this became public. But rather than jumping on the bandwagon because I didn't want to believe that such a thing could be true, I remained true to my feminist values. We do not show that we have value for all people if we only support the people who it's convenient to support. Sometimes, it's just not easy to do the right thing, but I am pretty sure that defending a man who was charged with very specific crimes, after an extensive evidence-gathering investigation, who was publicly suggested to have had illicit materials on his computer (at a press conference) by the superintendent (whose best interests would be served by not making this claim), who actively tries to silence his accuser by waiving a preliminary hearing, and who is fully capable of exercising his power to treat people badly is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

No matter how often my voice is silenced, I am going to do the right thing.
Posted by Zahra at 7:19 PM
Labels: children, kansas, law enforcement, mental health, racism, rape, sexual harassment
5 comments:

higgy333 said...
I am not usually a person to post to blogs, much less on sites that I am not a member of, but I do have some things that I see as seriously wrong with your blog. First, you make an invalid assumption of the socio-economic class of the people surrounding Mr. Young when you say "Young has an otherwise "good" reputation among a select few rich white kids." This invalid assumption causes you to marginalize his supporters in a way that you can point at as suppressive, when in fact those supporting him vary from the lowest to the highest socio-economic classes as well as racial creeds from around the world. Second you purport that Mr. Young, as a coach, marginalizes his own students, thus he is a person that a "feminist" must disparage. However, this marginalizing effect is not noticeable among those who have passed through his speech programs (Debate or Forensics). In fact, one particular student who graduated in 2005, who, in particular, fought with Mr. Young (I was there to see some of their conflicts) has said "He was a bastard, I Mean a real Son of a Bitch, but there is no way that he would do that!" So even the "marginalized" students see Mr. Young in a positive light. Also, you should do research on the student having passed from under Mr. Young's tutelage have continued on into both competitive Forensics and Debate at the college level. Furthermore, you insinuate that Mr. Young has taken liberties before with foreign exchange students. If what you are insinuating is the truth then why has no student tracked down by the investigators confirmed these suspicions. Also, I was personally extremely close to four exchange students of Mr. Young's. Close enough that I am still in regular contact with two of them (it was three until one moved last month), and they not only deny that Mr. Young did any thing to them, but they have confided in me their personal feelings of support for Mr. Young. Your final mistake is a fallacious accusation based upon the partial fact that the defense chose to waive the hearing. Your claim that the student would be deported prior to the trial is incorrect. As long as the trial is set to happen, the student will be allowed to stay inside the US in order to allow the authorities appropriate access to the information the student professes. The simple process of having the hearing only takes the burden of testimony off during the jury trial. The testimony can be recounted from the hearing, allowing the accuser to have testimony without actually facing the jury and telling the story. Furthermore, the hearing only delays the time to the actual trial, thus allowing the prosecution more time to build the case up. The reason most prosecutors would choose to forgo the hearing is that they 1) do not wish to expose their case either due to an insufficiency or fallacy or 2)they feel their case is strong enough at the time of the hearing to go to trial. A case that is extremely basic wouldn't need consider the first, as the defense would already know most, if not all, of the evidence and story behind the case. A case that is not well developed however, would benefit from the increase in time created by a hearing. This time could lead to the discovery of either new evidence or new testimony that could bolster the case. Given that the press has reported a multi-state canvas and interrogation as well as the single accusation/"sole victim" status of the student, it is only appropriate that the prosecution would insist on a hearing. In recap, your blog does present logical arguments against some of the supporters of Mr. Young; however, the attempt to prove both marginalization and subordination of the students by Mr. Young are unsubstantiated and fallacious. P.S. I come from a lower middle class family, the student who got in conflicts with Mr. Young came from a dysfunctional, working-poor family and the foreign exchange students I am friends with come from all across the Eurasian land mass. I am the least marginalized among us, and I support myself, without assistance, on 6-7 hundred dollars a month.

June 22, 2008 1:44 AM
Zahra said...
Okay, you have

1) People in Buhler are diverse. You won't win this argument, though--98.5% of folks in Buhler are white. The median income is $44,000+ and only about 1.5% of people are below the poverty line. Sorry, but you're just wrong about this one.

2) Mr. Young isn't a jerk to students, and even if he is, his debaters are "successful." So, let's just pretend for a second that Young is the nicest guy alive and that all his debaters go on to with national titles. So what? the problem is, people use this as a reason why he couldn't have molested a child. The 2 have nothing to do with each other.

3) Mr. Young probably did not molest every student in his care. Again--so what? By the way, even though the article I cited said the other victims were exchange students, it was mistaken. The other victims with letters of apology were Young's OWN SONS. But he's not SO bad because he hasn't molested every child in his care, right?

4) You think that foregoing the hearing was a good idea, or at least, you draw different conclusions than I do. This is irrelevant. We'll have to agree to disagree because we're both just speculating.

Actually, none of these arguments matter that much. They are all irrelevant. The point is, Richard Young is in a position of power, both as an educator and as a host parent. Arguments about his social standing just don't matter. When people support Young, they should support him because they like him, etc. Nobody should say "Well, he's nice to me, so I know he couldn't have molested a child." Nor should people degrade the minor in question. These are not defenses.

It is disgusting when the defense can ask the victim if he's ever masturbated, and somehow that's considered a legitimate and relevant question. That's the sort of thing I have a problem with.

July 1, 2008 10:14 AM
susan said...
http://www.dwightseffort.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&
id=585&Itemid=64

this is interesting

July 19, 2008 11:31 AM
Anonymous said...
By the way, 70% of the students who attend BHS are not from Buhler, they are from Hutchinson. So your statistics on Buhler are irrelevant since Hutchinson is a much more socioeconomically diverse city.
Also, it is important to realize that Mr. Young is a fairly well known, and generally respected, member of the Buhler school district. The prosecution realized this and they likely wanted to have a pre-trial in order to tarnish the jury pool. If they can create allow this testimony (unanswered by the defense as yet) sink into the populace then they can develop jury members with a greater amount of doubt. Maybe that's a good thing, but you can't deny that it's also good strategy by the prosecution.
Forgoing the hearing was a good idea. Since if you look into criminal law at all you will notice that the decision to go to trial is not based on guilt or innocence, but on the availability of evidence. This exchange student is testifying against him. That is ample evidence to force a trial, and that is what I'm sure Mr. Young's lawyer suggested to him. So why would they want to give away their strategy in a failed effort to avoid a trial?
Also, higgy333 is right, the student won't be forced to leave the country until after the trial. In fact, if you look closely at the pre-trial dialogue, then you would notice that one of the few points the defense did make was that Jae had a motive for lying because it got his visa frozen. Therefore, he cannot be forcibly deported until after the trial. Only he can choose to leave, which would look kind of suspicious anyway.
Finally, if you can't tell I am also a former student of Mr. Young. Nobody said that Mr. Young can't be a jerk; I've had arguments with him on more than a few occasions. Many students have, but you don't see many of his former students believing the validity of these claims. I never met this foreign exhange student, but I've spoken to my friends who did know him, and none of them believe this kid. I'm not saying that proves his innocence, but I just wish that people would allow the legal process to take place before they condemn a man. If Mr. Young were proven innocent, you probably wouldn't amend your blog or publish an apology. You might even use it as fuel to say that a minority has been "marginalized." That's not justice. I may not be able to prove his innocence, but I'm a lot more closely connected to this case than you are, and I've come to a different conclusion.
-kcg333

September 28, 2008 9:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I was his neighbor for 20 years and he was a lousy husband, a phony, lazy, never helped the 3 step sons do anything, self centered, mean and nasty.

From http://www.wibw.com/kakeheadlines/headlines/15995687.html

Buhler Teacher Arrested On Sex Crimes Save Email Print

Posted: 3:32 PM Feb 26, 2008
Last Updated: 11:02 PM Feb 26, 2008
Reporter: KAKE News
Email Address: news@kake.com
27 comments Photos

A Buhler High School teacher and coach has been arrested on sex charges.

The Reno County Sheriff says 68-year-old Richard Young was arrested this afternoon on three counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of Indecent solicitation of a child.

Authorites have been looking into alleged sex offenses with a foreign exchange student since August of 2007. Officers searched a high school office and Young's home late last year.

Young was a teacher and debate coach at Buhler High School. He has been on leave since late last year.

According to the Buhler HS website, young has been at the school for 5 years, with a total of 47 years in education.

The site also says he hosts foreign exchange students each year.

Young is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Kelly Nelson, Buhler USD 313 Public Information Officer, released the following statement Tuesday afternoon.

"Obviously we had hoped for a different outcome to this investigation, but we trust that the Reno County Sheriff’s Department has completed a thorough investigation. It saddens us for the alleged victim, our debate and forensics students and for Mr. Young. The administration and Board will determine an appropriate response to these allegations. Because this is a personnel matter, we can not comment further."

Coments on the above story:

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: anonymous Location: Kansas on Mar 5, 2008 at 05:27 PM
I also have known Mr. Young for years, not on a personal level, but have known him in the education arena. I was shocked and found the allegations hard to beleive. He is known to be a great educator and coach. However, what will be worse than these allegations, is if the youth is telling the truth and we refuse to even have an in-depth investigation. What is that old saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Has he been exhiting a preference for student company rather than adult company? There is no template for a crime of this sort. Anyone could be guilty. I hope the allegations are just that...allegations, but on the other hand, we must not assume we absolutely know.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: buhler on Mar 1, 2008 at 11:21 PM
in my opinion young will always have a job or at least i hope he will always have a job at buhler teaching the kids some amazing stuff

Posted by: Anonymous on Mar 1, 2008 at 08:33 AM
Now that all this has happened to Mr. Young (i.e. the accusations the media posting pictures and videos of him, his house, his name.) the only thing that matters is him doing 4 years of prison. He won't be able to go back to teach because some people will think he is still guilty, and the school doesn't want to look bad. When he goes to get a new job, they'll probably turn him down because he was accused of sexual exploitation with a child. The way the media has twisted this is sick.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: buhler on Feb 28, 2008 at 09:23 PM
in response to would i let my child b with him the answer is absolutly yes he taught my child many great things and i will forever be in debt to this wonderful man

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Buhler on Feb 28, 2008 at 09:17 PM
for everyone not supporting young unless you know him dont make judgements when he has led buhler to 3 back to back to back state championships and 2 back to back 4n6 state championships he was is and will forever be a great man and im am pround to call him my hero for his how he has reacted to this ridcule

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 at 09:55 PM
One of the most important things Mr. Young has taught me as a debate coach is the burden of proof. The constitution clearly says "Guilty until proven innocent." So why are people criticizing if you have never even met the man? Mr. Young has been one of the most influential people in my entire life. He has been teaching for 47 years. If these accusations were true, why haven't any of the other foreign exchange students staying with him turned him in? Because he did not commit these crimes. The Buhler Debate and Forensics squad will not go down without a fight.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 at 09:54 PM
Stay Strong Coach Young! You're respected by many many people.

Posted by: A Praying Citizen on Feb 27, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Mr. Young is innocent. Anyone who has spent any time with him knows that already. Please everyone pray for him. He deserves the best and deserves to have this over with. He's a GREAT man. He'll be in my prayers, will he be in yours?

Posted by: Billy Location: Buhler on Feb 27, 2008 at 07:28 PM
Hi kake, anonomous here. I've read through the comments on this story, and I really enjoyed the strong debate style of the last comment. However, I would like to say a few things of my own. One, you followed the BASKETBALL team to Cheney for them to say something about the DEBATE coach. One might think that since he was the debate coach, KAKE news could have interviewed someone who might have actually known Mr. Young. Not someone who had never talked to him or even been influenced by his presence. Also, taking that women's statement, last night, completely out of context to make it seem like everyone believed that he had actually committed these acts. Another low blow by Kake news. Finally, I'm not posting this comment to slam Kake 10, I'm writing this to slam what you have said and done, so do not take it personally.

Posted by: A praying citizen on Feb 27, 2008 at 07:17 PM
KAKE I'm making a plea to have you to tell the viewers of this station how much support Mr. Young has. Anyone that has actually spent a few minutes with the wonderful man knows just how GREAT he is. I'm also appalled by how the news cast seems to imply that he's already guilty. Please change the picture that you have of him. The one you chose is one that helps the unfair stigma that he's guilty. Show what he really looks like, a proud and extremely respected coach. If you're going to come into a small community to get a big story don't leave with only one side, this station has contributed to the tarnishing of his reputation. You owe him an apology. Even if you choose to wait till the court shows you that he's innocent, he deserves an apology. This is a great station, but you slipped up this time. He deserves the same respect that you would want if you were falsely accused of. Everyone please keep praying for Mr. Young spirits to be kept up and for a stoppage of all the slandering.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Because Mr. Young was, after all, a debate coach, i believe it necessary to comment in a noteworthy manner by looking at the arguments (if you could call them such) of those opposing. 1) "Buhler needs a better screening system" The most stringent screening system possible wouldn't have worked because no one has ever brought such a slanderous accusation against him before. 2) "He should rot in hell" This is one of my personal favorites. I don't even need to analyze the ignorance made blatant in this comment. . . . 3)"If this was your child. . . ." It seems that this person greatly could have benefited from Mr. Young as a teacher. Firstly, note the impressive grammatical accuracy (lack of commas, no subjunctive mood, "inocense"). Secondly, to the author: the number of exclamation points following a statement does not increase your credibility. Finally, this is at best a rudimentary appeal to emotion. Try using logic next time. I can see nothing other than a defendant ballot. Thank you.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Hutchinson on Feb 27, 2008 at 05:44 PM
I talked with a good friend of mine today who had Mr.Young as her debate teacher when he taught at Hutchinson High School. She said she was totally shocked to hear of these alligations. She said that Mr Young was one of the most influential people in her life and she can not even believe that he would do such a thing. Innocent until proven guilty!

Posted by: John on Feb 27, 2008 at 05:01 PM
Hey, you all pulled my comment. What are you afraid of? Must have hit too close to home. Shame on KAKE news again. Guess you cannot stand the same level of critcism you allow the misguided and misinformed to dish out to others. Not only do I not want my children to read some of the comments here, I also don't them to see how a "news" organization, who claims to represent the interests of the public, censors a public forum they set up just because the comments are not to their liking. If you don't like the heat, then disable ALL of the public comments, not just ones that critcize you! (Editors note: We can take criticism just fine. However, inappropriate comments are pulled.)

Posted by: George on Feb 27, 2008 at 04:02 PM
Having been in education all of my professional life, I can tell you that in over 75% of these cases, the alledged victim is actually trying to commit fraud and slander by falsely accusing the teacher in order to divert attention from their own issues. The sad fact is that the accusation alone is enough to permanently damage an innocent person's life and reputation, no matter how many retractions are issued later supposedly clearing the teacher -- the REAL victim -- of the charges. Each case must be decided on the facts to the standard of innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not the kangaroo court of public opinion. Cheers for those who support this standard. Assuming this man is innocent, I pray for a quick resolution and comfort in his time of trouble. If he is not, I pray the facts will prevail and the proper actions will be taken.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Richard Young is a respectable man and has dedicated his life to educating students. He is an nationally recognized coach in debate and forensics and does not deserve this scrutiny or to be "condemned to hell" based on ignorance or accusations. Our court systems were founded on the idea that you are innocent until proven guilty, so why are people so quick to jump to conclusions? While Mr. Young has been arrested, he has NOT been convicted. It is a shame that because of the ignorance of a community and the accusations of a foreign exchange student that his reputation has been tarnished. We should not be so quick to condemn him. He is well respected by his students and is not "dangerous." Hopefully the justice system pulls through because he deserves nothing less. He has not been convicted of taking "innocence from a child" yet, and it is this type of ignorance that fails our justice system.

Posted by: a concerned citizen on Feb 27, 2008 at 01:55 PM
many of these comments (as with most of the prosecution) have been made in ignorance. what ever happened to the burden of proof in this country? i believe that it's highly offensive that someone would condemn a man to hell merely because someone heard that a bipolar, manic depressed foreign exchange student made an accusation with absolutely no credibility or backing whatsoever. if that's all that it takes to slander a man's reputation in this country, if people jump to conclusions that quickly, we have truly lost our sense of justice and dignity. it's sickening how quickly people jump to conclusions.

Posted by: Will Location: Buhler District on Feb 27, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Mr. Young coached me in debate and forensics. He has hosted foreign exchange students for a long time. He is still hosting one for 8 years while the student is attending college. Never once did I ever feel like I would be violated or ever have to worry about that form of a situation while being around Young. He is innocent until proven guilty. The victim in question is most likely the foriegn exchange student that filed the charges. This student has failed multiple psychology tests. This may just be a ploy by the student

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 at 09:35 AM
supporters of the man guilty if this was your child you would not be supporting his inocense, he took inocense from a child!!!!!!!

Posted by: Cliff Secord Location: Buhler, KS on Feb 27, 2008 at 08:12 AM
This guy is in serious trouble. He might not be able to get another job after this.

Posted by: Linda Location: Topeka on Feb 26, 2008 at 11:30 PM
I know and have worked with Richard personally. There is no way this is true. He is a dedicated professional and has given his life to the students of the state of Kansas. He IS the top debate coach in our state and is one of the top coaches nationally. He has taken in foreign exchange students for over a decade, perhaps two decades. I knew many of the students he had taken in. He's been a highly respected administrator in Kansas schools as well. There is something wrong with this accusation. We should all be asking ourselves how someone who has given 47 years of their life to Kansas kids, with a spotless, stellar reputation can be thrown in a jail cell on the report of one foreign exchange student.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 26, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Portraying the Buhler School District and schools in general as poor choices to educate our children, because of the "lack of a better screening system" is ridiculous. All school districts undergo a strict process in regards to the employees they hire. Statements about rotting in hell does not benefit anyone. You're quick to judge. Do citizens not realize the concept of innocent until proven guilty??? Coach Young has benefited not only the debaters and forensicators, but the school, the community and the state in more ways than one. Portraying him as an evil person does not help school districts to "better educate" our students. Buhler School District has a strong academic record, as well as the numerous trophies and championships that Young has contributed to the school. After 40 years in education, he is more than qualified to educate students. I personally know he has impacted many lives and instilled valuable life lessons. I support the BHS debaters and forensicators whole heartedy

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 26, 2008 at 10:19 PM
why are people so sick these days??

Posted by: Christy Location: Buhler Ks on Feb 26, 2008 at 09:59 PM
INNOCENTUNTIL PROVEN GUILTY!
Posted by: Anonymous Location: The Buhler District on Feb 26, 2008 at 09:26 PM
For any parent that is concerned about this situation I ask that you wait and stop assuming that he's guilty. I understand that many people in our school district may not know him, but if you did then you would understand why is is considered a hero by all. Everyone is safe at Buhler High School with him there. When he is there he brings the attitude that should be in our schools. He cares for kids and he knows what is right and what is wrong. He is one of the highest regarded debate coaches in the country. He may be a lot of things like a true friend, a hard worker, an amazing coach, but he is NOT dangerous to anyone. He a real man and he is innocent! The community of Buhler is blessed to have such a great man to live here. He will be proven innocent and that's that.

Posted by: Evelyn Location: Hutchinson on Feb 26, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Innocent until proven guilty.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: The Buhler community on Feb 26, 2008 at 09:15 PM
Please don't slander this great man's name. It has been an honor knowing him. There is no doubt in this community that he is innocent. We know what will happen in the end. We look forward to the day in which everyone stops bugging him about all of this. He is innocent, but until legal documents confirm this fact please stop telling this story as if he was guilty. It's innocent before proven guilty. Please do it like the courts do, don't make the story seem like he's guilty. He is a hero to many and he has been a blessing to everyone who has gotten the chance to be coached by him. We support him, please do the same.

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 26, 2008 at 04:37 PM
Why doesn't the school district get a better screening system to keep our children safe. Home schooling will be the only safe way to educate our children.May he rot in hell.

First Venezuelan Debate Tournament Begins

Participants in first debate

Hello from Venezuela.

I am in Caracas, which is supposed to be the city of eternal spring, since it is near the equator but in the mountains so it always has that spring-like flair.

It is lovely city, nestled between mountains that separate it from the Carbbean sea. The "Avila," or lovely moutain range, separates it from the ocean. It is nice, but the traffic is unbelievable and hostile. There are obviously too many cars, and it has the worst traffic I have seen in the known world. The people are friendly and the climate is friendly as well.

I am here for the first ever Venezuelan university debate tournament. I had a great lecture opportunity on Thursday afternoon at a local univeristy and about 90 people showed up to hear me talk about debate as a teaching tool in non-debate classrooms (literature, history, political science, etc.). They were attentive and seemed to like me, asking lots of questions and staying involved. Local organizers said it was a big success.

Today the tournament started. They have had a lo of debate workshops here but never a tournament. Students seemed excied and ready. I judged four rounds today and have the following observations:

• Students seemed more ready that most beginners, because many of them have had model UN experience and have been to workshops held by the local organizers and staffed by excellent Spanish-speaking trainers from the USA, includling Luis Magallon, Brenda Montes, Kenda Cunningham and Sandra Maroschka. .
• I was pleased with their knowledge of the topic area, which is expanding representation on the UN security council. While not omniscient, they knew quite a lot.
• They had a very good idea of what the important issues were in the debates, going right to them and spending time there.
• They seemed really into it and highly motivated.

Today we had four rounds, and tomorrow we will have three more rounds and then break to semifinals.

I feel as if I witnessed a transformative moment in Venezuelan debate. The work and the trainers that had previously been done now paid off in a real debating tournament.

In my hotel room I was listening to a song and these words from Timothy Leary came through. Pardon me if I share them.

As you may know, I practice a profession for which there is no real name. What I have been doing for over 40 years is to practice the psychology of individual freedom. It is my job to corrupt young people with the infectious and contagious idea of individual freedom. It is my job to encourage and to empower you to to think for yourself and to question authority.

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

Debate Coaches Say McCain Must Up His Game in Last Debate

From http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14510.html

Debate coaches: McCain must up game
By: Andy Barr
October 13, 2008 05:25 AM EST

Top national debate coaches say John McCain needs to make vast improvements if he wants to best Barack Obama in the final presidential debate on Wednesday — and based on his performance in the two debates held so far, they’re skeptical that the old dog is willing to learn any new tricks.

While Obama appeared “steady and consistent” in their encounters, McCain seemed “aimless,” said Emory University debate coach Melissa Maxy Wade.

Reaction polls taken during and immediately after both debates showed that respondents in general, and undecided voters in particular, favored Obama.

“Nobody who is coaching McCain would tell him to say ‘my friends,’” said pollster and former national debate champ Matt Towery. “It looks like John McCain is not receiving any professional training from coaches.”

McCain is in fact coached by one of the best in the county, even if that coaching hasn’t been evident in his performances.

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rodgers confirmed that Brett O’Donnell, the former coach of Liberty University, is the Arizona senator’s “only debate coach,” though all of McCain’s senior policy advisers are involved in debate prep.

Since coming to Liberty in 1993, O’Donnell turned Jerry Falwell’s Baptist College into a national debating powerhouse whose previously inexperienced debaters held their own with highly recruited students from more academically prestigious schools.

“He ran a really, really good program,” said Wake Forest debate coach Allan Louden, who has prepped Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). “He was most successful at taking novices and making them great debaters, and that’s what political candidates are, novices.”

Those skills got O’Donnell noticed in the small world of conservative debate coaches and led to Karl Rove's tapping him to prepare President Bush for his 2004 debates against Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).

Under O’Donnell’s tutelage, Bush showed “marked” improvement in his debates, especially in terms of offering specific and clear responses to Kerry’s attacks, “that showed [O’Donnell’s] influence,” said Louden.

Top national debate coaches, though, say that McCain made many easily corrected mistakes in the first two debates.

McCain “meanders through the substance of his arguments,” often “getting lost and having to revert back to simple themes,” University of Kansas debate coach Scott Harris said.

Harris added that McCain has allowed Obama to “look more knowledgeable” by simply delivering “clearer arguments.”

While Obama is widely perceived to be a more gifted speaker than McCain, the Democrat was “very rough in the primary debates,” Wade said. “He had an idea about what he wanted to say but didn’t have the concise language to say it.”

But having emerged from the crucible of 23 primary debates, he has “found his groove” in the general election campaign, according to Wade. “There was a lesson in every one of those debates, and he internalized them.”

Obama’s general election debate performances have demonstrated classic signs of coaching, said the debate experts, such as enumerating his answers, using McCain’s arguments to make his own points, and pivoting quickly from the question that was posed to the question he’d prefer to answer. The Illinois senator is also much quicker to offer facts and statistics than McCain.

And Obama smiles whenever McCain attacks him, making him look “more agreeable … [and] more reasonable,” Wade said.

McCain, the debate experts said, has been making classic mistakes that could be fixed.

During both debates, the Arizona senator has struggled both to clearly argue his own point and to rebut those of his opponent, despite 16 primaries of his own to hone his performance.

“Part of the trick in coaching candidates is to have them get to the damn point,” Louden said. “Whatever you can say in five minutes, you can say better in 30 seconds.”

Harris agreed, adding that McCain has also done a poor job of pointing out weaknesses in Obama’s arguments. “He needs to characterize Obama’s arguments as platitudes rather than solutions,” he said, a tact Hillary Clinton frequently employed during the later primary debates.

The responses by Obama and McCain to the first question posed in the first presidential debate demonstrated both Obama’s skills and McCain’s weaknesses.

Asked by moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS about the financial recovery plan then being debated on Capitol Hill, Obama answered first, laying out a concise and organized argument.

Obama’s argument started with his outrage over the situation, mapped out what he wanted in the bill and finished by tying McCain to the causes of the financial crisis.

“We have to move swiftly, and we have to move wisely. And I’ve put forward a series of proposals that make sure that we protect taxpayers as we engage in this important rescue effort,” Obama said.

Enumerating his answers, Obama laid out his proposals.

“Number one, we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got oversight over this whole process; $700 billion, potentially, is a lot of money. Number two, we’ve got to make sure that taxpayers, when they are putting their money at risk, have the possibility of getting that money back and gains, if the market — and when the market returns,” and so on through four points.

He closed with a hard hit at McCain:

“Now, we also have to recognize that this is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush, supported by Sen. McCain, a theory that basically says that we can shred regulations and consumer protections and give more and more to the most, and somehow prosperity will trickle down.

"It hasn't worked. And I think that the fundamentals of the economy have to be measured by whether or not the middle class is getting a fair shake. That's why I'm running for president, and that's what I hope we're going to be talking about tonight.”

McCain then made many of the same points, but in a digressive fashion that was considerably harder to follow.

The Arizona senator started by expressing sympathy for “Americans who are facing challenges,” then said the legislative package “has transparency in it,” without explaining how or why this should matter to those being hurt by the crisis. McCain then jumped into a statement lauding the bipartisan nature of the bill before adding that House Republicans “weren’t a part of the negotiations.”

McCain concluded by saying, “We’ve got a lot of work to do. And we’ve got to create jobs. And one of the areas, of course, is to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil,” points that he did not previously introduce and did not tie to the financial crisis.

McCain also failed to take advantage of answering second to respond to Obama’s Bush-McCain economic policy line.

The disheveled delivery was matched in last week’s town hall debate by an equally disconcerting style, as McCain walked around the stage seemingly without purpose.

What appeared to be an effort to make contact with the live audience meant frequent camera shots of the back of his head — and of awkward interactions with audience members.

“It was crazy, he was walking around aimlessly,” Louden said.

McCain was seen by the debate experts as more effective in his visual presentation in the first debate, when both candidates were behind podiums, but even then, pundits thought his unwillingness to look at Obama, despite Lehrer’s frequent requests that the candidates speak directly to each other, made him appear cold and angry.

That may have been the result of over-coaching, said Lounden, which made McCain both look and feel uncomfortable, prompting him to revert to the town-hall style in which he appears most at ease.

“You don’t change people in a few debate sessions,” Louden said. “He probably just said ‘the heck with it, I’m just going to do what makes me comfortable.’”

Wade speculated that McCain is “much harder to coach because he has been at this so long,” adding that he may be resistant to changing from his town-hall style because he’s often used his “wit and charm” to earn a “free pass in answering questions.”

Harris agreed, saying that “the whole maverick renegade image he portrays probably makes him hard to coach because he wants to be his own man and do what he wants to do.”

Kuwait Debate League Lands Major Sponsor

From http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20081008092415/ExxonMobil%20Supports%20the%20Kuwait%20Debate%20League

ExxonMobil Supports the Kuwait Debate League

ExxonMobil Exploration sponsors the Kuwait Debate League's Trip to Washington D.C.
Kuwait - October 8, 2008 - Today, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Kuwait Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, a global leader in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry, announced its support of the Kuwait Debate League and their participation in the World Schools' Debating Championship (WSDC) held in Washington D.C. from September 5th - September 15th 2008.

The WSDC is a global competition for high school debaters. The Championships take place each year in a different country, hosted by a national debating body. Recent venues include Sydney, London, Johannesburg, Singapore and Lima. All debates take place in English. Each country can submit a squad of 3-5 students under 19 years of age in full time education in that country to debate social, moral and political issues. Past patrons of the Championships include Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela.

ExxonMobil believes in investing in the communities in which it works. This is not only a key corporate pillar but it is part of a larger commitment to be an active corporate citizen and a good global neighbor. "In the Middle East, and in the Gulf region in particular, we have concentrated on actively contributing to education, health and community programs," commented John Hoholick, President of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Kuwait Limited. "When we were approached by the British School of Kuwait, which also acts as the agent for WSDC, to sponsor a member of their debate league we were happy to learn more about their initiatives. After meeting Ascia Al-Farraj, captain of the Kuwait Schools' Debating League (KSDL) and Emma Bowie Director of KSDL we saw their commitment to the league and we knew that this was an important project to support."

"During our stay in Washington D.C., we were involved in probably the most intense and competitive school event in the world. At this year's competition 41 teams have registered for the 2008 WSDC. As well as competing against other nations, the KSDL represented their country at several official functions where they were called upon to meet with ambassadors and other dignitaries. The whole experience was an unforgettable one for the team. It truly is a life-changing event, and I would like to thank ExxonMobil for the generosity that they have shown in support of our team." commented Emma Bowie, Director of the Kuwait Schools' Debating Championship. "It's safe to say that our team did an excellent job, and I hope we get more students to join us in the future."

ExxonMobil has a long history of supporting and improving educational programs. In all countries, basic education is necessary to spur development and economic growth. In 2007, ExxonMobil directed more than $70 million to education worldwide.

Doha Debates USA Presidential Race

From http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2008&file=Local_News2008100933245.xml

Debate on US election
Web posted at: 10/9/2008 3:32:45
Source ::: The Peninsula
Doha • The Georgetown University School Foreign Service in Qatar is organising a debate on American presidential elections on October 12 at the Diplomatic Club.

The debate is titled “ The American presidential elections- Democratic vs Republican perspectives." The one-hour event will begin at 6.30pm.

James Pattil, director of Strategic Planning and Analysis for the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University and Gary Wasserman, a visiting Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar will be debating on the topic. David Foster, senior new anchor at Aljazeera English will be the moderator.

Dramatic Philippines TV Semifinal Debate

The Ateneo de Davao University Debate Team

From http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/anc/10/04/08/ateneo-de-davao-beats-st-louis-‘square-off’-semis

Ateneo de Davao beats St. Louis at ‘Square Off’ semis

By karen_flores
Created 10/04/2008 - 15:02
Ateneo de Davao beats St. Louis at ‘Square Off’ semis [1]

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/04/2008 3:02 PM

The Ateneo de Davao University on Wednesday advanced in its quest to become the country’s best debate team as it overwhelmed St. Louis University in the semi-finals of ABS-CBN News Channel’s debate program “Square Off: the CVC Law Debates”.

Hosted by Twink Macaraig, “Square Off: The CVC Law Debates” features law school teams, with legal luminaries and incumbent trial court judges as adjudicators.

The episode’s topic covered the classic life and death issue of the legalization of euthanasia in the Philippines with St. Louis University arguing for legalization and Ateneo de Davao University taking the opposite side.

St. Louis University’s first speaker Analyn Avila defined euthanasia as “the intentional act of causing the death of a severely ill and dependent human person for his or her alleged benefit.”

“To provide the proposal for euthanasia is probably the most challenging task for law students. Nonetheless we will take the challenge in the hope that the matter will be squarely given consideration,” Avila said.

Kris Dyan Cayabyab of St. Louis argued that legalizing euthanasia would remove the potential financial burden taken on by families whose relatives are clinically dead but remain hooked up to machines.

“Our reverence for life should not be dependent on this sort of martyrdom that we continually make it difficult for everyone to prolong everything. We lift financial constraints because even the patient would not want to further compromise other family concerns just so a life can be prolonged by science far beyond meaning or sensibility and when it is really impossible to maintain a rather costly concern such as this,” Cayabyab said.
The winning team from Ateneo de Davao, however, used arguments such as the right to life, possibility of abuse and premature death.

“It [euthanasia] would undermine the physician-patient relationship as it will create fear and distrust as doctors will no longer be seen as healers but also as killers,” said Hanniyah Sevilla of Ateneo de Davao University.

“Do you agree that suicide is not punished in the status quo? Of course I also assume that you know that giving assistance to suicide is punishable because you’re performing an overt act leading to the death of an individual. Isn’t it that pulling the plug is an overt act? Because you are actually using your own hands,” added Christine Ferrer of Ateneo de Davao University.

Adjudicator Atty. Rodel Cruz, Senior Partner of CVC Law, recognized the brilliant exchange between the two universities.

“I think all the debaters tonight deserve our warmest congratulations. They all deserve to be in the final four,” he said.

Adjudicator and former Senate President Frank Drilon was deeply impressed by the debate, saying that the semi-finalists have great potential as the country’s legislators in the future.

“The debates were very substantial. I was in government for 21 years and if you were congressmen, senators, or cabinet members, maybe we would have better legislation and better policies coming out of this administration,” he said.
Ateneo de Davao’s Hanniyah Sevilla, first of the three speakers on the negative side, was hailed as best speaker by the adjudicators. Christine Ferrer, also from Ateneo, got the texter’s choice award.

The Ateneo de Davao University is now set to compete in the finals against Arellano University next Wednesday.

Watch “Square Off: The CVC Law Debates’’ at ANC every Wednesday from 8-9 p.m.

Global Debate Goes On-Site to Report Debate Events

Venezuela, Chile, Slovenia, Malaysia and Ireland are the destinations.

Stand by for some exciting events as GLOBAL DEBATE hits the road to bring you some on-the-spot reporting from a number of interesting events during the rest of 2008. While this might mean slightly fewer regular posts as travel and lack of Internet access can take their toll, we hope to make up for it in specificity.

In October GLOBAL DEBATE will be going to Venezuela and Chile. In Venezuela we will be reporting on the first major intercollegiate debate tournament to be held there. There will also be a number of workshops and seminars to try and promote debating in that country. Rita Moncada, a World Debate Institute fellow, has helped arrange for the trip and we will also be reporting on her work there. In Chile, we will be at the Chilean national universities debate tournament along with seminars and workshops in several parts of the country on everything from advanced debate techniques to debating in the classroom. Alvaro Ferrer, a World Debate Institute fellow, is organizing this trip and we will also be reporting on his work there.

In November GLOBAL DEBATE will be at the International Debate Academy in Slovenia where debaters from many nations will gather with an outstanding faculty for an intensive week of instruction in the WUDC/BP format. Bojana Skrt, a World Debate Institute fellow, is the organizer of the event, now in its sixth year. After the instructional phase ends the whole group will adjourn to University of Maribor Faculty of Law for a tournament hosted by Zlata Subinski. Look for steady reports on both events.

In December GLOBAL DEBATE will be on the way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to report on the World Universities Peace Invitational Debates to be held under the sponsorship of CIMB Bank Group. It is described as:

The CIMB Group World Universities Peace Invitational Debate is a unique debating opportunity that any eligible university should be anxious to attend. It provide a unique opportunity for competition, acting as a veritable “tournament of champions” as well as featuring a unique theme that the debating community should embrace more, “peace”.

With a glittering array of teams, the competition should be stiff and the hospitality high quality. Thanks to CA Omar Salahuddin bin Abdullah for inviting us!

Later in December and into January GLOBAL DEBATE will once again be reporting live from the World Universities Debating Championships to be held in Cork, Ireland. Once again, get the latest on motions and results as well as gossip and news from the tournament. Last year there was a huge surge in readership during the Assumption, Thailand WUDC, and we expect more of the same this time.

Of course, all of this debate coverage should also yield a body of videos of debates from all of these locations which will be posted at DEBATE VIDEO BLOG for your viewing enjoyment.

Sarah's First Debate Tournament - How Parents Feel

When your child starts debating it can be a dramatic moment when the role of that person changes from subordinate and the object of nurture into a person who stands on their own and stands up for ideas. It is a great moment in parenting, and caught here by this blog.

From http://deirdreandkids.blogspot.com/2008/10/sarahs-first-debate-tournament.html

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2008
Sarah's First Debate Tournament
Sarah started debate this year. Her first tournament was this weekend. All last week she spent hours after school with her debate coach and partner, Zack. Followed by hours at home getting things organized. But it all paid off. She and Zack made it to the playoffs (semi-finals). Considering there were approximately 32 teams - and only 4 made it to playoffs, that in itself was great. She ended up finishing 3rd, losing to a team who were seniors and although it is their first year in CX (cross-examination) debate, have been in debate all through high school.

I got to sit in on 2 of the debates Friday and on Saturday's too. It was amazing watching her. I knew she could argue and make her point very clearly. But seeing her master the topics of global warming and the environment was really great. Especially since I knew she had no clue about any of it at the beginning of the year!

I am very proud of her dedication and accomplishments. I imagine this is just the first of many great successes she'll have!

Here is a picture of Sarah and Zack after the awards ceremony. They were both hyper so getting a picture was a feat in itself - but here's the great debaters with their medals.

International Debate Academy in November - Reserve a Spot Now

RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW!

THE SIXTH
INTERNATIONAL DEBATE ACADEMY SLOVENIA

THE BEST IN WUDC/BP DEBATE INSTRUCTION
23-30 NOVEMBER 2008

Visit the website for more information
News about curriculum and faculty

MANY WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:

• Full program for students – instruction, tournament

• Tournament for students – tournament in Maribor.

• Full program for trainers, teachers, coaches, club leaders, judges at any level in any debate format

SPECIFIC DATES:

• Arrive in Ormoz, Slovenia November 23 2008

• Instruction in Ormoz November 24-28 2008

• Transfer to Maribor afternoon 28 November 2008

• Tournament in Maribor evening 28-30 November 2008

• APPLICATION FORMS:
  Whole Program Form
  Tournament Only Form
  Scholarship Form

Organized by:
ZIP – Za in proti (ZIP), Pro et Contra, Institute for the Culture of Dialogue, Slovenia
WDI – World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA

FACULTY

• Loke Wing Fatt, Singapore: Well known Asian debate trainer, WUDC breaking judge, honorary professorship North-Eastern University China, SAID Singapore, 4th IDAS.

• Jens Fischer, Germany: Berlin Debating Union, Chief Adjudicator at Europeans, 3rd IDAS.

• Sam Greenland, UK/Hong Kong/Australia: WUDC semifinalist for Sydney, Hong Kong world schools coach, 3rd IDAS.

• Steve Llano, USA: Professor at St. John’s University NY, NE USA Director of the Year, USA National Champion coach, 3rd IDAS.

• Branka Marusic, Croatia: President Europeans Council, IDAS Finalist, 2nd IDAS.

• Rhydian Morgan, UK: Chief Adjudicator and Finals judge at numerous tournaments, Welsh Debating Federation, World Debate Institute faculty 2008, 2nd IDAS.

• Debbie Newman, UK: Past president of Cambridge Union, England & Wales National Champion, former Director of Centre for Speech & Debate at English-Speaking Union, England World Schools coach, WSDC world champion coach.

• Alfred Snider, USA: Professor at University of Vermont, Director World Debate Institute, USA Coach of the Year, six recent debate textbooks, 6th IDAS.

• Bojana Skrt, Slovenia: Director ZIP, twice WSDC EFL Champion coach, 6th IDAS.

| Ormož Castle | Symposium with EU and USA ambassadors |

Curriculum:
Students: Each Instruction day features a main lecture, exercise and drill sessions, and two complete critiqued practice debates. Many elective classes offered. Many training preparation sessions offered. Judge evaluation and training offered.
Trainers: Special track created based on the needs of attending trainers. All welcome.

Tournament:
Sponsored by IDAS, ZIP and hosted by Debate Club University of Maribor Faculty of Law. Six preliminary rounds and semifinals in the WUDC format. No team caps as of now. Faculty will serve as adjudication core and administration for the tournament.

Accommodations:
Rooms and full meals provided in Ormoz and Maribor. Social activities organized each evening.

Fees:
Includes all meals, double rooms, instructional materials, transportation from Ormoz to Maribor, and social activities. 200 Euros for full program, 50 Euros for tournament.

Financial Disclosure: IDAS is a non-profit program, trainers are not paid, trainer travel is not reimbursed, participation fees pay for attendee expenses of rooms and food only, trainers accommodations and food and other costs are covered by ZIP.

Social Events : We will have frequent social events. We will not distribute free alcohol to 18+ attendees out of the workshop fees. We will seek soft drinks-beer-wine sponsors. We prioritize scholarships for attendees over free alcohol. We want as many people as possible to join the fun.

Applications and information available from:
Whole Program Form
Tournament Only Form

Questions? Conatct Bojana Skrt, bojana.skrt@siol.net

Website: http://debate.uvm.edu/idas.html
Blogsite: http://internationaldebateacademy.blogspot.com/

Organizing committee:
Director of the Academy: Bojana Skrt, ZIP, bojana.skrt@siol.net
Head of Training: Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, alfred.snider@uvm.edu
Tournament Host, Zlata Subinski
Assistant Director, Peter Mesarec
Social Director, Helena Felc

Bennett Strange 1936-2008

From http://www.lacollege.edu/news-lc/

Debate Team Dedicates Win to Former Debate Coach
October 6th, 2008
Pineville, LA…Over the weekend, the LC debate team competed in a tournament at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and came away with some fine individual results. Senior team member, Victory Greenhouse, was a quarter-finalist in the novice division and her husband, Jervis Greenhouse, was a semi-finalist in the open division. Additionally, Scot Loyd, LC debate coach, was awarded the first place speaker award for the tournament. The squad will compete next at the LSUA tournament on October 24-26, and then on to Lee College in Tennessee on Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
The LC debate team would like to dedicate their wins to the memory of Bennett Strange, long time coach of the LC debate team, who passed away on Sunday.

For more information about the LC debate team or their schedule, please contact Scot Loyd at 487-7594 or loyd@lacollege.edu.

From http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20081008/OBITUARIES/81007025

Buford Bennett Strange

Buford Bennett strange passed away Sunday, October 5, 2008, in Mansfield. Bennet was surrounded by family and friends as the Lord welcomed him home. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held Wednesday, October 8, 2008, at 2 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Mansfield. Brother Joe Waggener, Dr. Bill Crosby, Dr. Calvin Phelps, and Brother Gary Gregg will be leading the service.
Bennett was born in Mansfield to Mr. and Mrs. Buford Strange on July 18, 1936.

Preceding him in death were his father, Buford Zack Strange, and an infant son.

Surviving Bennett are his wife, college sweetheart, and favorite travel companion, Mayme Vera Stone Strange of Mansfield; his mother, Josie Griffith Strange of Mansfield; his children, Jo-Ruth Strange Mosteller and her husband Bobby of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Vera-Zee Strange Morgan and her husband Mickey of Mansfield, Clinton Buford Strange and his wife Julie of Alabaster, Alabama and Danya-Lee Strange Winter and her husband Danny of Pelham, Alabama; two sisters, Margaret Strange Johnson and her husband Jerry of Baton Rouge and Mary Strange Jackson and her husband Russell of Loranger; brother, Griff Strange and his wife Stacey of Longview, Texas; two sisters-in-law, Danna Stone Spayde of Baton Rouge and Jill Stone Everitt and her husband Andy of Brandon, Mississippi; four grandchildren, Ryan Buford Alan Mosteller, Bennett Arlin Mosteller, and Mayme Meredith Mosteller of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Zack Stone Crawley of Mansfield; two step-grandchildren, Lauren Morgan and her husband Alan Goldspiel of Montevalo, Alabama and Erin Morgan O'Danield and her husband Shannon of Haughton; and many very special nieces and nephews.

Bennett was a long-time member of First Baptist Church in Mansfield where he was active in the deacon ministry and the radio /television ministry; he was the force behind the creation of KEPT, the local church radio station. Bennett's pride and joy was his service the Esther Sunday School Class whewre he served as the teacher; the ladies of that class were an inspiration to him and he loved them dearly. Bennett also was very involved in mission activities, both in the United States and abroad.

Bennett was a lifelong resident of Mansfield. He graduated from Mansfield High School in 1954 where he was a high school football player. After graduating from high school, BEnnett enrolled at Louisiana College. It was a LC where Bennett met the love of his life Mayme, by whom he sat everyday in chapel for four years. Bennett was involved in college debate, athletics, and campus publications. Bennett graduated from LC in 1958; married Mayme on May 30, 1959; and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1959. Bennett taught at USM for serveral years and then decided to return home to Mansfield. In 1966 Bennett formed the HEart of Dixie Broadcasting Corporation. Many people may remember Bennett's voice on KDXI/KJVC each day as he brought local news and Wolverine football to the area. Bennett also formed Mansfield Cablevision. He was one of the pioneers involved in developing the Jaycee Ballpark and bringing Dixie Youth Baseball to DeSoto Parish. In the spring of 1988, bennett was approached by Louisiana College to fill a one semester teaching position in the Communication Arts Department. He was directed to teach classes and revive a strugglilng debate team. His one semester appointment eventually turned into a 19 year career. During his tenure at LC, Bennett touched the lives of many students and saw his debate teams succeed on the state, national, and international levels. The International Public Debate Association formed the Bennett Strange Award, an annual award presented to the outstanding Louisiana debate coach. After Bennett retired from LC in 2006, he taught for a semester at Bossier Parish Community College. He was preparing to begin teaching at East Texas Baptist University when he became ill.

Bennett enjoyed life and loved his family; he was a good son, brother, husband, and good friend to many people. Bennett Strange was the greatest of dads. He was known for his sens of humor, his contagious laugh, and for dispensing his own form of wisdom to others. He was well loved and will be greatly mised by his family and friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Leigh Dillard, his staff and the staff at DeSoto Regional for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions at First Baptist Church Mansfield, 1710 McAr thur Drive, Mansfield, LA 71052 or any other Southern Baptist Church.

From http://www.legacy.com/SHREVEPORTTIMES/Obituaries.asp?Page=SearchResults&DateRange=Today&Product=0

Buford Bennett Strange

MANSFIELD, LA - Buford Bennett Strange passed away Sunday, October 5, 2008, in Mansfield. Bennett was surrounded by family and friends as the Lord welcomed him home. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held Wednesday, October 8, 2008, at 2:00 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Mansfield. Brother Joe Waggener, Dr. Bill Crosby, Dr. Calvin Phelps, and Brother Gary Gregg will be leading the service.

Bennett was born in Mansfield to Mr. and Mrs. Buford Strange on July 18, 1936.

Preceding him in death were his father, Buford Zack Strange, and an infant son.

Surviving Bennett are his wife, college sweetheart, and favorite travel companion, Mayme Vera Stone Strange of Mansfield; his mother, Josie Griffith Strange, of Mansfield; his children, Jo-Ruth Strange Mosteller and her husband Bobby of Fayetteville, AR, Vera-Zee Strange Morgan and her husband Mickey of Mansfield, Clinton Buford Strange and his wife Julie of Alabaster, AL, and Danya-Lee Strange Winter and her husband Danny of Pelham, AL; two sisters, Margaret Strange Johnson and her husband Jerry of Baton Rouge and Mary Strange Jackson and her husband Russell of Loranger; brother Griff Strange and his wife Stacey of Longview, TX; two sisters-in-law, Danna Stone Spayde of Baton Rouge and Jill Stone Everitt and her husband Andy of Brandon, MS; four grandchildren, Ryan Buford Alan Mosteller, Bennett Arlin Mosteller, and Mayme Meredith Mosteller of Fayetteville, AR, and Zack Stone Crawley of Mansfield; two step-grandchildren, Lauren Morgan and her husband Alan Goldspiel of Montevalo, AL, and Erin Morgan O'Daniel and her husband Shannon of Haughton; and many very special nieces and nephews.

Bennett was a long-time member of First Baptist Church in Mansfield where he was active in the deacon ministry and the radio/television ministry; he was the force behind the creation of KEPT, the local church radio station. Bennett's pride and joy was his service to the Esther Sunday School Class where he served as the teacher; the ladies of that class were an inspiration to him and he loved them dearly. Bennett also was very involved in mission activities, both in the United States and abroad.

Bennett was a lifelong resident of Mansfield. He graduated from Mansfield High School in 1954 where he was a high school football player. After graduating from high school, Bennett enrolled at Louisiana College. It was at LC where Bennett met the love of his life, his wife Mayme, by whom he sat everyday in chapel for four years. Bennett was involved in college debate, athletics, and campus publications. Bennett graduated from LC in 1958; married Mayme on May 30, 1959; and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1959. Bennett taught at USM for several years and then decided to return home to Mansfield. In 1966 Bennett formed the Heart of Dixie Broadcasting Corporation. Many people may remember Bennett's voice on KDXI/KJVC each day as he brought local news and Wolverine football to the area.

Bennett also formed Mansfield Cablevision. He was one of the pioneers involved in developing the Jaycee Ballpark and bringing Dixie Youth Baseball to DeSoto Parish. In the spring of 1988, Bennett was approached by Louisiana College to fill a one semester teaching position in the Communication Arts Department. He was directed to teach classes and revive a struggling debate team. His one semester appointment eventually turned into a 19 year career. During his tenure at LC, Bennett touched the lives of many students and saw his debate teams succeed on the state, national, and international level. The International Public Debate Association formed the Bennett Strange Award, an annual award presented to the outstanding Louisiana debate coach. After Bennett retired from LC in 2006, he taught for a semester at Bossier Parish Community College. He was preparing to begin teaching at East Texas Baptist University when he became ill.

Bennett enjoyed life and loved his family; he was a good son, brother, husband, and good friend to many people. Bennett Strange was the greatest of dads. He was known for his sense of humor, his contagious laugh, and for dispensing his own form of wisdom to others. He was well loved and will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Leigh Dillard, his staff, and the staff at DeSoto Regional for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions at First Baptist Church Mansfield, 1710 McArthur Drive, Mansfield, LA 71052, or any other Southern Baptist Church. Rose-Neath Funeral Home.

USA Policy Debate Struggles to go Paperless

Policy evidence tubs at tournament in 2006

Extra charges for baggage have made a big difference to policy debaters who have long toted countless tubs of "evidence" around the country.

From http://whitmanpioneer.com/outdoors/2008/10/09/debate-goes-paperless/

9 Oct 2008 | Outdoors
Debate goes paperless
By Gary Wang
Whitman’s nationally recognized debate team fundamentally changed what debating looks like this semester by ditching their 40 pound plastic tubs and thousands of pages of evidence for sleek dell laptops. Whitman’s team is the first college to fully transition to paperless debate.
This transition of the team’s evidence and files onto laptops has been on the mind of Jim Hanson, professor of forensics, since 1998 but this move has been made feasible only recently.
In high speed policy and parliamentary debate rounds, teams can’t afford to waste precious seconds of their speech time shuffling between different windows on a computer screen. Hanson credits Aaron Hardy, Whitman’s Policy Debate coach for making paperless debating possible by changing Microsoft Word’s macros. Macros are settings in Microsoft Word that can be controlled to manipulate how documents are displayed and organized.
“We kept testing it, but we still couldn’t get the evidence organized on the laptop. What Aaron did with those macros was solve the organizing problem. What the macros do is you can just open the document and press a keyboard shortcut and it moves it to a new document,” said Hanson.
This move toward paperless debate hasn’t dulled Whitman’s competitive edge however.
“We save tons of paper and we save money, which means that more of our teams can travel to more tournaments throughout the year. Our coaches have worked really hard to make sure the macro system is as user-friendly as possible and the only downside has been user error,” said Ali Edwards, a junior on the policy debate team.
The team saves money by not having to pay for airlines to ship up the twenty or so 40 pound plastic tubs across the country to tournaments. Also, the team doesn’t have to purchase the hundreds of reams of printing paper and dozens of printer toners either. Hanson roughly estimates the team now saves 80,000 pages of paper a year now.
“‘The debate team going paperless will allow the college significantly reduce paper use and hopefully encourage other departments to explore efficient paperless technologies,” said Karlis Rokpelnis, President of Campus Greens.
So far, this trend toward paperless debate has not caught on elsewhere.
“I’m certain that no other schools do paperless debating with macros like we have,” said Hanson.
The debate team which does more evidence oriented policy debate and more extemporaneous parliamentary debate remain the only team in both formats who debate without paper.
The team will be giving away its evidence tubs to high school debaters that attend Whitman’s summer debate camp. The pages of evidence will be recycled.

International High School Tournament in Slovenia

Finalists in 2006: Germany vs. USA

From Bojana Skrt:

INTERNATIONAL DEBATE WEEKEND

Ljutomer, Slovenia, 6th – 9th November 2008

Please, do not wait with applications,

the deadline is approaching fast.

The application form is at the end of this email.

ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia and Gimnazija Franca Miklošica Ljutomer kindly invite you to our traditional annual INTERNATIONAL DEBATE WEEKEND and International High School Debate Tournament in Ljutomer.

The debate format is Worlds School Debate Format. Majority of debate rounds in English. However, to celebrate a year of intercultural dialogue one of the debate rounds will be multi – lingual. Pairings will be done on the basis of common language – should not be English - two teams are sharing. Hopefully, there will be possible that lots of teams will be able to debate in their native language. That is why it is essential everybody when applying, including judges, lists all the languages they can communicate in. We will invite Slovenian members of European Parliament and the Ambassadors of all participating countries to come and listen to these debates.

PREPARED MOTIONS

TH values majority learning minority languages. Multilanguage debate. Finals.

TH believes the state should pay for the education in the ethnic minorities languages.

TH believes there should be no religious holiday recognised as the national holiday.

TH would recognised a status of independent country to South Osetia and Abkhazia.

Semi – finals.

We expect 40 teams to participate at the tournament. Please, have in mind that one team means 3 debaters. Everybody who comes needs to debate all the debate rounds. In case you have an extra debater, they will be put in the mixed debate teams – the vital issue is that everybody debates all the time. Teams (3 debaters) need to be accompanied by a judge. The rule is one or two teams one judge, three teams two judges.

As we would like to host debaters from as many countries as possible, we are limiting the number of teams per country to 3. However in case there is bigger interest in your country, please, contact us and we will see what can we do about it. Because ZIP can not make a selection when more teams apply from one country, we will accept only the applications sent by national debate organisations in cases where such organisation exists. We are going to close the registration when we reach the team cup, so please do not wait and register as soon as possible.