Global Debate: November 2008

Sunday, November 30, 2008

International Debate Academy Tournament Results

IDAS 2008 TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINALS

ROOM 1

1 Univ Ljubljana CIMERMAN-DOBRANIC 2ND OPP
4 Univ Ljubljana JAKOVAC-PLOSTAJNER 1ST GOV ADVANCES
5 Cornell SOLLOWAY-STITELER 1ST OPP
8 Serbia-Croatia JANKULOSKI-BLACE 2ND GOV ADVANCES

JUDGES: FISCHER, LOKE, LLANO

ROOM 2

2 Germany HILDEBRANDT-ASYAMOVA 1ST GOV ADVANCES
3 Vermont CARESS-NATALE 2ND GOV ADVANCES
6 Slovenia ZVEPLAN-CVIKL 2ND OPP
7 Slovenia PODLOGAR-JANZEK

JUDGES: GREENLAND, MORGAN, LANGONE

THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

FINALS

ROOM 1

1st GOV JANKULOSKI-BLACE
2ND GOV JAKOVAC-PLOSTAJNER
1ST OPP HILDEBRANDT-ASYAMOVA FIRST PLACE
2ND OPP CARESS-NATALE SECOND PLACE

JUDGES: MORGAN, MARUSIC, LOKE, LLANO, GREENLAND

THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.

SPEAKERS

Position Name Team Total points Average Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6
1 Natale Caress-Natale 482 80.33 85 77 83 78 83 76
2 Hildebrandt Hildebrandt-Asyamova 476 79.33 82 82 74 77 83 78
2 (3) Plostajner Jakovac-Plostajner 476 79.33 75 79 81 79 78 84
4 (5) Asaymova Hildebrandt-Asyamova 472 78.66 81 80 76 74 84 77
4 Podlogar Podlogar-Janzek 472 78.66 80 81 79 73 80 79
6 Dobranic Cimerman-Dobranic 470 78.33 78 78 80 82 77 75
6 (7) Caress Caress-Natale 470 78.33 82 76 79 75 82 76
8 (9) Cimerman Cimerman-Dobranic 468 78.00 76 79 78 81 78 76
8 Jakovac Jakovac-Plostajner 468 78.00 65 82 82 78 77 84
8 (10) Zveplan Zveplan-Cvikl 468 78.00 75 76 78 84 78 77

IDAS 08 TOURNAMENT MOTIONS

ROUND ONE
THW make voting compulsory.

ROUND TWO
THW not negotiate with the leaders of Iran.

ROUND THREE
This house would not prosecute battered wives for killing their husbands.

ROUND FOUR
TH would allow the advertising of prescription drugs.

ROUND FIVE
THBT governments should not bailout failing corporations.

ROUND SIX
This House would ban international adoption.

SEMIFINALS
THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

FINALS
THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.

Full results at bottom of USA WUDC results page:
http://debate.uvm.edu/usudc/usudctab0809.html

Friday, November 28, 2008

Top Electives from International Debate Academy

Steve Llano judges a debate

Here are the rankings of the electives as voted on by the students. The faculty names were not on the ballots the students did the ranking with. There were 70+ to pick from, and here are the top 45 that were offered as well as the sessions offered for trainers/students who were interested.

We are loading the bus now, on our way to Maribor for the tournament. More news when the tournament concludes, as I may not have Internet there.

1 Politics, aka how to win debates on political theory against politics students, by a politics postgrad. Rhydian
2 Economics, aka how to win debates on economics against economists, by an economics grad. Rhydian
3 POINTS OF INFORMATION FOR MEANIES-Get the down and dirty about how to ask mean points and give mean answers. Learn how to take their points and make them count towards your victory. Not for the squeamish. Use some of these with care. Optional funny lines will also be provided. Tuna
4 "Persuasive Argumentation" There is no doubt that when you watch two people make exactly the same argument one can be much more persuasive, effective and high impact than the other. How do they do it? In this practical session we will think about use of language, example, image, types of argument and structure and how to make the most of our arguments. Newman
5 Philosophy, aka how to beat utilitarians in debate, by a philosophy postgrad. Rhydian
6 "How to win a debate from First Proposition" The stats are against you but in this session we will think about how a first proposition team can stamp their presence and dictate the terms of a debate. This session will be strategic and would suit the more experienced debaters. Newman
7 MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS-An explanation and evaluation of various measures by which you can show that your arguments are more important than theirs. Useful later in the debate and especially in the whip speech. In a debate where both sides are winning some issues, you need to show that yours come first. Tuna
8 Motion Analysis-Tips on how to interpret debate motions and find the core issues of debate. Bojana
9 Saving a Bad Upper House Debate- What to do when your Upper House teams are not doing what they are supposed to do? Tips on how to win the debate at the Lower House when the people upstairs are under-performing. Loke
10 "Killer Rebuttal"-How can you most effectively undermine your oppositions arguments? What should you prioritise in rebuttal? What different types of rebuttal are available? Newman
11 Psychology of Persuasion - the 10 most important things you need to know about influence and persuasion. Langone
12 REVIEWING EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ABOUT SPEAKING STYLE-This presentation will inspect experimental findings about which speaking styles and mannerisms are most persuasive to audiences. While the research is not based in debate, it has been replicated and confirmed to be the actual situation in real life. Learn how to avoid powerless language, learn which hand gestures to avoid, learn which posture is most persuasive and a lot more. This presentation will not cover the use of aroma. Tuna
13 Advocating Marxism Rhydian
14 Classical rhetorical theory Steve
15 Advanced opposition strategy Steve
16 Zen debating - knifing without the knife Rhydian
17 "Identifying extensions" What do you when you're second half of the table on a tight case? how can you fulfill your role and win the debate from the 3rd speech? Newman
18 Religious based law- a short introduction into Sharia, Jewish and Canon law Branka
19 Law, aka how to beat lawyers in debates about law, by a man who hates lawyers. Rhydian
20 Extensions; how to speak brilliantly as the third speaker in British Parliamentary debates. Steve
21 Samurai debate Steve
22 Karadzic, Taylor, al-Bashir: (International) criminal law and international law in development, and how it changes common notions of fairness and the role of the state. Fischer
23 Seeing the forest in all those trees: How to stun judges by broadening your view and making debates genuinely interesting. Fischer
24 UN 101 Branka
25 "Debating "ban/legalise" motions" A significant number of motions call for us to ban or legalise something - what are the generic ways of approaching these motions successfully? Newman
26 NATO 101 Branka
27 Framing -- the importance and effectiveness of framing; how to frame issues in a debate in the manner most favorable to you. Langone
28 A Dozen from Dylan - 12 winning arguments you can use in debates and the Bob Dylan songs that inspired them. Langone
29 Rhetoric & style Rhydian
30 How to use the 15-minute prep for BP to best effect; Greenland
31 Evidence Branka
32 Known unknowns and the big question: The connection between debating and science, and why you don't have to know everything to win your debate. Also: What gravity can teach us. Fischer
33 Strategic POIings-Tips on how to make the most of the POIs as an "offerer" or a receiver. Loke
34 Preparation before the tournament, preparation at the tournament Bojana
35 Jurisprudence -- how to win legal debates by reframing them as "justice" debates. Langone
36 Reasoning -- a return to basics, but with a twist. A detailed taxomony and evaluation of the forms of reasons, reason giving and reasoning. Langone
37 Counter proposals Branka
38 Who's losing the game? How to do a proper stakeholder analysis and how to prepare for victorious debates. Fischer
39 EU 101Branka
40 Debating the environment Colston
41 On Squirrels and Weasels: How to avoid stupid mistakes, and how (not) to deal with the idiocies of your opponents. Fischer
42 Right of self determination Branka
43 International relations and how to use that in BP/Worlds topics. Greenland
44 "Generating arguments in prep", How do you come up with arguments on 15 minutes on a whole range of topics you may know little about? How do you make sure you hit on the most important issues? Newman
45 Debating internationally as an English Foreign Language speaker Bojana
46 Debating mass media Colston
47 Debating gender Colston

Coach/Trainers Elective Sessions
* Debate formats Loke
* Promoting and maintaining your debate club Steve
* Drills and games to teach debate Greenland/Newman
* Curriculum development Greenland
* Creating lesson plans, creating workshop Greenland
* Training program model Greenland
* Adjudication Greenland
* Team based research strategy Jens
* Basic coaching tips Morgan
* Team building Marusic
* Organising and running debate club Bojana
* Creating and coordinating the network of debate clubs Bojana
* Fundraising for debate Bojana
* Organising debate tournament Bojana
* Organising public debate Loke/Skrt
* Promotion of debate activities Morgan

WInter Asian Debate Institute in Korea

Greetings!

This is a preliminary announcement for the Winter Asian Debate Institute 2009. This is the 6th edition of the highly successful ADI and the first time it will be offered during the Winter.

The host for Winter ADI 2009 will be Ewha Womens University, Seoul, Korea, and confirmed dates for this year's event is 13th to 20th of February.

We are in the process of finalizing our faculty and updating our website. To get a picture of what to expect, visit www.asiandebateinstitute.com. All information on the website is from this summer's ADI, but ADI 2009 will not be very different.

So keep those dates free and stay tuned for more updates!

Cheers
Logan

CAU-IDEA Pacific Rim Championship

ChungAng University and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA) are excited to announce the second-annual CAU-IDEA Pacific Rim Championship on February 10th and February 11th, 2009!

The tournament is open to university students from all countries and will be held on the campus of ChungAng University in Seoul, South Korea. The format will be British Parliamentary, or Worlds, debate. We will begin accepting entries as of November 13th, 2008 and the initial deadline for entry is January 15th, 2008. Because of space limitations, we are forced to limit the entry to 40 teams per division. Each school may send a maximum of four teams. Tournament fees are 30,000 won/team ($20 US).

A free workshop on British Parliamentary Debate will be held prior to the tournament, from February 8th to February 9th, and is open to all.

To learn more and to register, visit [http://www.idebate.org/events/index.php?event_id=129] http://www.idebate.org/events/index.php?event_id=129. Feel free to contact Logan ([mailto:loganimal@gmail.com] loganimal@gmail.com) or Elizabeth ([mailto:ehumphrey@idebate.org] ehumphrey@idebate.org) with any additional questions.

Hope to see you there!

Best wishes,

Elizabeth

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

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

International Debate Academy Begins

Sam Greenland speaks in the demo debate

Arrivals can be difficult and this one was no exception. All are now here and safe. Now we are about 80 people from 15 countries here for a week before we move to Maribor for the tournament.

Sunday night most people had arrived and a demo debate was featured. The motion was “This house would punish parents for the crimes of their minor children." It was an all-star cast, with Debbie Newman (world champion WSDC coach for England, England-Wales debate champion, former president of Cambridge Union) debating with Sam Greenland (Sydney WUDC semifinalist in 2007, former Hong Kong WSDC coach) were opening proposition, Sam Natale (top speaker, Northeast Universities 2008, University of Vermont) and Lucas Caress (top speaker, Global Youth Debate Conclave, Bangalore 2008, University of Vermont) were closing proposition; Filip Dobranic (twice top EFL speaker at WSDC, University of Ljubljana) and Maja Cimerman (EFL world WSDC champion, University of Ljubljana) were opening opposition, and last but not least Steve Llano (former national champion coach in USA, St. John's University) and Loke Wing Fatt (Singapore, WUDC breaking judge, father of debate in China) as closing opposition. It was a very spirited debate, chaired by Berlin Debating Union's Jens Fischer, and caused a great deal of discussion among he students. The video is coming soon.

Each day has the same schedule. There is an 8:45 AM organizational meeting at breakfast, followed by a series of lectures divided by experience level. After one hour there is a brief break before we meet again for an hour of drills on the subject of the lectures to help turn theoretical materials into behavior and habit. Then a motion is given and everyone has a debate with a long critique. There is a lunch break followed by a digestion break before the afternoon's activities take place. There are two one-hour period for elective classes. During each of these periods between five and seven different topics are offered, and students can choose which they would like to go to. I will send along a list of enacted electives later. After the second elective of the afternoon another motion is announced and with another debate and a long critique before dinner.

The first practice debate motions were:
1-THW pay a salary to stay-at-home parents
2-TH would create separate units for gays in the military.
3-THBT supporting Georgia's NATO bid is more important than maintaining good relations with Russia.
4-THBT the capitalist experiment has failed.
5-THW criminalize Holocaust denial.

Evenings have had a considerable social component. On Monday night the Country Exhibition took place where students brought items, foods, beverages and other things from their country on display and shared them with everyone. This was a robust affair of international fraternity and lasted well into the night. On Tuesday evening the traditional Slovenian "Kitsch Party" took place. Students swapped clothing and dressed outrageously for the party. It raged for quite a while before the judging took place. Sam(antha) Ricker of the University of Vermont was the winner, looking quite good in ponytails and wearing Helena Felc's pajamas. Second place was Don(na) Bracciodieta of St. John's, who had nice cleavage. Pictures will be coming along soon.

Having been at all six International Debate Academy sessions, I would say that the experience level and excellence of the teams is growing immensely here and all over Europe and the world.

Stay tuned for more from Ormoz.

AFA Presents Service Award & Speaker of the Year

From  Kelly McDonald:

As Chair of the American Forensic Association's Professional Development
Committee it is my honor to announce the 2008 recipient of the AFA
Distinguished Service Award is Dr. Duane Fish of Northwest College.
Duane has been Director of Forensics at Northwest College since 1976 and
Communication Division Chair since 1992.  Numerous organizations have
recognized Duane's longtime commitment to teaching and service,
especially in regard to his work with forensics.  Among some of his
awards are:  being acknowledged by his alma mater honoring him with the
"Distinguished Alumni" award in 2006, recipient of the Outstanding
Teaching Award in 2004 by the National Institute for Staff and
Organizational Development, was recognized for Distinguished Service by
Phi Rho Pi in 2004, Michael Peterson Service to Debate Award in 2003,
the B. Aubrey Fisher Award in 1992, Service Award from Phi Rho Pi in
1986 and induction into the Montanta State University Hall of Fame in
1981.  District IX is stronger and better for Duane's service to high
school and collegiate speech and debate and the AFA is honored to
present Professor Duane R. Fish with the 2008 Distinguished Service
Award.

It is also my pleasure to announce that the recipient of the 2008
Speaker of the Year goes to the late actor Paul Newman for his tireless
campaigning on behalf of progressive causes through the nation and
around the world and his generous philanthropic work through his food
products company 'NEWMAN'S OWN,' which has donated more than a quarter
billion dollars to charities since its inception.

Please join us at the AFA business meeting when Dr. Fish is presented
his award and later on Thursday evening for the AFA / Forensic
Organizations co-sponsored reception.

AFA Business Meeting
Time: Thursday, Nov 20 - 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Place: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Elizabeth B

AFA Reception
Time: Thursday, Nov 20 - 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Place: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Elizabeth B

An updated list of past award winners follows:

Speaker of the Year
2008 Paul Newman, Actor, Humanitarian and Philanthropist

2007 Former Vice President Albert Gore

2006 Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

2005 Nina Tottenberg, National Public Radio

2004 Christopher Reeve, Actor and Advocate for Medical Research

2003 Janet Reno, Former Attorney General of the United States

2001 Jimmy Carter, The Carter Center, Atlanta

1999 Parents Campaign Against Violence in the Schools

1998 Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nations

1997 Franklyn Haiman, President, American Civil Liberties Union

1996 Bill Moyers, Public Broadcasting System

1995 Barbara Jordan, Professor of Law, University of Texas

1994 Brian Lamb, C-SPAN

1993 Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States

1992 Barbara Jordan, Professor of Law, University of Texas

1991 William Brennan, Justice, United States Supreme Court

1990 Laurence Tribe, Professor of Law, Harvard University

1989 Dianne Feinstein, Mayor, San Francisco

1988 Ann Richards, Governor, Texas

1987 C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General of the United States

1986 Franklin Zimring

1985 Richard Lamb, Governor, Colorado

1984 Paul Simon, United States Senator, Illinois

1983 Larry Pressler, United States Senator, South Dakota

1982 Joshua B. Everett

1981 Thomas Bradley, Mayor, Los Angeles, California

1980 Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

1979 Henry Cisneros, Mayer, San Antonio, Texas

Distinguished Service Awards
2008 Duane Fish Northwest College

2007 Allan Louden Wake Forest University

2006 Melissa Wade Emory University

2005 David Hingstman University of Iowa

2004 Dale Herbeck Boston College

2003 James F. Klumpp University of Maryland

2002 Guy Yates West Texas A & M University

2001 James A. Johnson Colorado College

2000 Jerry M. Goldberg Pace University, New York

1999 Joseph W. Wenzel University of Illinois, Urbana

1998 James W. Pratt Univ. f Wisc., River Falls

1997 Rebecca Bjork University of Utah

1996 V. William Balthrop University of North Carolina

1995 Larry Schnoor Mankato State University

1994 Jerry Anderson Concordia College (MN)

1993 Scott Nobles Macalester College

1992 Walter Ulrich University of Northern Iowa

1991 Gerald Sanders Miami University (Ohio)

1990 Raymie McKerrow University of Maine

1989 David Zarefsky Northwestern University

1988 Donn Parson University of Kansas

1987 Vernon McGuire Texas Tech University

1986 Jack Howe Cal State- Long Beach

1985 Malcolm Sillars University of Utah

1984 Wayne Brockriede University of Colorado

1983 Lucy Keele California State - Fullerton

1982 Glenn Capp Baylor University

1981 George Ziegelmueller Wayne State University

1980 Austin J. Freeley John Carroll University

1979 Annabel Hagood University of Alabama

Saturday, November 22, 2008

News for Debaters Website

A website has been created by the University of Vermont for WUDC/BP debaters to survey the news in a quick and easy fashion. While it is designed for University of Vermont debaters it is open and available to all.

http://debate.uvm.edu/newsfordebaters.html

Categories include:

News Compilers - right, center, left
USA Political
Leading Media
Science & Technology
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Debate Websites

Suggestions for additions are very welcome. alfred.snider@uvm.edu

IDEA Exchange Workshop Features Many Presentations

Marcin in Estonia

40 presentations with some interesting themes. Not all debate-related, but interesting.

From Marcin Zaleski:

Dear All,

IDEA Exchange is in a litttle less than two weeks now and we are looking forward to seeing you in Amsterdam on the 4th-6th December.

All the information concerning the themes, format as well as venues is available at idebate.org/exchange2008

Please click here for the list of presenters of workshops and presentations at the GA. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

With best wishes,

Marcin

Friday, November 21, 2008

Llano to Videoblog from International Debate Academy

From http://progymna.blogspot.com/2008/11/idas-is-imminent.html

Thursday, November 20, 2008

IDAS is imminent

On Friday I leave with a small group of students for my third trip to Slovenia for the International Debate Academy.

It's definitely a good time, and I always look forward to the multiple teaching challenges that it presents. As Tuna mentioned in his debate blog yesterday, he and I will be offering some insight on the event.

This year I hope to do some videoblogging from it to give a different perspective. There will be some discussions, lectures and activities, but also some one-on-one casual conversation, some student interviews and some commentary from me as well. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with this ambitious idea during the IDAS whirlwind.

We'll see if it works out - It seems like a good idea, but IDAS is so intense that there is often little time to look around and take stock of what's going on - there are so many ideas in the air it can be a bit overwhelming at times.

Nevertheless, I hope to offer some perspective from on the ground for you reading about it at home. Perhaps after that you will decide to join us next year . .

Debating in the Bahamas

From http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/national_local/322039807967548.php

GB teams selected to compete in national debate competition
By LISA S. KING

FN Asst. Editor

lisa@nasguard.com

Grand Bahama could possibly reclaim its winning reputation in the upcoming national debating competition as evidenced by the outstanding performance displayed by participants of this year's district competition hosted yesterday by the Ministry of Education.

Challenged to debate on the controversial moot: "Be it resolved, that a national lottery is the solution to funding sports, training and education," eight students from various schools on Grand Bahama, accompanied by their coaches and fellow students gathered in the conference room of the Adminis-trator's Office to convince their audience on why the moot should be proposed or opposed.

Students participating in this year's district debating competition were as follows: Proposing the moot were Bria Williams of Tabernacle Baptist Academy; Joanna Brown of Bishop Michael Eldon School; Avion Dames of St. Paul's Methodist College; and Gonae Taylor of St. Georges High School. Opposing the moot were Janiesha Gibson of Eight Mile Rock High School; Randi Miller of Grand Bahama Academy; Tia Duncombe of Grand Bahama Catholic High School and Rhashanna Curry of St. Georges High School.

After each side was completed with trying to convince those present to side with their point of view, emerging the top proposition speaker was Gonae Taylor and top opposition speaker was Rhashanna Curry.

Based upon their outstanding performance at the event, the six speakers selected to represent two teams from Grand Bahama are: Janiesha Gibson, Tia Duncombe, Bria Williams, Joanna Brown and of course Gonae Taylor and Rhashanna Curry.

Visibly impressed with the performance of the students, Education Officer Daphne Barr said Grand Bahama debaters have a rich past of doing exceptionally well at the nationals. However, she said for the first time in a long time, the island did not do well. Out of the 11 years of its existence, Grand Bahama has only failed to do well in the nationals about three times.

"All of the speakers who were chosen to represent the Grand Bahama district , have all shown outstanding performance in the ability to debate and we are always proud of them," Barr said. "But this year, we intend to go back with a vengeance because we intend not to be beaten this year."

The Education Officer said each year, the Ministry selects six students to make up two teams to represent the Grand Bahama district at the nationals in New Providence. She added that once the students are selected, at the latter part of January, the two teams then compete with teams from another district that can come from anywhere around the country.

Barr said this year's participants were so persuasive in their speeches that she is sure they have what it takes to do well at the nationals.

"It tells me that if these coaches continue to work with them and fine tune their ability to perform at that level, then we will continuously have success," she said. " I believe that we are going to see some performances (at the nationals) that are going to leave persons gaping because that is how impressed they are going to be."

Barr said over the years, she has seen a metamorphosis occurring among the various students coming forth to participate in the debating competition. In earlier years, she said some of the students were shy and some even showed a lack of self-confidence. However, this kind of behaviour has seemingly decreased (especially among yesterday's participants) as more students are becoming bolder and stronger in their speech presentations.

"At the end of the day, these students really understand what critical thinking is and what it is to be a persuasive speaker and so it (debating) develops skills that will help our students to be great orators," she said. "To be able to think on their feet, it helps to develop their leadership skills, you see the potential of those persons who can possibly be a politician or who can become a leader in a country or who can just be an outstanding administrator.

"Basically, I have high hopes that we have a great chance of becoming champions bringing home the victory this year, but more importantly, I am hoping that we can once again go up against each other," she said.

"I know that the other teams from the other districts are getting better as well, so we have to come real tough. I know that we have some dedicated coaches and our coaches are extremely talented and that is why you see this higher level of performance among the participants, and that is because of the efforts of their coaches who are standing behind them."

Judges for the district debating competition were: Deborah Pratt, Jethro Dixon, Kenneth Knowles and Herbert Marshall.

Before the various debaters were chosen for the two teams that will represent Grand Bahama, Judge Pratt gave a few words of advice to the participants.

Though impressed with the performance of all the contestants, Pratt said such competitions require that they pay attention to time when making their points as points will not be deducted once they stick to the time allotted.

"So you want to practice your speech, practice staying within the allotted time and also as you practice your speech you will become more comfortable with it, debates in particular," she said. "It is always good to know your speech, you may not always be able to memorize it in its entirety, but know it as much as possible so that your audience can see that you are convicted."

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

GLOBAL DEBATE to Report On Site Around the World Through Cork

It is a small world through debate!

There will be slight pause in the global debate news flow for the next few days as I relocate. This relocation is the beginning of a season of on site reporting that will carry us all the way through Cork. Here are some of the locations and some of the events that we will be covering in person:

Late November - International Debate Academy in Slovenia. 80+ debaters and some of the most impressive debate trainers in the world will gather together for an intensive week of training followed by a major tournament in Maribor. Steve Llano of St. John's and I will keep up a steady stream of news AND videos for you to watch. We plan on at least two videos per day. Videos will also be hosted on the DEBATE VIDEO BLOG at http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/ . There will be quite a few social events as well as other trainings in Slovenia.
Early December - Portland State University tournament in Oregon. One of the major WUDC format tournaments in the USA will take place and we will be there with reports on motions, results and, of course, social activities. We will try to make a video of the final round and perhaps some other debates.
Mid December - CIMB World Universities Peace Invitational Debates, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We will be here for one of the truly elite tournaments in the world, with an inside look at DCA action, motions, results and of course a look at the ample festivities. Last year's videos from the tournament proved very popular, and we will have them again.
Late December-Early January - WUDC Cork. We will be there, once again, for a round by round deription of the events. Find out what the motions are, how people are doing and all the related events. Get the news from the Council meeting and find out how the bidding will go for future WUDC sites. Once again, videos of interesting debates and hopefully one for each of the elimination rounds.

Thanks to the Lawrence Debate Union, the University of Vermont, CIMB Group and Z.I.P. for making all of this possible, along with my now depleted retirement account.

And, watch for more global debate coverage in 2010!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Now Debate This - Energy and History Contest

From http://teachingwithcontests.com/?p=335

High school students to compete for $250,000 in scholarships

Now Debate This, America’s only national educational debate and $250,000 scholarship contest for high school students, launched its 2009 program today in partnership with the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Honor Society. The 2009 topic and focus of the second year is: “How can America achieve energy independence through the lessons of history?” “Now Debate This is an immersion study and scholarship competition that challenges young people to learn about contemporary issues through the lens of history and to use the invaluable skills of debate to present solutions,” said Mary L. Hagy, President of Pinnacle Performance Group, the Philadelphia-based heritage education company that created and produces Now Debate This.

“In 2009, Now Debate This will challenge rising high school seniors to explore American energy independence. Based on the discoveries of such seminal historical figures as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford and Albert Einstein, students will understand the complexity of American energy–from science to economics to foreign policy to the moral and ethical dilemmas presented by each–and to use the skill of debate to develop arguments, present their best solutions, and potentially earn a grand prize scholarship of $150,000.” Now Debate This will issue a call for video entries to be posted to YouTube.com, by February 28, 2009. The 16 semi-finalists are scheduled to be announced in May. The summer program of exploring energy sources in both students’ home communities and across the United States will begin in late June, ending with the debate tournament in August. In the final debate between two finalists, the winner will earn a $150,000 grand prize.

The National Forensic League is excited to partner once again with Now Debate This, to create and deliver a top-quality, highly-experiential learning opportunity that crosses disciplines,” said J. Scott Wunn, Executive Director of the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Honor Society (NFL). NFL was formed in 1925, dedicated to empowering all students to become effective communicators, ethical individuals, critical thinkers, and leaders in a democratic society. “The NFL is especially pleased to work with Now Debate This to broaden opportunities for students in all schools. Debate is an excellent teaching tool to engage students in civic conversations and the creative study of the humanities and sciences. We are prioritizing opportunities for schools that do not currently have debate classes or teams to incorporate debate training into their programming.”

Today’s announcement coincides with the opening day of the 88th Conference of The National Council for the Social Studies in Houston. The National Forensic League and Now Debate This will provide debate-based, energy-related curriculum for high school teachers to incorporate into the classroom and lesson plans, encouraging all students to engage in the competition. As in 2008, the first year of Now Debate This in which high school juniors debated who was the better President, Abraham Lincoln or George Washington, in 2009 students from across the nation will create video essay submissions addressing energy independence and upload them on YouTube, for evaluation by judges from across the country. The applicant pool will be narrowed down to 16 semi-finalists, who will be awarded an honorarium that will enable them to dedicate the summer of 2009 to the study program. They will be given laptop computers, video cameras and wireless internet access. Guided by scholars, educators and debate coaches during the study program, the students will create and upload videos, blog online and engage broad public audiences locally, nationally and internationally in the discussion of the history and the current state of energy in America, with the goal of developing future solutions. The program will culminate in final debates, in which the semi-finalists will compete for $250,000 in scholarships. With cameras and laptops awarded by Now Debate This, 2008’s 16 semi-finalists documented their immersion study and summer travels of historic sites relevant to Presidents Washington and Lincoln, posting their videos and blogs online at www.nowdebatethis.com and its social network, Confab http://confab.nowdebatethis.com/. Malik Neal of Philadelphia and Philip Hayes of Lindale, Texas were the two 2008 finalists, with Hayes winning the $150,000 grand prize. Visit www.nowdebatethis.com to see the final debate and to learn more about the 2008 program and participants. Now Debate This is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Forensic League, National History Day, the National Park Service and institutional partners. In 2008 the topic of Presidents Washington and Lincoln, and executive leadership, was sponsored by Dr. John M. Templeton, Jr. and Dr. Josephine Templeton, and supported by partners such as the National Constitution Center, Mount Vernon, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Gettysburg National Historical Park, Lincoln Cottage, Independence National Historical Park and the Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

Reported by: David Sellers Sharon, CT

Taiwan Makes its University Debate Mark

From http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=791187

Debate team from southern Taiwan college wins championship in Japan
Central News Agency
2008-11-18 12:28 PM
A debate team from Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages in the southern port city of Kaohsiung won the "English as a foreign language" (EFL) category of the Northeast Asian Open 2008 Debating Championship earlier this month, the college disclosed Monday.
Executives of the college introduced the members of the debate team at a news conference held on the campus of Wenzao.

The debate team consisted of three students: Yen Tzu-chien, a senior in the Department of Foreign Language Instruction; Fang Chia-hsuan, a junior in the Department of Translation and Interpretation; and Pan Chun-ting, a fifth-year student in the Department of French in the junior college division.

They defeated more than 100 debaters from other countries and territories, including Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, to capture the championship in the EFL category at the competition, held on the campus of Kyoto Seika University Nov. 7-9.

In the final competition, the Wenzao team defeated the team from Seikei University in Tokyo, with a 3-0 decision by the panel of judges.

In addition to winning the overall championship, team member Yen, together with a contestant from Japan and another contestant from South Korea, placed first among the top 10 speakers in the EFL category.

The Wenzao Debate Society's leader, Hsiao Yi-chiao -- a third-year student in the five-year junior college -- was invited by the organizers to serve as a judge for the competition.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Oil Company Grant Finances Debate on Renewable Energy

From http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/tx/houston/kerr/article.cfm?eid=18111&aid=230526

CX teams go green, win grant
Funds from BP Global help kick off expanded speech activities

By Alex Karr

This year, the Speech and Debate team is already leaps ahead from where they started last year, having already earned a $10,000 grant from BP Energy for researching and educating others about alternative energies.
Debate coach Derek Davis was one of the few in the nation who wrote in about the grant, along with last year’s officers.

“No other debate coach that I’m aware of, and I know no other debate coach was accepted [for the grant] did it,” Davis said. “I actually thought there was going to be a lot of competition, but it came down to us being at state competing. It was due at midnight, and my officers and I had it submitted that night.”

Last year, the team lacked in supplies and money for trips, but with the grant, there is a new outlook and new hope for embracing opportunities.

“We did not have a budget comparable to any other competitive team,” Davis said. “In three years of discussing with other coaches, we operate with about one tenth of what most programs operate with.

“Funds would have to come out of the pockets of the kids and myself. We had to scrounge for printer cartridges and other materials; it was really frustrating.”

Sophomore Ayesha M. agrees that the club was in desperate need of supplies.

“We need a lot of writing utensils, paper, tubs, and expanding files,” Ayesha said. “We were all ecstatic when we received the grant.”

In addition to purchasing materials used in class, each policy team received a laptop to work on, reducing the need for paper. The money will also help provide students the resources to go to tournaments, such as the state and national tournaments.

“For state and nationals alone, we’re talking about several thousand dollars,” Davis said. “One of those trips is more than our budget in a year. We are able to go to more elite and travel tournaments this year and that’s going to help us out tremendously.”

Pan African Universities Debating Championship

From Justice Motlhabani:

Inaugural Pan- African Universities Debating Championship
The African Regional Office and the OSI Youth Initiative in New York is partnering with the Pan African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) organizing committee and the University of Botswana to organize the first ever Pan-African Universities Debating Championship in Gaborone, Botswana from the 8^th to the 14^th December 2008.
The PAUDC will bring together Universities from 10 African Countries in addition to numerous debate trainers from the US, South Korea and South Africa. The 10 participating countries that have confirmed attendance are from West Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia, from east Africa Uganda and Kenya and from Southern Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The tournament is expected to have about 25 Universities among them the University of Nairobi in Kenya, UB, the University of Jonnanesburg, Limkokwing University-Botswana, the University of the Free State, Rhodes University, University of Forhare, University of Namibia and the Universities of Lagos and Calabar in Nigeria among many others.
It is expected to have participants totaling 300 debaters, adjudicators and about 12 trainers making it the biggest debating tournament ever in the African continent. Hundreds Botswana high schools students are also expected to benefit from the tournament as volunteers, time keepers and runners. This week long tournament will be hosted at the University of Botswana main campus with the grand opening ceremony at the GICC and Grand Final at Phakalane Golf Estates. This intensive competition requires each university team to take part in eight preliminary debates over six days. The highest-rated teams go forward to knockout rounds, with the champions ultimately named during a Grand Final at the Golf Estates.
In addition to the actual debate tournament, there will be formal training workshops and interactive forums with leaders in business, ministers, civil society and government. The debating championship will provide a forum in which African university students can be exposed to new ideas, discuss a range of topical issues and be challenged to think critically. The PAUDC will also utilize this time to establish an African Universities Debating Board which will facilitate the dissemination of training materials, coordinate Pan-African debating events and organize training sessions, all to ensure the sustainability and spread of debate across the African continent.
Books Botswana, supplier of educational materials in UB, Phakalane Golf Estates, Rotary Club of Gaborone, British Council and the University of Botswana are among the sponsors. The tournament is convened by former reality TV personality Mr Justice Motlhabani with an organizing committee that includes, veteran debater Mr Lesang Magang as the Internal Chief Adjudicator, an exchange student in the Master's of Public Administration Programme at the University of Botswana Graham Sowa as the Deputy Convener and registration Director, Tournament Director is World Championship top speaker Ummar Kitso Segadimo. More details about the organization of the tournament are available at www.botsdebating.com

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Budva Open 2008

Previous winners, Croatia

From E. Carson:

Dear debate community,

We have the pleasure to inform you that Center for Creative Communication LOGOS is organizing International Debate Tournament ‘Budva Open 2008’. The Tournament will be held from the 21st to 23rd of November in Budva, ancient Mediterranean town on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro. This tournament has become traditional and we are sure that this time it is going to be even more successful and inspiring for our debaters. You can find the official invoice for the tournament below. Please note that the registration deadline is November 17th. We will come up with the detailed schedule soon.

We are looking forward to seeing you all. Questions welcome!

Best regards,

Budva OPEN 2008 organizing team

Predrag Zenovic

sokrat@cg.yu

+381 64 415 4 985

+382 69 405 606

BUDVA OPEN 2008
International Debating Tournament
Budva, November 21st – 23rd, 2008

Dear friends,

I am pleased to inform you that Budva will be hosting the International Debate Championship in November 2008, 21st to 23rd – “Budva Open 2008”, organized by the Centre for Creative Communication “Logos”. This is the third time Logos is organizing Budva Open, led by the successful and exciting experience we had from the previous years. We kindly invite all debaters, coaches and international judges to take part in this international debate event and be our guests in this inspiring Mediterranean town. The tournament is going to be held for the period of Budva Municipality Day celebration and we strongly believe that it will make it more special.

Here are the important information about the tournament itself. Please, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Language: English
Formats: Karl Popper or World Schools (each team chooses one)

Motions:
KP FORMAT:

1. Full contact sports should be banned
2. Impromptu
The motion for the finals: Elite tourism is a better prospect than mass
tourism

WS FORMAT:
1. This house believes that religious holidays should not be
acknowledged by state
2. Impromptu
The motion for the finals: Elite tourism is a better prospect than mass
tourism

Participation fee: 25 € per person (food, accommodation, activities),
upon the arrival

To register: send your team info to sokrat@cg.yu (names, chosen debate
format, arrival date and time)

Registration deadline: November 17th

Contact Info: Predrag Zenovic, sokrat@cg.yu,
Phone: 00381 64 415 4 985, 00382 69 405 606

Ghana Presidential Debate

From http://news.myjoyonline.com/elections/200811/22684.asp

Presidential Debate II: Tamale promises hotter show
Presidential candidates of the four political parties with representation in Parliament will have more time to answer questions in the Tamale debate than they had in the first.

The flag-bearers of the ruling New Patriotic Party, the main opposition National Democratic Congress, the People’s National Convention and the Convention People’s Party will clash at the Gilbert Centre in the Northern Regional capital today in the final of two debates.

The governance think-thank, Institute for Economic Affairs, organisers of the programme with Joy Fm, said the candidates would have the opportunity to debate each other on the issues than the questions-and-answers format that characterised the Accra encounter.

The IEA said the changes have been made in accordance with recommendations from the first debate.

A research fellow at the IEA Papa Kow Acquaye told Joy Fm the Gilbert Centre, venue for the event, is set for action.

“We’ll give the candidates more time to debate the Ghanaian instead of being a mini shouting match.”

“There will also be opportunity for the candidates to directly speak to the people who are outside the hall listening to the debate,” Mr Acquaye stated.

The first debate which was held at the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Centre in Accra, allowed candidates very limited time to engage each other, responding more to questions from moderators.

Many viewers and listeners of the first encounter thought the CPP leader, Dr Kwesi Nduom did better than the other debaters.

A platoon of reporters from media houses across the country have already converged at the centre to carry the event live to millions of Ghanaians expected to watch on television and listen on radio.

According to Joy FM's strong team of reporters covering the event in Tamale, expectations of locals are high although many think the outcome would not affect who they vote for in the December elections. The high expectations are borne out of a feeling that the region has long been abandonment in the distribution of the “national cake.”

Most taxi drivers are said to have tuned in to the local FM station, Radio Justice which is billed to carry the event live. [Listen to attached audio]

Click here to listen to the debate live online.
http://www.myjoyonline.com/radio/

Story by Fiifi Koomson

Qatar Debate Offers Training DVDs

QatarDebate, the national debating organization of Qatar, is pleased to announce the release of our first interactive educational tool, 'An Introduction to Debating', an exciting 5-disc DVD training set for students, teachers and parents.

As part of QatarDebate's mission to develop, support and raise the standard of open discussion and debate in Qatar and across the world, we are delighted to offer educational institutions (schools, universities, not-for-profits and national debating federations) anywhere in the world up to 3 copies of the DVD set completely free of charge.

To place your order for QatarDebate's 'Introduction to Debating' DVD set, please visit http://www.qatardebate.org/videos/ and fill out the online order form. Your DVDs should be delivered in 10 - 15 days from the date of your order depending on where you are in the world.

While you're visiting our website, feel free to sign up for the QatarDebate newsletter (using the blue box in the top right hand corner) to receive regular updates about QatarDebate projects and opportunities, and information about The World Schools' Debating Championships which will be held in Qatar in 2010.

Best wishes,
The QatarDebate Team

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Botswana Back in the WUDC Bid Race

From Justice:

Friends and Debaters everywhere!

I would like to proudly announce that the University of Botswana is bidding for the World Universities Debating Championships 2011. We've been working on hosting worlds for three years now, and we have so much in store for every one of you.

I would like to thank all the people here at home and in distant lands who supported us in the past as they continue to give us guidance. We look forward to your support again this year in Ireland!

Please join our facebook group for details and updates. Email us at debatemasters@yahoo.com for questions or just to show support.

Sincerely,
Justice Motlhabani
+267 72467417 debatemasters@yahoo.com
Convenor
Botswana Worlds 2011

More Response to Oppenheimer Wall Street Journal Piece

Mark Oppenheimer

The article published by Mark Oppenheimer where he bashes competitive debnating in America has started generating quite a response. Here is another one from Ryan Ricard at http://lucydebate.blogspot.com/2008/10/defending-debate.html
I may disagree with the foul name used here, but the arguments seem spot on.

Sunday, October 19, 2008
Defending debate
So I normally try to keep my "curse like a sailor" tendencies to a minimum up here. I'm not sure anyone actually reads this thing anyway, but it is nominally a blog about a activity undertaken by high schoolers, so I try to show some restraint.

However, to introduce today's topic I have no other choice but to employ a relative vulgarity:

Mark Oppenheimer is a Douchebag.

In case you are in too much a hurry to read Mr. Oppenheimer's op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, this seems to be the endpoint of the notoriety gained by the Shannahan/Towson mooning incident. This, combined with the fact that presidential debates have happened recently, has given Mr Oppenheimer a good reason to trash on my activity for a few pages. Frankly his insults reek of being poorly researched and unashamedly inflammatory, so in a perfect world I'd prefer to ignore them.

But I'm a debater. Micheal Jordan shoots baskets. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. We all have a talent.

Like many games, competitive debate has its share of complications, jargon, strategic maneuvers, and community norms. But unlike, say chess or football, the average Wall Street Journal reader is unfamiliar with the intricacies (or really even the basics) of our game. To an honest journalist, this presents a responsibility to faithfully describe some of these rules so that readers might better understand her point. But to Mr. Oppenheimer, the lack of experience in his readership allows him an opportunity to build up vacuous straw men to knock down. Here's his first:

As the Chronicle of Higher Education and others have reported, some college debaters now practice "postmodern debate," in which they argue theoretical questions about the process of debate rather than the topic at hand.

Note that nobody in debate calls anything "postmodern debate," save for maybe a debate that actually occurs over the subject of postmodernism. "Postmodern debate" is a construction of the Chronicle of Higher Education author, which is something that Mr. Oppenheimer should know and should point out, given that he himself makes the appeal to authority by claiming that he used to coach debate at Yale. But being a weasel and a douchebag, Oppenheimer decides to give postmodern debate the meaning of "things I don't like," which is apparently arguments that don't involve "the topic at hand."

My astute readers will note that this definition includes Topicality, the question of whether or not an affirmative's plan fits under the resolution. This is one of the "Stock Issues", or basic tenets of competitive policy debate. It's one of the 4 things I teach my freshman novice debaters in their first lecture. If Oppenheimer's problem is with progressivism in debate, he sure has quite a few years of history to undo.

But we all know that Oppenheimer's problem isn't with T. It's with performance, maybe. Or kritiks. Wait, what is his problem with debate again? Oh yeah:

Predictably, debate traditionalists (like me) are upset about this postmodern turn. A commentator on the National Review academic blog said that the trend toward postmodern debate "shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with the increasing politicization of college campuses these days."

Oh, there it is. Listen, Mark. You want to trash on "ivory tower academics" or whatever, you do it on your own time. But equating competitive debate with whatever boogeyman you see lurking in college campuses is just silly. Sure, over the last few years debaters have sought out arguments from the extreme left. But we've also sought out plenty of arguments from the extreme right (if for no other reason than to answer those on the exreme left). To take the most obvious example, in my last year of competition you could root through my tubs and find Krauthammer, Kagan, Khalilzad, Murray, and plenty of articles from your own National Review in addition to advocates of nonviolence and, yes, "postmodernism." I teach students to argue the power of the market, the importance of democracy promotion, the benefits of American primacy, and the list goes on.

But the fact that I have apparently sold out to the left isn't Oppenheimer's only problem with debate:

Rather than try to win points with wit, allusion or elegant turns of phrase, debaters began loading down their speeches with multiple arguments; the expectation arose that one had to meet all of an opponent's arguments and that to "drop" an argument meant losing the debate. Thus debaters began skipping pleasantries, speaking fast and using ugly shorthand ("D.A." for disadvantage, for example).

Interestingly enough, Oppenheimer hints at the real reason that debaters decide to speak fast. Part of what makes debate different from other forms of communication is the expectation that my arguments be answered by my interlocutor. This focus on the content of argument, on logic, and on actually answering one's opponent is the basic foundation of debate. I could go on about how fast debate teaches strategy, attention to detail, and critical thinking skills, but apparently Mr. Oppenheimer is the final authority on the subject of the skills debate teaches (or doesn't teach).

Policy debate is no longer training young men and women for participation in civic discourse.

I know lawyers, activists, politicians, teachers, judges, and other outstanding members of society who might take issue with that. And then they would call you a douchebag.

But I digress. Mr. Oppenheimer wasn't done describing the reason that speed came into policy debate.

When debate was about majestic oratory, the naturally charming golden boys, or those polished by prep schools, had a distinct advantage; but when debate rounds could be won with technicalities and sheer quantity of argumentation, then industry could carry the day.

Frankly, this is offensive. The notion that us classless cretins would have the nerve to attempt to join the discourse of the elite is just appalling to Oppenheimer. How dare we invade an activity that purports to be about debate and argument and actually make it value debate and argument? Clearly it would be much better if we had an activity that was kinda about argument, but really about rewarding who spoke the prettiest and provided the most witty affectations and had their tie the straightest. Mark, we've only got one activity for argument. Just one little sandbox in the world where skills in logic and "industry" (apparently doing research to prepare for a debate is a lowly pursuit) are actually valued. You've got plenty of games that value Oratory. Please leave the debating to the debaters.

...

That was going to be my dramatic ending, but I've got one more loose end to tie up, involving the origin of this sudden interest in competitive debate. Shannahan mooned another coach and he got fired. If we condemned every game that occasionally inspired the worst out of its participants, I think all we'd have left is pinochle.

Friday, November 14, 2008

News from Baltimore Urban Debate League, Novmber 2008

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

What a week! I have just celebrated two momentous occasions, the historic election of Barack Obama on a national scale and the celebration of the Bat Mitzvah of my eldest daughter on a personal scale.

I am reminded, through both events, of the importance of family, community and connection. I am reminded of the importance of being dedicated to a cause or goal that reflects both our own ambitions and also connects us to a world and a vision larger than ourselves. I am reminded of the importance of dreaming big and of reaching and celebrating milestones.

This year the Baltimore Urban Debate League celebrates our 10th year of bringing the power of debate to young people in Baltimore City. As I sat back and watched record-breaking numbers of debaters arriving for the season's first tournaments this fall - after a summer of great transition - I became emotional. The League has reached a momentous place. It is now an expectation - not an exception - that young people in Baltimore City will have or will demand access to debate. It is a given that the power of a young person's voice is directly linked to the size, scope and plausibility of their dreams.

Without the support of families and schools and communities, whether they be congregational communities or classroom communities or family extensions like the Baltimore Urban Debate League, young people thrive when they are connected to something that nurtures and inspires who they will become.

For some of our young debaters, BUDL is a significant part of that connection, an extension of the family, the community, the network of support that will hold onto to them and push them to dream, develop their goals, and defy the naysayers as they make those visions come true.

Thank you for your part in embracing the dream, and in the celebration of the milestone!

Pam Spiliadis

BUDL's breaking news ...

The year has started strong for the Baltimore Urban Debate League! There are 30 high schools and 22 middle schools in the League this season, and tournament participation is way up into "record-breaking" status.

BUDL welcomes new middle schools to the program: Baltimore Freedom Academy, Margaret Brent Elem/Middle, City Springs Elem/Middle, Civitas Middle, Dickey Hill Elem/Middle, Grove Park Elem/Middle, Hampstead Hill Academy, Holabird Elem/Middle, Inner Harbor East Academy, KIPP, Westport Academy Elem/Middle, William C. March

BUDL welcomes new high schools to the program: Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts High, Ben Franklin High, Civitas High

Thanks to your help, BUDL provided full scholarships to all Baltimore City public school students (about 175 campers) attending all three of its summer camps: Countdown to College Camp at Johns Hopkins University, and the B'MORE Middle and High School Debate Institutes, at University of Baltimore and Digital Harbor High, respectively.

BUDL supporter Harry Bosk of Citi, a financial services company, will be running the Philadelphia Marathon, Nov. 23 to raise money for the Baltimore Urban Debate League. Support his run to the finish line!

BUDL welcomes a new partner in investment: Ober Kaler.

BUDL said a sad goodbye to College Access/Americorps representative Holland Gilmore - but welcomed two new Americorps representatives, Josh Hammack and Casandra Stephenson.

Record numbers at first middle school tournament

Even while schools struggle with tightened resources, debate is recognized as key to student success

After a summer full of transition and change in the Baltimore City School System, the Baltimore Urban Debate League has emerged stronger than ever before for the 2008/2009 school year.

With our "back to basics" focus on core programming and competitive debate activities, we have been able to recruit 52 schools to the League this season and have attracted tons of new and returning students to squad practices and weekend debate tournaments.

In fact, there were nearly 270 students at the first Middle School Tournament, held Oct. 25th at Lemmel Middle School - the most middle schoolers to ever participate in one of our tournaments, and, double the number of students at last year's first middle school tournament! We are facing the wonderful problem of busting at the seams of the schools hosting our tournaments.

Northeast Asian Open Results

To the international debating community

The organizing committee would like to thank everyone who took part in
the first international tournament in Japan.

We would like to thank all the teams that participated in the
elimination rounds. Moreover, we would like to recognize the champions
of this year's NEAO, ICU 3 (Akira Kohbara, Satomi Hemmi, Keigo Okada),
and the finalist, EDiS (In Young Park, Doh Hee Roh, Hannah Kim). ICU 3
won against EDiS in a unanimous 9-0 decision. What is significant
about this year's winner is that ICU is the first institution outside
Korea to win this tournament.

The breaking teams for the main bracket are as follows:
1. UIC 2
2. EDiS
3. HDS 2
4. Tsuda
5. UIC 1
6. SKKU
7. DAE 1
8. ICU 3

ICU 1 was supposed to break but was not announced due to a ballot
error. The committee deeply apologizes to the members of ICU 1 for this.

In the quarter-finals, ICU 3 defeated UIC2, EDiS defeated DAE 1, SKKU
defeated HDS 2, UIC 1 defeated Tsuda.
In the semi-finals, ICU 3 defeated UIC 1, and EDiS defeated SKKU.

The EFL finalists were Seikei A and Wenzao 1. Wenzao 1 defeated Seikei
with a 3-0 decision, making them the EFL winners.

Again, congratulations to all teams that broke!

The top ten speakers on the tab were:
1. Shoko Furui (AGU 2)
1. Wonjoon Jang (UIC 1)
1. Tzu-Chien Yen (Wenzao 1)
4. Kotono Maekawa (AGU 2)
4. Kang Min Lee (SKKU)
4. Sumi Park (UIC 2)
7. Satomi Hemmi (ICU 3)
7. Hyewon Hetty Rho (Korea 3)
7. Junghwan Jeon (UIC 1)
10. Miyuki Nozu (ICU 1)
10. Nayoung Song (UIC 2)
10. Yejin Moon (UIC 2)

Breaking Adjudicators:
Chihiro Nakagawa, Logan, Jason Jarvis, Isao Ayabe, Tomohisa Ishikawa,
Masako, Peter Kipp, Soo Young Cho, Andrew Nishizaki, Sophie Lee, Min
Hyuk Kim, Rose Chang, Jonathan Borock, Melorina Kamaruddin, Sae-Seul Park

Motions:

R1: Youth
THB in the establishment of a "Youth Government" for national
policymaking.
THB in compulsory military training for every citizen of the country
by age 25.
THW not allow foreign students to enroll in domestic universities.

R2: The Palin Factor
THW establish a minimum IQ for National Leaders.
THBT candidates for government positions should not be allowed to
accept endorsements from religious leaders.
THBT non-US citizens deserve a right to vote in the US election.

R3: Gender Issues
THW recognize trans-sexuals as members of a third sex.
THBT the use of birth control pills should be prescription-
free.
THW introduce a quota system for female politicians in national
parliament.

R4: International Relations
THW say NO to the U.S.-India Nuclear Agreement.
THW not meet with the leaders of Iran.
THBT supporting Georgia's NATO bid is more important than maintaining
good relations with Russia.

Main QF/EFL Final: Nature
THW not classify radical environmental groups as terrorist.
THS an international moratorium on commercial fishing of tuna.
THW abolish animal sports.

Main SF: Territory in NE Asia
THBT Japan and Korea should share Takeshima/Dokdo.
THBT Russia should return the Northern Territories to Japan.
THBT ICJ should mediate the Senkaku Islands dispute among Japan, China
and Taiwan.

Main Final: Medicine
THS the forced sterilization of all criminals convicted of a felony.
THW deny national health services to people who participate in extreme
sports.
THW protect the right of families to genetically engineer the traits
of their children.

NEAO 2008 orgcom

Big Response for National Public Policy Forum

From Kit Sawers:

Things have been going very well for the 2008-09 National Public Policy Forum, and I wanted to share the good news with you.  A record 182 schools registered for this year's competition, and 105 of those schools submitted essays.  In fact, there were so many schools competing that we had to change the competition format by adding a Round of 32 this year.  The 2008-09 competition bracket will soon to be available on www.nppf.net.

Some statistics:

• Of the 105 schools submitting essays this year, there are 73 public schools and 32 private schools from 32 states and nine different countries.  (Fifty-six of these 105 schools are new to the competition.)

• Seven of last year’s Sweet 16 teams and two of last year’s Final Four teams (Bellaire and Colleyville Heritage) advanced to this year’s Round of 32.

• In this year’s first round, there are competitors from 18 states and two countries.

Regional Winners include the following:

140 points Durham Academy  Best Case: Atlantic Region
137 points Plano East HS  Best Case: Southwest Region
137 points Weston HS  Best Case: Northeast Region
133 points Fremont HS  Best Case: Mountains & Plains Region
131 points Glenbrook North HS                 Best Case: Midwest Region
131 points Temasek Junior College Best Case: International Region
129 points The Harker School  Best Case: Pacific Region

Kit Sawers Executive Director Bickel & Brewer Foundation Suite 4800 1717 Main Street
Dallas, TX  75201

John Edwards to Debate Karl Rove

From http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/3950823

Edwards to face off against Rove in public debate

Posted: Nov. 13, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. —Two-time presidential candidate John Edwards is continuing his return to the public stage by debating Republican strategist Karl Rove.

The Commercial Finance Association said the two will hold a point-counterpoint discussion Thursday in San Francisco. They will discuss the election and the economy.

It will be Edwards' second public event since he acknowledged in August that he had an affair back in 2006. His appearance in Indiana on Tuesday did not address the matter.

Thursday's meeting puts an odd and perhaps contentious pair on the same stage. During his presidential campaign, Edwards repeatedly called for President Bush to fire Rove.

When Rove resigned from the White House in 2007, Edwards issued a simple statement, saying "Goodbye, good riddance."

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Debaters Overcome Negative Stereotypes

From http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=19&a=370724

Tanner Greer: No argument -- Debate is great
Wed, Nov 12, 2008 PB Online
On Saturday, 20 high school students dressed in business attire will climb into a coach bus at 5 a.m. and won't climb out again until 6 p.m.

As any parent can tell you, getting a teenager out of bed before 7 a.m. on a school day is difficult; doing so on a Saturday is downright impossible. Likewise, a Herculean challenge faces every parent who attempts to get their child to wear a suit for an entire day or to spend six hours of their precious weekend driving across Minnesota farmland.

What in the world would make these students do any of that willingly?

The answer is simple. These students are part of the Century Debate Team.

Being part of such a team is harder than it sounds. In addition to waking up at 4 a.m. to reach a tournament on time, team members must spend three hours in practice sessions each week, hours researching and compiling evidence on the resolution being debated, and a fair amount of time discussing strategy.

There are many that will not touch this kind of work with a 10-foot pole. Theodore Roosevelt once said that he could not lend his support to any "debating contests" that "make contestants feel as if their convictions should have nothing to do with their arguments."

As one of my friends told me, "You expect me to sit on a bus with the 20 most argumentative kids in the school for two hours and then come back alive?"

I will admit that my fellow debaters have left my ears ringing on more than one occasion. Yet despite this fact, I believe that the benefits of joining the debate team far exceed any of the costs.

The first -- and perhaps most obvious -- benefit is that it makes you a better debater. This doesn't mean the debate team teaches you how to win petty quarrels, it teaches debaters to spot gaps in logic and how to avoid creating them when crafting an argument.

The debate team also teaches you how to think on your toes. There's little time to develop a contention or counterattack once the debate has started. The debater has even less time to think once the opponents start cross-examining. This frenzied pace teaches debaters how to use limited time effectively and how to reason quickly.

Another benefit is that you learn a lot about the topic being debated. In this age of civic illiteracy, I can think of no better way to inform our citizens of the issues than by having them debate them. For example, take our current topic: Offshore drilling. The average debater can now tell you the percentage of American natural gas that is found offshore, the function of Mineral Management Service and just how much oil we import from Saudi Arabia.

The final argument is simple: It's fun. While watching debates is perhaps the dullest thing ever, participating in them is quite a different experience. It's a struggle where two minds meet. The excitement of a new debate, the triumph of contention won and the success of a graceful conclusion -- all are things I never wish to give up. Even if it means getting on a bus at 5 a.m.

Kansas Wins Harvard Policy Tournament

Brett Bricker with award in 2007

From http://www.news.ku.edu/2008/november/6/debateharvard.shtml

KU debaters win first place, best speaker in Harvard University tournament

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas debate team of Brett Bricker, Wichita senior, and Nate Johnson, Manhattan senior, took first place at an annual Harvard University tournament involving 80 of the best teams in the country. Bricker also won the award for top individual debater at the tournament.

“Winning the Harvard tournament is an incredible accomplishment,” said Scott Harris, KU debate coach. “It is the most difficult tournament in the country to win.”

Harris said Bricker and Johnson are the first KU team to win the Harvard tournament. KU debaters’ triumphs currently give them No. 1 overall rankings in the National Debate Tournament and Cross-Examination Debate Association.

This was the third consecutive year that KU had advanced to the finals of the Harvard tournament but the first time KU won the tournament. During three days of competition the Bricker and Johnson team won 11 debates to capture first place. In the tournament finals they defeated Northwestern University. In the semifinals they defeated a University of California-Berkeley team that had won the tournament last year, avenging a KU loss in the final round at last year’s Harvard tournament.

Two more KU teams finished among the top 25 at the Harvard tournament, and KU debater Chris Stone, Derby sophomore, was third-place individual speaker at the tournament, which took place Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

Stone and Mark Wilkins, Topeka freshman, won five of eight debates. KU’s team of Sean Kennedy, Leawood sophomore, and Dylan Quigley, Wichita junior, also won five of eight debates.

KU debaters who competed at the Harvard tournament are listed below by hometown, year in school, major, parents’ names and high school.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood 66206
Sean Kennedy, sophomore in linguistics, son of Chris and Joan Kennedy; Shawnee Mission East High School.

RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan 66502
Nate Johnson, senior in philosophy, political science and psychology, son of Ron and Betty Johnson; Manhattan High School.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Derby 67037
Christopher Stone, sophomore in political science, son of Douglas and Gloria Stone; Derby High School.

From Wichita 67206
Brett Bricker, senior in mathematics, son of Gary and Norma Bricker; Wichita High School Southeast.

From Wichita 67208 and 67218
Dylan Quigley, junior in philosophy, son of Tim Quigley (67218) and of Trix Niemberger (67208); Wichita High School East.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka 66604 and 66610
Mark Wilkins, freshman in political science, son of Brent Wilkins (66610) and of Janis Hinkle (66604); Washburn Rural High School.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Middle Temple Wins Oxford

Information taken from the Oxford IV 2008 tab at http://www.oxfordiv.org/halloffame.html

Homegrown teams continued to dominate the results at Oxford.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Oxford IV 2008 was won by Middle Temple (Daniel Warents and Doug Cochran), debating the motion 'This House Would Make the Number of Votes a Person Can Cast in an Election Inversely Proportional to their Wealth'. Daniel Warents also topped the speaker tab.

The ESL Competition was won by BBU (Nico Lupea and Dan Cristea), debating the motion 'This House Would Directly Elect the US Vice President'. Nico Lupea also topped the ESL speaker tab.

Here are the top 25 teams with the top 16 teams who cleared to quarterfinals. Notice that there are six USA teams in the top 16.

1 MIDDLE TEMPLE .
2 UCC PHIL B
3 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT A
4 CAMBRIDGE A
5 CAMBRIDGE D
6 MIT A
7 TCD PHIL D
8 UCD L&H A
9 UCD L&H B
10 LSE .
11 PORTLAND STATE .
12 SSE RIGA A
13 NOTTINGHAM .
14 FORDHAM SP
15 YALE A
16 PRINCETON A
17 UCC LAW A
18 CAMBRIDGE C
19 HELSINKI .
20 CAMBRIDGE B
21 CAMBRIDGE F
22 NUIG LIT & DEB A
23 YALE B
24 TCD HIST A
25 DURHAM A

Motions:

Rd 1: This house would not prosecute battered wives for killing their husbands.
Rd 2: This house would negotiate with al quaeda
Rd 3: This house would nationalise all banks
Rd 4: This house would make politicians work in health, defense, education or emergency services to qualify for office
Rd 5: This house make entry into university based on a lottery after passing a basic high school exam
Quarter: This house would sell right to sue
Semi: This house would give money to African countries not to take money off China

Monday, November 10, 2008

Mama C - Sally Crawford, Great Debate Coach, Passes Away at 91

From : http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/local_story_312103854.html?keyword=secondarystory

Carol Stark: Mama C’s principles live on with students

I am among those who count themselves privileged to have sat in the class of one of the most accomplished speech and debate coaches this area has ever seen.

So, as some of you can imagine, I would have loved to have had a long conversation with her during this last week as I, and every other American, waited for the outcome of the presidential election; one of the longest and most contentious debates this country has seen in a long time.

Instead, I attended her funeral and found myself reliving some of the best times of my life and shedding a few tears for what truly seems like the end of an era.

Sally Anne Crawford — or Mama C as she was affectionately known to many of her Carthage High School students — died on Oct. 30, living to the wonderful age of 91. But those principles she taught during her 40 years as a teacher will not die with her. That’s because anyone who ever had the chance to be part of her speech and debate squad knew better than to embarrass her by being a poor loser.

You’ve been hearing the phrase “step across the aisle” a lot lately. Mama C could have coined it. Only in her world, win or lose, it meant you shook hands with your opponents. There was no room for a bad sport in debate. And, from the standpoint of an accomplished debater, I believe she would have been just as impressed last week by John McCain’s concession speech as the acceptance speech from Barack Obama.

But, back in 1975 and 1976 when I studied under her, it was just a class full of teens who were trying their darndest to make a good impression on the legendary Mrs. Crawford. Because, by the time my class got their turn behind her lectern, her reputation was well known.

I only realized last week that Mrs. Crawford was nearing the 60-year mark when she was my teacher. But there was nothing of an “old lady” in her demeanor. In fact, when Mama C got a really good mad on, she was a splendid sight to behold.

I can still see her marching down to the principal’s office, ready to do battle for one of her brood. She fought back during a time when some educators discounted the importance of a last-minute practice debate or the need to run through a speech just one more time before the weekend tournament. So, if you happened to be that teacher who wouldn’t excuse one of her student just a few minutes early so they could head to her class, well, I bet you, too, remember what a mad Mama C looked like.

Not only did she teach us the difference between the status quo and a hole in the ground, she made us clean up in dresses and suits almost every weekend, as we headed out in the school’s mini-bus to argue with other students. When I was on the circuit, we were debating the value of OPEC and the Electoral College. Hmmm. Was that really 32 years ago?

We’d load up those heavy file drawers filled with evidence cards we never used except to try to intimidate our opponents. Next the briefcases and the overnight bags. Then, usually late Friday afternoon, Mama C, with her signature Coke in hand, would get behind the wheel and take the whole load of us down the road. She was our driver and our overnight chaperone. She dispensed aspirins, Band-Aids and quarters for the vending machines. She was more than a teacher. She was our weekend Mama C.

But there was more than just debate. There was drama, too.

My junior year, while my classmates David Mouton and Steve Evans got to present their dramatic interpretation from the totally cool “Inherit the Wind,” I was assigned a cutting from “Medea,” the play by Euripides.

“Manifold are thy shapings, Providence! Many a hopeless matter gods arrange. What we expected never came to pass, What we did not expect the gods brought to bear; So have things gone, this whole experience through!”

I begged Mrs. Crawford over and over to give me something a thousand years more contemporary, but she kept telling me that if I could master “Medea,” why I could do anything.

I never mastered “Medea” and David and Steve won all the trophies that year. Not that I’m holding a grudge for 32 years.

But, you know what? Long after I accepted my high-school diploma, Mrs. Crawford was there for me. Notes of encouragement, an occasional critique of a speech that I might have to give, or just a friendly chat in the grocery-store aisle. I truly believe that the best teachers, later in life, make the best friends.

So, even though I couldn’t talk to her last week about the finer points of heated debate, I didn’t really have to. She long ago taught me what I needed to know to get my point across.

Now there’s only one thing left to say.

Resolved: Sally Anne Crawford’s legacy of oration, debate and drama will live always through those she taught.

No argument here.

Tanzania Debates Future of Tourism on Television

From http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=15935_0_1_0_M

Tanzania’s leading TV station debate on domestic tourism
Nov 07, 08 | 11:17 am

By Apolinary Tairo | Nov 07, 2008
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) - Viewers of Tanzania’s leading television station, the Independent Television (ITV), enjoyed a good moment last weekend to debate in live talk on domestic tourism development in Tanzania.

The live TV talk, the “Barometer,” brought three panelists with experience on African tourism, among them, eTurboNews' Tanzania ambassador and East African correspondent, Mr. Apolinary Tairo, who shared views on problems and challenges facing local tourism development in Tanzania.

Panelists shared views with a section of ITV viewers through phone calls to the TV’s studios in Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam, most of them expressing their grievances over poor performance on domestic, tourist, program development.

Representing millions of ITV viewers, respondents outside Dar es Salaam said Tanzania needed good policies that would empower locals (Tanzanians) to enjoy tourist products available in their own country and know their natural land.

The station telecasts its programs in the entire East African region with a good reception of viewers.

Viewers of the program responded to discussions from the panelists and said Tanzania has a long way to go in achieving domestic, tourism development, because most Tanzanians can’t afford the very expensive services offered to tourists inside the wildlife parks and other tourist sites.

They said lack of awareness among Tanzanians could be the other reason that makes this African destination move at a snail’s speed in promoting domestic tourism.

Host of the ITV’s exciting “Barometer” program, Mr. Steven Chuwa, said he was very delighted to see such a positive response from viewers who showed a great interest in debating tourism.

“I thank you all for accepting our TV station’s invitation to discuss tourism development and its importance to Tanzanians. It has been a very successful live talk,” Mr. Chuwa said as he would up the ninety-minute, live program.

In his comments later, Mr. Tairo said the program was planned at the right time, when Tanzania is preparing to hold the second Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference early in December this year.

He said it was unfortunate that most Tanzanians know very little about tourism and their country because of poverty and little incomes.

“I expect the Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference that has been organized by the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) in Washington, would make a difference in Tanzania’s business-dominated tourism and bring a sense of responsibility to local communities,” Mr. Tairo said.

The conference will focus mostly on local communities with profiles from the growing number of successful, local development and conservation programs supported through travelers' philanthropy initiatives.

Lack of awareness among most Tanzanians was the major reason behind poor performance on domestic tourism, while the travel industry is perceived as foreign based with little benefits to the locals, he said.

During the African Travel Association (ATA) Congress and the Leon Sullivan Summit in Tanzania’s tourist city of Arusha a few months ago, very few residents knew the benefits of such two, milestone, and travel-trade gatherings.

“I saw locals shocked by a sliding banner with elephant images that was installed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to publicize the rich wildlife resources available there. Some knew nothing about Ngorongoro though it is just 160 kilometers away,” Mr. Tairo added.

The ITV station, the first among early, free, electronic media to be established in Tanzania some 15 years ago, has been telecasting tourist-attractive images in its weekly programs.

Out of the best tourist-attractive movies telecast by the ITV station, were the wildlife movies from Tanzania and Africa aimed to educate Tanzanians of their rich, tourist attractions.

The station, owned by a local Tanzanian leading media, the IPP Media has been a good example of a philanthropic institution supporting local communities in need, as well as children.

ITV host a series of children’s educational programs aimed at equipping them with knowledge in the various aspects of life, including nature, environmental conservation, and the culture of visiting places.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Narrative of a Debate Mom

From http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/northland/story/878485.html

Jennifer Brown: Where’s my debate trophy?

Jennifer Brown for Northland Zone
Some parenting decisions just need to be better thought-out. For example, last year when I encouraged Teen Goddess to give debate class a try, I figured it would be a good academic pursuit, one that would polish her research, reasoning and public speaking skills.

Had I thought it through, I might have realized my error: In essence, I had encouraged my teenager to take a class in which she would be taught to argue.

What was I thinking?!

If there is one activity in which teenagers don’t need instruction, it’s argumentation. And teaching them to argue more effectively, with passion and fluidity… now, that’s just cruel to parents. Why couldn’t I have pushed her to join the Compliance Club?

What’s worse, Hubby was a debater in high school, and lives to mentor his little girl. Thus, during debate season, our kitchen is headquarters of the Fraternal Order of the Conversationally Obnoxious. I just try to stay away while they spend hours saying things like “morally permissible” and “four fundamental principles” and “according to Aristotle.”

I took Philosophy as a summer course so I wouldn’t have to retain phrases like “morally permissible,” “four fundamental principles” and “according to Aristotle” for longer than a few weeks.

But occasionally I’ll have to interrupt with a mom request, and I find it best if I do it in her language:

“I’d like to argue affirmatively,” I’ll say, “that it is morally permissible for you to clean your bedroom right now. First, evidence shows that, while the task may require an individual — in this case, you — to sacrifice on the short term, pulling the dirty dishes with the fuzz growing on them out from under your bed before they come alive and eat people in the night is beneficial for the greater good. Furthermore, not cleaning your room will result in grounding, which will cause overcrowding in the Brown Family Weekend Prison system. And let me quote the great philosopher, Bill Cosby, who said… is that a legal pad in your lap?”

She smiles patronizingly. “There are flaws in your case.”

Hubby leans in, points to a note she’s written, and whispers something in her ear. She nods, scribbles more notes.

“Whose side are you on?” I ask him, hands on hips.

He shrugs. “Your case is weak. I think she can win this one.” Teen Goddess nods in that you-will-never-get-it way that only debaters understand.

No, I probably won’t ever truly get it. My toughest debate in high school was whether to spend my allowance on blue mascara or an industrial-sized can of hairspray (Hey, it was the ’80s). But I do understand the Four Fundamental Principles of Being a Debate Mom during debate season:

Debaters spend a lot of their tournament downtime eating. Send lots of snack money.

Debaters like to pace and mumble a lot when there’s a tournament going on and they’re not there. They also like to pace and mumble when a tournament’s coming up and they will be there. Plan to refinish your floors in March.

Drink plenty of caffeine on Saturdays; 1 a.m. feels a lot later to parents than to debaters coming home on a tournament high.

For the next four years, the trophy shelf will be your debater’s most valued piece of furniture in the house.

I suppose it could be worse. After all, she may be a masterful arguer, but she has to follow rules of debate that I don’t.

“OK,” I say, giving her the Mom Stare. “How about this for a case? Clean your room or you don’t go to the next tournament.”

“I forfeit!” she says, and rushes off, leaving Hubby in a cloud of legal pad paper, clipped newspaper articles and highlighters. I glare at him. He squirms, then jumps up and wordlessly rushes out of the room behind her.

Now, where’s my trophy?

Debate Coach Ruth Bisel Yoder Passes Away at 101

From http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/11/08/news/local/doc4915729f50b05350457897.txt

Ex-teacher and debate coach, dies at age 101

Ruth Bisel Yoder

Many of her students went on to become local and national success stories.
By LORETTA SWORD
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

When she filled out her mail-in ballot, Ruth Bisel Yoder told friends she was concerned that it wouldn't be counted if she died before Tuesday's election.

At the age of 101, it was a valid concern.

She lived just long enough to learn that her candidate had been elected to be the next president of the United States. Yoder died late on election night.

Her name was a familiar one to local Democrats. She was an enthusiastic activist who never considered running for office but worked behind the scenes to help many others win campaigns, according to Pueblo lawyer Bill Mattoon. But it was her savvy as a debate coach and her style as a teacher that endeared her to hundreds of Puebloans since the 1940s, when she left the Thatcher School to join her new husband, legendary Centennial High School debate coach Homer Bisel, as his assistant.

Mattoon was one of those students.

His friendship with Ruth Bisel began when he was in fifth grade at Thatcher and she was teaching fourth grade.

"Why we hit it off and became friends, I don't know, but we did. She and Homer later were pretty good friends with my mother and father," he said.

That likely was during the years Mattoon studied debate under both of the Bisels.

"She was one of these wonderful teachers who had a significant effect on a lot of lives," Mattoon said before rattling off a long list of lawyers, judges and successful businessmen who, in many ways, were primed for their success by their experiences with the Bisels.

They include: The late Judge Tom Phelps, businessmen and civic leaders Marvin Stein, Mark Longfield, Bob Jackson and the late Brett Kelly; a few who left Pueblo for far-off horizons, including Mattoon's former partner Dick Heath, who ran a foreign division of the Peace Corps before a stint as state manager of Arkansas that was followed with a longtime tenure as manager of the San Francisco International Airport. Doug Unfug, a veteran professor of history at Emory University and founder of the Journal of Central European History, was another of Mattoon's contemporaries who honed his confidence under the Bisels' strict but benevolent tutelage.

Homer Bisel retired from coaching debate at Centennial in 1957, and from teaching in 1965. But it wasn't long before he and Ruth were recruited by the leaders at Roncalli High School, where they coached another generation of local heavy hitters and national success stories: Chieftain Managing Editor Steve Henson; County Attorney Dan Kogovsek and his brother, Larry, an award-winning social activist and volunteer advocate in Washington state; La Junta District Judge Mike Schiferl; John Shosky, speechwriter for Presidents Reagan and Bush, and many others.

The Bisels were known among their students as "Chief" and "Mrs. Chief." They also were known to dig into their own pockets (they were paid $100 a year at Centennial) to finance their debate teams at both schools, paying for travel to out-of-town meets and meals, as well as many of the team's day-to-day expenses.

Ruth remarried after Homer died, and was widowed again years later.

Mattoon said he and many of her former students stayed in close contact with her over the years.

"Until maybe 15 years ago, she used to have a party every year at her house for her former students," he said.

"She remained exceptionally vital until the last year, and even then she was very vital for her age."

She had gone blind, but she still listened to the nation's political news and friends read local headlines and stories to her.

Mario Avalos was particularly dedicated to her, coming from his Colorado City home most days to check on her in Pueblo, Mattoon said.

He was with her the night she died.

Avalos was not available for comment Friday.

A memorial service has been set for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Christ the King Church. George McCarthy Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Mattoon said those who wish may make memorial donations to the Pueblo Zoological Society, or to a scholarship fund in Homer Bisel's name for debate students at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

USA Debaters - Apply for the Tour of Japan

The Committee for International Discussion and Debate (CIDD)
of the National Communication Association (NCA)

announces tryouts for

The 2009 tour of Japan

Approximate tour dates: Early June to early July 2009

Who is eligible:
Any past or present forensic participant who is under 25 and is a full time undergraduate in good standing (juniors and seniors are preferred), or who has received an undergraduate degree but is no older than 25. We encourage applications from students active in all forms of forensics, including Lincoln-Douglas debate, team policy debate, parliamentary debate, and individual events. Students who apply should have (or plan to obtain) a valid, current passport.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of their debating skills and their ability to teach debate basics; their knowledge of political, social and cultural conditions in Japan, Asia, and the world; and their ability to represent the United States and American forensics effectively and professionally.

How to apply:
If you are interested in trying out for the tour, send by Friday, November 14, 2008:
1) a letter of interest, explaining your suitability for the tour
2) an official college transcript
3) two letters of recommendation
4) a resume
5) contact information, especially an email address, to:

Sam Nelson
Department of Communication
Cornell University
329 Kennedy Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Sam Nelson via email at smn33@cornell.edu or via telephone at (607) 255-2771.

Tryouts for the 2009 British tour will also be held at this same time. You may apply to both tours, but you should send separate applications for each tour.

USA Debaters - Apply for Tour of the UK

The Committee for International Discussion and Debate (CIDD)
of the National Communication Association (NCA)

announces tryouts for

The 2009 tour of the United Kingdom

Approximate tour dates: mid-February to mid-March 2009

Who is eligible:
Any past or present forensic participant who is under 25 and is a full time undergraduate in good standing, or who has received an undergraduate degree but is no older than 25; juniors and seniors are preferred. We encourage applications from students active in all forms of forensics, including Lincoln-Douglas debate, team policy debate, parliamentary debate, and individual events. Students who apply should have (or plan to obtain) a valid, current passport.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of their debating skills and their ability to teach debate basics; their knowledge of political, social and cultural conditions in the UK, Europe, and the world; and their ability to represent the United States and American forensics effectively and professionally.

How to apply:
If you are interested in trying out for the tour, send by Friday, November 14, 2008:
1) a letter of interest, explaining your suitability for the tour
2) an official college transcript
3) two letters of recommendation
4) a resume
5) contact information, especially an email address, to:

Sam Nelson
Department of Communication
Cornell University
329 Kennedy Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Sam Nelson via email at smn33@cornell.edu or via telephone at (607) 255-2771.

Two participants will be chosen to represent the United States on an all-expense-paid tour.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Aplly for DCA Team at Koc Worlds

From Can Okar:

Dear debaters of the world,

It is with great pleasure that I open the application phase for Deputy
Chief Adjudicator positions at Koc Worlds for 2010. As per our bid,
there will be one DCA position for each of four global regions: North
America, "Europe, Middle East and Africa" (EMEA), Asia and Oceania.
The application phase will be open until 21st November 2008. At this
point, I will ask for feedback from the debating community about the
candidacy of applicants for a further two week period. We will be in a
position to announce our Adjudication Team before the Council on 1st
January 2009.

If you are interested in becoming a DCA, I would like you to fill out
the form uploaded to the EUDC files section (if you have problems with
the file, get in touch at can_okar@hotmail.com and I will send it to
you ASAP). I should point out that there is one area in particular in
which I will be interested and that is examples of your organizational
skills and leadership capacity. Again, if there are any questions
regarding the form, get in touch.

I will be at the Oxford IV this weekend to discuss this and any other
issue with anyone who wants a chat. Before that, I want to apologize
for the delay in our pre-Worlds report to Council. At the risk of
sounding like John McCain, our excuse is largely to do with the impact
of the financial turmoil on our planning. Just so you don't panic,
that impact is largely positive as the euro is now much stronger
against the lira. This has given us an opportunity to renegotiate a
lot of our agreements with suppliers (in particular the hotel) so we
are holding off on reporting until we have something concrete to report.

I hope you can be patient – we will be unveiling some exciting plans
in due course.

I look forward to receiving applications for the DCA positions from
far and wide and will be in touch soon,

Can Okar
Provisional Chief Adjudicator, Worlds 2010

IDEA Launches Balkan Website

Find it at http://workserver.idebate.org/idebate_wb/

From ecarson@idebate.org:

Idebate.WB is a subsidiary of Idebate that focuses on the happenings around the countries of the Balkans. What makes Idebate.WB different is that submissions, news and articles are to be published in the native tongues of the speakers of these countries. Additionally, we will focus on the events within these countries.

This site is dedicated to educate about debates and promote the value of debate by publishing news and articles about debate events, projects and programs in the Balkan countries.

Our Purpose:

To educate the public in Balkan countires about debates and the value of debate

To promote the values of debate in these countries

To inspire critical discussion and analysis about ongoing society issuses

To improve the quality of debate within these Balkan countries

Thursday, November 6, 2008

International Debate Academy Bursting with Attendees

Social actiivties every night - this is the Country Exhibition from 2007

Ormoz is a small town in Slovenia. The Hotel Ormoz is a modest facility in the town center. For one week it becomes the lair of university debaters from all over the world.

The Sixth Annual International Debate Academy Slovenia will take place there. Outstanding debate trainers from all over the world will gather to engage in intense instruction and practice with a diverse cross section of the world's debaters. As of now every hotel room is full and every modest space has been set aside as a location for practice debates. They will work and debate in the WUDC format.

GLOBAL DEBATE will be there with on-the-spot reporting. Many videos of instruction and debates will be posted at the DEBATE VIDEO BLOG at http://debatevideoblog.blogspot.com/.

The five days of instruction will be busy, with four instructional sessions and two practice debates each day. The evenings will be kept free for social events, and there will be a lot of them. After the instruction, the entire crew will be bused to Maribor for a tournament to be hosted by the Maribor University Faculty of Law. A tournament champion will be crowned.

Various countries in central Europe will be repreented, but also debaters from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Malaysia, China, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Venezuela, USA, Croatia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cameroon and a lot more. It will be one of the most international debate gatherings ever.

The program runs from 23 until 3o November 2008. Food, housing, instruction and transportation to the tournament are covered by the 200 Euro fee.

Faculty will include:

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.
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, three times WSDC EFL Champion coach, 6th IDAS.
Other faculty are now being added, including Nicole Colston from the University of Vermont and Chris Langone from Cornell University.

The website is at http://debate.uvm.edu/idas.html

The newsblog is at http://internationaldebateacademy.blogspot.com/

For information, email Bojana Skrt at bojana.skrt@siol.net

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

British Debate Tour of the USA Underway

From http://media.www.dailyvanguard.com/media/storage/paper941/news/2008/11/05/News/Psu-Brits.Debate-3525564.shtml

PSU, Brits debate

ASPSU, debaters argued cultural awareness with British National team

By: Wolf Donat

Posted: 11/5/08

For the second year in a row, members of the Portland State debate team squared off against two members of the National British debate team at an event held Friday in Smith Memorial Student Union.

As part of a nationwide tour, British national debate members Ed James and Derek Doyle stopped at PSU to engage in debate with members of ASPSU, including president Hannah Fisher, as well as members of the university debate team.

Only a handful of people showed up to event, which explored the topic of whether or not PSU professors should have to take a course in cultural competency, offering understanding of minority cultures, before they are allowed to teach.

Fisher was joined by Virginia Vickery, ASPSU's director of university affairs. Fisher and Vickery were joined at their table by Will Parker and Dana Hawthorne of the PSU Forensics team. The opposing team was joined by PSU debate team members Shawn Partch and Carly Nairn, who also works for the Vanguard.

Although the PSU team held their own, the British national team gave prompt answers to every facet of the topic. ASPSU and the PSU team displayed knowledge of the topic, but were often trumped by the British debaters.

James recently graduated with a degree in history, and Doyle, a native of Ireland, just received his degree in sociology and philosophy.

During the event, a standard mace debate format was used, meaning speakers are allowed to ask for "points of information," while audience members are allowed to participate by saying "for shame" when disagreeing with a speaker.

The crux of the visiting British team's argument was that in an academic setting, cultural awareness training is unnecessary and possibly even anti-productive, for a variety of reasons.

One point the British debaters made was that comparing cultural sensitivity in the corporate world to cultural training in academia is not necessarily equal, as the two ideas are too far removed from one another to suggest that success in one might be linked to success in the other.

The event was moderated by Josh Gross, PSU's assistant debate coach. Gross said that a national debate coming to PSU was good for the university.

"This is a big deal," Gross said. "This is like a pro football team playing an exhibition game at PSU."

He expressed a hope that this event, as well as others like it, would serve to attract attention to the forensics and debate program at Portland State.

Gross also expressed pleasure at the outcome despite the poor turnout. "We only had a chance to practice once," he said, "but all in all, I think we did pretty well."

Fisher agreed with Gross' sentiment.

"I think all of the major issues were brought to light," she said.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

USA Debate People Strike Back at Uninformed Press Attacks

From today's WSJ editorial page:

Debate Evolves but Is Still Sharp

Mark Oppenheimer ("For Argument's Sake," Taste, Oct. 17) reports on a
single academic debate round and leaps to a series of totally
unwarranted conclusions about the state of intercollegiate debate in
America.

Mr. Oppenheimer's fears are greatly exaggerated. It is a good thing --
not a bad thing -- that today's collegiate debaters are prepared to
discuss everything from the nuts and bolts of U.S. farm policy (the
current topic) to the philosophy of Heidegger.

Mr. Oppenheimer's primary complaint is that the debaters speak very
quickly, even accusing Laurence Tribe of "ruining" debate in this
regard, on his way to winning the national collegiate championship for
Harvard in 1961. But Mr. Tribe, with his world-renowned body of
scholarship and three dozen oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme
Court, shows the power of debate to enhance exactly what Mr.
Oppenheimer seeks: "participation in civic discourse." If Mr. Tribe is
Mr. Oppenheimer's poster child for the impact of debate on seeking
style and eloquence, then we rest our case.

Competitive debate rewards rhetoric and humor as well as analysis and
research. It continues to be one of the most educationally valuable
activities around. And it provides a proven method for high-schoolers
everywhere, even in failing schools, to develop the skills necessary
to become successful college students and professionals.

We are surprised that Mr. Oppenehimer apparently has so little faith
in the marketplace of ideas that he is unwilling to tolerate the kind
of free-wheeling, unencumbered, and enthusiastic discourse that
competitive debate has always embraced.

Dallas Perkins
Coach of Debate
Harvard College
Cambridge, Mass.

(The letter was also signed by national collegiate debaters Greg
Rosenbaum '74; Jonathan Massey '85, and Rebecca Tushnet '92.)

Here is the article Dallas Perkins comments on.
From http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122420084779742873.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

OCTOBER 17, 2008
For Argument's Sake
By MARK OPPENHEIMER
You're at work, your boss isn't in, and you've watched clips of Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin impressions 10 times already. You need something new. May I recommend the YouTube footage of William Shanahan III dropping his trousers, albeit with his boxer shorts on, to Shanara Rose Reid-Brinkley?

The short Web video of the recently fired debate coach at Fort Hays State University, in Kansas, faux-mooning a University of Pittsburgh professor is spectacular theater. The aging, pony-tailed hippie (Mr. Shanahan) and the angry black woman (Ms. Reid-Brinkley) are facing off over whether Mr. Shanahan's debaters are racist for asking that Ms. Reid-Brinkley be removed from a debate's judging panel. As both drop f-bombs in front of the debaters, you can't help wondering whether conservatives are right about the looniness of campus liberalism.

It used to be that high-school and college debates mirrored, in a salutary way, political debates. In school, young men and women learned to research topics and then debate their rivals, using all the tools of oratory, including sound reasoning and witty flourishes. But scholastic debate today is very different, and its sorry state has consequences for the health of the republic.

Most debate coaches are not mooners like Mr. Shanahan (who actually has a strong reputation), but they are often far worse in important ways. Scholastic debaters no longer aspire to combine erudition and inspiration. And neither do presidential candidates, nowadays. Debate in schools has been undermined from within and without.

The attack from within is the sadder story. As the Chronicle of Higher Education and others have reported, some college debaters now practice "postmodern debate," in which they argue theoretical questions about the process of debate rather than the topic at hand. In a match this year between New York University and Towson State University, the topic was supposed to be agriculture tariffs, but an African-American Towson State debater used the cross-examination of her Asian-American opponent to ask such questions as "Why did you make a conscious decision to read as fast as you did?" and "Do you think that debate is multicultural?" Later in the debate, according to the Chronicle, the Towson State student read diary entries about having experienced racism on the debate circuit. She and her teammate won.

Predictably, debate traditionalists (like me) are upset about this postmodern turn. A commentator on the National Review academic blog said that the trend toward postmodern debate "shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with the increasing politicization of college campuses these days."

But postmodern debate was not invented at the schools where we expect to find postmodern theory. You won't find those debate tactics at Yale, where I once coached, or at New York University. Rather, they have a foothold in the debate world of large state schools and land-grant universities, in part as a response to the competitive policy-debate style that emphasizes insider jargon and super-fast talking.

This debating style began in the 1970s as a populist movement against the more traditional oratory that had always characterized both college debate and political speechifying. Rather than try to win points with wit, allusion or elegant turns of phrase, debaters began loading down their speeches with multiple arguments; the expectation arose that one had to meet all of an opponent's arguments and that to "drop" an argument meant losing the debate. Thus debaters began skipping pleasantries, speaking fast and using ugly shorthand ("D.A." for disadvantage, for example).

One of the great innovators of this style of debate was Laurence Tribe, the Harvard Law professor, who as a younger man taught at Georgetown's debate summer camp. (The Ivy League-educated Mr. Tribe's role in ruining debate is discussed in "The Decline of Debate," a 1988 New Republic article.) But the most enthusiastic converts to the competitive policy style were scrappy workhorses from high schools and lesser colleges who wanted a level playing field. When debate was about majestic oratory, the naturally charming golden boys, or those polished by prep schools, had a distinct advantage; but when debate rounds could be won with technicalities and sheer quantity of argumentation, then industry could carry the day.

And once debate was unmoored from oratory, once its rules ceased to be about genuine persuasion, what was to stop the rules from changing further, in directions postmodern or otherwise? Policy debate is no longer training young men and women for participation in civic discourse. Is it any wonder that coaches, like the de-pantsed Mr. Shanahan, may not feel bound by the rules of that discourse?

Of course, debaters in a previous age were encouraged not only by the norms of their sport but also by the norms of the political world many of them hoped to join. Compared with, say, the Kennedy-Nixon debates, today's presidential debates are a travesty. After the last debate, on Wednesday, what voters will remember most is not any eloquent articulations of the candidates' aspirations, but rather their tiresome efforts to pander to Joe the Plumber. And last week, we witnessed the extraordinary spectacle of candidates agreeing not to address each other directly. Tom Brokaw tried to stop Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama when they began actually debating!

Debate at the presidential level, then, is canned and inert. At the scholastic and collegiate levels it is often filled with jargon and speed-talking. Who can blame some kids for going postmodern? When the Towson State student asked her opponent why she had chosen to talk so fast, she was pointing to a real problem, one which Demosthenes, Abraham Lincoln and William F. Buckley would have recognized.

But it's too bad that her solution is to question the premises of debate; there are other options. The National Forensic League recently introduced an event at its tournaments in which debaters can be penalized for fast-talking and jargon, and it was instantly popular. The New England boarding schools practice parliamentary debate, with the Brits' more oratorical style as a model. The Ivy League tries to practice parliamentary debate, too, although many of its competitors have bad policy-debate habits picked up in high school.

It's unlikely that debate will fully recover. Oratory is too battered -- in the schools by a misplaced egalitarianism, in national politics by an anti-intellectual populism. It's a shame. Crowds thrill to Barack Obama's words, as they once thrilled to Ronald Reagan's. That both men could be attacked as "mere" orators, as if words did not convey ideas, and as if ideas could not change the world, reflects a cynical side of America. As we debaters would say, Be it resolved: In the battle for good debate, the lesser angels of our nature are winning.

Mr. Oppenheimer is the editor of New Haven Review and the Garis Visiting Fellow in Writing at Wellesley College.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Ghana Junior High Students Debate About Primary Education

From http://www.modernghana.com/newsp/187953/1/pageNum1/junior-high-schools-debate-universal-primary-educa.html

Junior High Schools debate universal primary education

By gna
Education

Some 200 delegates from Junior High Schools, representing all 192 countries in the UN, on Thursday debated how the world can achieve universal primary education at the 8th Model United Nations Conference in Accra.

The delegates debated the topic, "How universal primary education and eradication of poverty can be achieved".

Mr Ernest Gyimah Danquah, Executive Director of Life-Link Friendship Schools” said the programme was to give the platform to the concerned Ghanaian children who wanted their voices to be heard.

"Involving the Ghanaian child in the discussion of global issues, international diplomacy and foreign policy would develop them well as future leaders," he said.

Mr Danquah commenting on the topic for discussion said for the world to raise great future leaders the youth should be encouraged to engage in critical thinking and consensus building to challenge them in sharing their views and opinions.

The delegates were taken through training by professionals, which was to enable them to build their capacity in leadership and development issues.

Abdul Wajid, a delegate for Comoros Island, said "the training has built my self-confidence in relating to people".

Ofeibea Sakyi-Addo, delegate for Zambia, said the training had enhanced her public speaking.

Miss Bernice Yeboah, Director of Programmes of Life-Link, said it was a great opportunity for the youth to challenge themselves across the borders of background, culture and nationality.

She said the winner would get the chance to go to United Nations Headquarters to participate in an international debate with other delegates from all over the world.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

7th National Law School Debate in India

From Jason Jarvis:

Greetings from Bangalore!

I am pleased to report that the 7th National Law School Debate has been a rousing success! The NLS Debates are the largest annual tournament in South Asia. Teams from India, Bangaldesh and Sri Lanka converged on the outskirts of Bangalore at the National Law School of India University campus. NLSIU is the top law school in India and the debate society is the current Asian champion, having placed two teams in the final at North South University in May.

The teams at the NLS Debates were participating in a 3 person, Asian Parliamentary format. 61 teams and 120 adjudicators joined for 4 days of competition and a rousing break night party at a large farm in the Indian countryside.

The highlights of the competition were twofold. First, it is customary at Indian tournaments for judges to give a full oral adjudication at the conclusion of elimination debates (with the exception of the final). This aspect of the tournament is one which worked quite successfully. It guaranteed that the debaters and observers had the opportunity to learn from the adjudicators. It also gave dissenting judges a chance to express the rationale for their decision that provided a more complete perspective on the debate. I think that this is something that international competitions ought to do more regularly.

Second, Bangalore is home to a very modern society, and its location in South India provides a unique cuisine, that is quite reknowned in India. Breakfast (customarily eaten around 10 am) is particularly good. It normally consists of black tea, taken with milk and sugar along with a masala dosa. A dosa is a long, thin pancake that is wrapped around a small helping of curried potatoes and vegetables. Pieces of the pancake are torn off and a small bit of the potatoes is taken and often dipped in a bit of the warm masala curry served with the pancake.

There has been a lot of discussion of the future of South Asian debating. The National University of Juridical Sciences in Delhi has plans to host a tournament in January and there has also been talk of formally establishing a South Asian Championship. Hopefully, the continued efforts of debaters in South Asia will lead to these events. Debate in this region of the world is vibrant and the students are very impressive!
Motions for the NLS Debates:

Round One: The United Nations
- THW reorganize the United Nations into an American style, bicameral legislature.

- THS full membership status for Kosovo in the United Nations.

- THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

Round Two: Fashion and Style

- THBT modeling agencies should be required to provide medical benefits to their employees that cover the cost of treatment for eating disorders.

- THW not allow children to work in the modeling industry.

- THBT government should prohibit national beauty pageants from utilizing minimum height requirements.

Round Three: Elections

- THS a McCain/Palin victory in the US election.

- THW require candidates for national leadership to participate in at least 3 televised debates prior to election day.

- THBT that judges for the highest national court should be popularly elected.

Round Four: Sports

- THW allow the use of performance enhancing drugs in international sporting competitions.

- THBT all future Olympic Games should provide prize money for medalists.

- THW ensure that all transgendered athletes are able to participate in the Olympics as members of their new gender.

Round Five: Law and Economics

- TH rejects the right to strike.

- THBT government should not bailout failing banks.

- THBT that employers have no right to restrict employee conduct outside of working hours.

Round Six: Food

- THBT McDonald' s should sell beef in India.

- THW censor fast food advertising to children.

- THW provide tax breaks to all citizens who follow a balanced, low fat diet.

Elimination Rounds

Octafinals: Non Human Nature

- THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.

- THBT forest conservation policies must respect the rights of indigenous inhabitants.

- THS economic sanctions against any nation that does not act to reduce their carbon emissions.

Quarterfinals: Religion and Politics

- THBT the state should not provide any special benefits to its citizens on the basis of religion.

- THBT political leaders should be prevented from publicly attributing their achievements to God.

- TH prefers theocracy to communism.

Semifinals: Issues in Sexuality

- THBT universities should offer an elective course on effective sexual techniques.

- THS the legalization of homosexuality.

- THW utilize government resources to provide free sterilization procedures to the general public.

Finals: Philosophical Principles

- THBT utilitarianism should not be used to justify human rights violations.

- THBT, in the future, human clones should not be granted rights equal to humans.

- THBT laws punishing crimes against humanity should be applied retro-actively.

--
Jason Jarvis

Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management
http://www.kdischool.ac.kr/

Director, Asian Debate Institute
http://asiandebateinstitute.com

Saturday, November 1, 2008

NY State NFL Disrict Gives Up on National Forensic League

Jim Menick, creator of this blog, is the debate coach at Hendrick Hudson High School and an editor at Reader's Digest Select Editions. You may complain directly to jim_menick@yahoo.com.

From http://coachean.blogspot.com/2008/10/au-revoir-nfl.html

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2008
Au revoir, NFL
To elaborate, this is the letter I recently sent to NFL:

I gather we are once again in red status, and once again we can only qualify one person per category at our district tournament this year.

You well know the history of us and our issues, as I have written to you about them and talked to you about them, as have most of the rest of our committee. We are a small but active district with dedicated coaches working week after week to offer tournaments where students can compete. Charlie Sloat manages our CFL, and I manage the Mid-Hudson League, which together offer our students a regular total package of forensic opportunities, not to mention the invitational tournaments our committee direct and run week after week throughout the northeast. Our coaches are national leaders in the activity: you yourself turn to us often to provide service to the NFL, which we grant gladly and enthusiastically. Our students are among the top in the nation, by any measure. But we are in a bind vis-à-vis the NFL, and there are hard realities that we are unable to overcome. And they are realities that remain true year after year.

As I’m sure you are aware, like many states New York is cutting back on education spending. We will be lucky to keep the programs we have, much less adding new programs; the possibility of recruiting a retired coach ambassador would have no effect on the this situation, even if we had someone available to take on that position. And those occasional new programs that do come along do so on a shoestring. That shoestring of a few hundred dollars gets them into weekly or biweekly CFL or MHL events that we already run; the additional expense of another few hundred dollars simply to be members of the NFL is out of the question. Money is tight, and all the good intentions of the NFL aside—as you’ve outlined them to me to outline to others—simply don’t warrant the expenditure of money that isn’t there. I can’t convince schools to spend money they don’t have for intangible benefits. Additionally, every year national finals are during either our state-mandated regents’ exams or during graduation. It is quite an obstacle for the schools that do attend nationals to make it there; for many of us, going to nationals isn’t even an option.

By hook or by crook you have helped us once overcome the red status, and we appreciate that, but we’re back. And we’re frustrated. By limiting the number of qualifiers we could send to nationals, a school that can indeed field a large entry, like Scarsdale or Iona, faces the fact that their kids are suffering because of their inescapable geography. Because we’re never going to escape those hard realities of our region, both in the number of programs and the timing of nationals even absent the underlying financial issues, we will be in the red either all or most of the time, and as a committee we face the continual frustration of being able to do nothing about it, and—bottom line—the people who will suffer are the kids who work hard and can’t qualify for slots that don’t exist, while half an hour away, in the NYC district, slots remain available that are out of their reach. In other words, not only can most of us not go to nationals because of timing and money, but now we add an extra limitation on those who can go to nationals. We understand that your goal with the district is to increase participation but you are paradoxically shutting us out.

The only reason I do what I do is, honestly, to support my friends and colleagues in the region. By maintaining this district, instead I am hurting them. The district committee has met and agrees unanimously that we no longer wish to fight the endless fight to secure slots, wondering year after year where we stand, in a cycle that is unbreakable. We know the realities of our district. And, I think, Ripon also knows these realities. We, the committee, would hope that, once and for all, we would gain some permanent relief that would not have to be contended year after year, to be allowed to send students to nationals according simply to the number of entries we have in a given category at our district tournament. We request that whatever body is empowered to do so—presumably the executive committee—make a swift determination on this issue. And I apologize for perhaps not going about this in a prescribed, constitutional fashion, but I think we’re just tuckered out. Otherwise, the committee agrees that it would be to the benefit of our students not to continue to maintain this region as a district, and hence, we will resign from the district committee. Again, this may not fit the constitutional picture, but we are willing to accept whatever official consequences might ensue. I don’t mean this as a threat or a challenge, but merely the sad truth. We all work hard week after week to achieve all the goals that the NFL stands for. At the point where our hard work is not achieving those goals—in fact, undermining those goals—we are better off concentrating our efforts elsewhere.

Again, we appreciate what you’ve done for us in the past. I would prefer that we could continue to move forward, but as I say, we’ve really come to the end of our rope.

Thanks.

---

As I've said, we've been here before, and I've discussed this before in this blog. And this was Scott Wunn's response:

I sent your petition on behalf of the NY State District to the NFL Board of Directors to be exempted from RED Status.

The Board of Directors has denied this request on a unanimous vote.

The Board and I feel that there are several ways in which the NY State District could have and can take necessary action to avoid the RED status limit of one entry per event.

1. The current schools in the NY State District could have increased new membership and degrees in the NFL by 15% to avoid penalty.
2. The District had 16 paid chapters in the NFL and had the opportunity to maintain that number in 2007-2008.
3. The current schools in the NY State District could have maximized their allotted entry capacities to meet the 700 entry requirement over 3 years.

Finally, the District could have figured out a way to utilize the Give Them a Voice Grants option to avoid RED status.

As was the case in 2006, I and my staff are happy to work with you and your committee to figure out ways that you can work toward meeting the above requirements. However, it appears from your statements in the petition that you just don't feel that any of these requirements can be met.

The Board has decided that these requirements must be upheld in the case of NY State.

---

I could go on answering these points forever, but I'm just plain tired of it. I became chair a while back pretty much by accident, because one coach with a lot of voting power didn't really understand the system and thought I could improve things. I didn't. And I couldn't get blood from the turnips in our district and create more schools where they don't exist. At our largest point we were, essentially, blackmailing schools to join up and come to districts so that the interested schools could participate. Those schools no longer have the money or the interest to keep up the facade that we are larger than we are. I have limited time to spend on forensics, and I'd rather spend it where it's fruitful, on the MHL and working in tab rooms and coaching my own team and, shortly, reviving the Modest Novice and things like that. Meeting Ripon's requirements for a district in which I and my team do not meaningfully participate, much less all the work of running the district tournament, takes away from the more profitable use of my time.

I have put the fork in myself, in other words, and determined that I am done.

Ethos Publications Appeal to Christian Debaters

From http://ethosdebate.com/index.php?page=About

About Ethos
Ethos Debate Publications is the new and improved name of what started out as a sourcebook project called Purple Killer Bunnies-or just PKB.

Despite some ferocious purple bunny pictures and two years of fun explaining that name, we decided to broaden our horizons as a company and pursue more than just a policy sourcebook. Some people also thought it was embarrassing to say our name...

Ethos Debate Publication's mission is to help educate the future generations of Christian thinkers, focusing on the areas of cognitive thought and communication. We will seek to perform this mission with the Grace of God, and through publication of helpful resources to parents, coaches, and students.

Ethos Debate frequently uses accomplished guest writers, such as Rachel Blum (1st place LD 2004, 2nd place TP 2006) and Tim Edelblut (6 th place TP 2007), who help by bringing more expert hands to the work. Our focus in using guest writers is to find those who are noted for their researching ability.

Formerly of the coach/student relationship, now Best friends and co-laborers in various forms of high school and college debate, Lisa Alexander and Isaiah McPeak are the founders and primary authors at Ethos Publications.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Friday, November 21, 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Friday, November 14, 2008

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Monday, November 10, 2008

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Friday, November 7, 2008

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Monday, November 3, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Saturday, November 1, 2008

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