Global Debate

Sciences Po IV 2012: 13-14 April

2012-02-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Sciences Po IV 2012: 13-14 April!

Sciences Po IV is back and MUCH BIGGER and BETTER!

Sciences Po Paris (Le Havre Campus) presents the Fourth Sciences Po IV, promising you two days of great debates and great fun AND a BRILLIANT CA team!

CA Team:
Jack Watson
Isabelle Fischer
Niall Sherry
Anne Valkering

About the IV:
• 7 minute speeches
• 5 preliminary rounds
• Separate ESL breaks to semis
• Open breaks to semis
• All meals provided
• Wine and Cheese!
• Two socials
• Yakka!

Registration:
The registration fee is 25 euros/person (two teams per university ONLY)
Cap - 48 teams, so secure your spot NOW before they are filled!
Adjudicator: n-1 rule applies. Fees does not apply.
Crash is guaranteed for both, Debaters and Adjudicators.
*Please Register at the following link:
Registration will be open till 15th March.
*Pre-payment is required to guarantee a spot. Please send your receipt after the bank transfer to scpoiv@gmail.com.
Refer to our website for more details.

Schedule:

Friday 13th April 2012

12:00 – 14:00 Registration and briefing
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:15 – 16:15 Debate: Round 1
16:15 – 16:30 Break
16:30 – 18:30 Round 2
18:30 – 18:45 Break
18:45 – 20:45 Round 3
21:00 – 22:00 Dinner
23:00: Social

Saturday 14th April 2012

10:00 – 12:00 Round 4
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 15:00 Round 5
15:00 – 15:15 Break
15:30 – 17:30 Semi-Finals
17:30 – 18:00 Snacks
18:00 – 20:00 Final
22:30 – 23:00 Awards, dinner and closing ceremony
23:30: Social

How to get to Le Havre:

Train:
When you reach Paris, travel to Gare St. Lazare and take the train to Le Havre (a 2-hours ride).

Ferry:
Take a ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre (8 hours)

Please let us know when you arrive at the station or the port, so we can pick you up!

Contact Numbers:
+33646887658 - Kunal
+33762459188 - Mane
+33659493928 - Victor
+33603511335 - Zhen Jie

For more information, please refer to:
Website: www.sciencespoiv2012.webs.com
Email: scpoiv@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/326177244059058/
_________

Thanks,
Kunal Sehgal

Belgrade Euros 2012 Registration Details

2012-02-02T08:06:00.002-05:00

Dear debaters of Europe,

The moment that you've been waiting for is almost here. Registration for all institutions that wish to participate in Belgrade EUDC 2012 will open on Wednesday, February 29, at 12:00 CET (Central European time). That is 11:00 London/Dublin/Lisbon, 12:00 Belgrade/Paris/Amsterdam/Berlin, 13:00 Athens/Ankara/Tallinn and 14:00 Moscow/Doha time.

Every institution will be able to register a maximum of 3 teams and, as with previous Championships, this phase operates on a first come first serve basis with one team slot reserved per country. We will maintain our team cap of 220, as announced in the bidding process. Registration will be done on an n-1 basis (so institutions will be able to register 1 team and 0 judges, 2 teams and 1 judge or 3 teams and 2 judges).

During the first phase of registration we will be asking you for your institution name, country, delegate representative name, contact e-mail and number of teams and judges that you are registering.

The registration process for independent adjudicators will open on Wednesday, March 7. Further details about this process, including information on how to apply for adjudicator subsidies, will be released on March 1.

As for the rest of the registration process, all successfully registered institutions will have to pay a non-refundable deposit of €65 per participant by March 23. Full payment of the resulting balance is due by April 23. We will be asking all successfully registered institutions to provide us with their final delegate details by May 15.

Watch our website at www.eudc2012.org for a full registration guide, including screenshots of the registration forms, to be released February 23. You can contact registration@eudc2012.org if you have any questions regarding the process.

In the meantime - keep your fingers in shape ;)

On behalf of the Belgrade EUDC 2012 Organizing Committee,

Selena Torlakovic and Marija Simic
Registration Officers

Bratislava Schools Debating Competition 2012

2012-02-01T13:51:00.003-05:00

Dear debating community,

Slovak Debate Association is glad to officially invite you to second edition of Bratislava Schools Debating Competition 2012 which will be held in April in Slovakia's capital city Bratislava. Since the invitation was published just before WSDC South Africa, we have decided to postpone deadline for registration to 29th February 2012. Although we would like to kindly ask you to register as soon as possible. You can find more information at bsdc.sda.sk .

If you have any questions, contact us at bsdc@sda.sk

Hope to see you in April!

Zuzana Vargová

Chief Organizer

Slovak Debate Association

tel SK: +421 907 471 738

tel CZ: +420 608 632 047

vargova@sda.sk

Urban Debate News Winter 2012

2012-02-01T13:45:00.001-05:00

National Association for Urban Debate Leagues

Urban Debate News

Winter 2012

Urban debate is growing! This year our urban debate leagues are reporting record-breaking participation at their tournaments. Congratulations to the leagues in Boston, Dallas, and Nashville. In the last few months, these leagues have added more than 250 high school students to the urban debate network. Today, 3,000 high school students compete in urban debate leagues in nineteen cities. Our leagues are also teaching debate to more than 900 middle school students. You can read more about our leagues and their work in "Around the Leagues."

Here at the NAUDL we believe that urban debate must continue to grow. Under our new strategic plan, our goal is, in the next five years, to triple the number of urban debaters. See the summary and link to Preparing Urban Youth to Lead in the 21st Century. We were reminded why urban debate is so important a few months ago when Dr. Briana Mezuk published her newest study. In her first study, published several years ago, Dr. Mezuk found that urban debate leads to higher grades and test scores and better graduation rates. In her second study, published in October, she found that urban debaters outperformed non-debaters, even after controlling for the self-selection bias. See the article "Urban Debaters Better Prepared for College" for a link to the complete study.

Every year we celebrate urban debate in April at our Annual Dinner and National Championship Tournament. The NAUDL staff is busy preparing for the 2012 Urban Debate National Championship weekend in Washington, D.C. April 12-15th. We look forward to hosting urban debate's top debaters and their coaches. We hope you will join us in April in Washington D.C.

In this Issue

2012 Urban Debate National Championship

Preparing Urban Youth to Lead in the 21st Century

Urban Debaters Better Prepared for College than Their Peers

Around the Leagues

Urban Debate in the News

Special Thanks

2012 Urban Debate National Championship

Urban debate champions and coaches, mark your calendars for the 2012 Urban Debate National Championship tournament weekend. This year's tournament will take place April 14-15^th at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The tournament kicks off Thursday, April 12^th, with the NAUDL Annual Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel with keynote speaker Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education and NAUDL award recipient Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Major General, USMC Ret.) and NASA Administrator. Friday morning we present The Great Space Debate at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, a public urban debate featuring two of the nation's top urban debate teams, who will debate the 2012 resolution in front of a distinguished panel of judges. Georgetown University hosts the National Championship tournament which begins at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning, with the final round scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Watch the NAUDL home page for all the latest information for debaters, coaches, league directors, sponsors and guests.

Preparing Urban Youth to Lead in the 21st Century - The NAUDL Strategic Plan

At its fall board meeting, the NAUDL Governing Board approved the 2012-2016 strategic plan. The plan lays out organizational strategies and tactics in support of the NAUDL's single primary goal: to triple the number of students participating in competitive policy debate in urban debate leagues. NAUDL Executive Director Linda Listrom shared details of the plan to a national audience via a webinar on December 1^st. Links to the webinar and supporting materials are available on the NAUDL home page at www. urbandebate.org.

Urban Debaters Better Prepared for College than Their Peers

Urban students who participate in a competitive policy debate program are more likely to graduate from high school and achieve college-readiness benchmarks than their non-debating peers. The findings are featured in the report "Impact of participating in a policy debate program on academic achievement: Evidence from the Chicago Urban Debate League" published in Education Research and Reviews (September 2011).

The study tracked, over a ten-year period, the academic performance of debaters in the Chicago Debate League. Two key findings from the new report show that 90% of the students who debated graduated, as compared to 75% of comparable students and also that participation in debate is associated with an increased likelihood of meeting college-readiness indicators by two metrics: ACT scores and cumulative GPA. Earlier analysis of the study results showed ACT scores were notably higher in English and reading. In this new report, Dr. Mezuk and team show that debaters were more likely to achieve college-readiness benchmarks in all four ACT subject areas: reading, English, math and science - evidence that debate, and the skills it hones, helps students achieve better overall learning outcomes in all subject areas than their non-debating peers.

Around the Leagues

Bay Area

The Bay Area Urban Debate League has launched a public debate program, the Leading with Debate Fellowship (LDF). Every week, LDF members meet and work with BAUDL staff and volunteers on skill-building and deepening knowledge about the political systems around them. By demonstrating their skills in public debates, the LDF hopes to build participation and recruit support for urban debate through increased exposure to local communities and through the media.

Boston

The Boston Debate League continues its strong growth with more than 500 students having debated in at least one tournament in the first half of the 2011-2012 schol year, up from 279 at the same time last year. In its first year, the middle school league averages 22 students per team and has added a JV division. The BDL's Evidence Based Argumentation (EBA) initiative continues to grow and teachers and administrators report that EBA improves academic culture in the school and creates more student-centered classrooms.

Chicago

Top debaters from 12 Chicago high schools competed in the 2011 Performance Trust Public Debates on the U.S. Economy on December 9th and 10th, 2011. The tournament, co-sponsored by Performance Trust Capital Partners and Attucks Asset Management, featured round-robin debates on two resolutions: (1) the United States is now on an irreversible course of long-term economic decline; and (2) the United States federal government should invest substantial spending in a new stimulus program. The top two teams squared off in the Championship Debate, while third and fourth place were determined through the Runner-up Debate.

Dallas

With 100% of Dallas Urban Debate Alliance (UDA) seniors graduating and going to college last school year, the Dallas Independent School District asked the Dallas UDA to expand their program to reach more students. With its high school expansion and new robust middle school league, the Dallas UDA has nearly tripled the number of schools with active debate teams. Only half way through the season, there are already nearly triple the number of students participating in urban debate in Dallas.

Dean Catherine E. Smith talks with Denver Urban Debaters at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2011

Denver

Fifty Denver Urban Debate League juniors and seniors participated in the second annual Upperclassman Reception at DU Sturm College of Law on January 17, 2012. The capstone event was a lecture with famed civil rights attorney Morris Dees. The students met with college debate coaches and undergraduate admissions representatives and were able to participate in law classes alongside first year law students.

Manual High School senior and urban debater Teague Harrison was awarded a $10,000 Student of Integrity scholarship from the Denver Better Business Bureau.

Houston

A report published by the Houston Independent School District's Department of Research and Accountability shows that Houston Urban Debate League programming increases students' grades in core courses and improves attendance rates while decreasing incidents of discipline problems. This report demonstrates that at-risk students, those served by HUDL, gain significant academic and socio-emotional benefits from participating in debate. This report confirms what debate supporters have known all along: debate changes students' lives. The Houston League also has a 99.6% graduation rate, demonstrating the important value that debate brings to students.

Nashville

In its second year of programming, Nashville Debate has hosted four tournaments during the Fall semester, including a season-opener in August that had as many participants as competed during the entire 2010-2011 school year! Nashville Debate also has an active group of volunteers who work with the program. Participating students are coached and judged by top attorneys, business people and educators in Nashville. Debaters and coaches benefit from the expertise provided by former debaters. These individuals serve as mentors to the growing ranks of new judges, supporting them as they navigate the world of policy debate.

New York

Metropolitan Corporate Academy seniors Stephon Adams & Devonte Escoffery qualified for the 2011 Tournament of Champions. Seniors Damiyr Davis and Miguel Feliciano (Beacon School) also qualified for the Tournament and were the top seed after preliminary rounds (undefeated at 7-0). Davis also became the first African American to win the Top Speaker at the Tournament. Two NYCUDL middle school teams also made history by breaking into quarterfinals at the 2011 National Junior Forensic League Championship and Petergaye Laine of the Bronx School for Law took Third Place Best Speaker in the nation.

Urban Debate in the News

BAUDL 2010 Alum Rashid Campbell

Bay Area Urban Debate League - The Norman Transcript, Urban Experiences Give Debaters Unique Insight - BAUDL alum Rashid Campbell and his Oklahoma University debate partner Dominique Baker discuss their debate experiences and styles and their goal to be the first black team to win the NDT title. Campbell speaks proudly of his time in the BAUDL.

Boston Debate League - Jamaica Plain Patch, You Learn How to Fight with Your Words - Coverage of a Boston Debate League middle school tournament that includes quotes from students as well as volunteer judges, this article shows how urban debate positively impacts the local community in Jamaica Plain.

Detroit Urban Debate League - WXYZ ABC Channel 7, Program Director's Only Birthday Wish is to Help Student Debaters - DUDL Executive Director Holly Reiss spread the news of her birthday wish fundraising campaign with help from the Detroit Channel 7 evening news! The story profiles debaters from the Detroit League and the benefits of debate.

Minnesota Urban Debate League - KARE11, Fast Talkers Rule in High School Debate - Fast talk and the academic benefits of urban debate were highlighted in a recent television news story on the Minnesota Urban Debate League. Exec Director Amy Cram Helwich proudly notes that for the last three years, MUDL debaters achieved a 100% high school graduation rate, and 100% acceptance to college.

Special Thanks to Our Supporters

Jennifer Wade for hosting a reception in her home for NAUDL Executive Director Linda Listrom providing an opportunity to introduce the NAUDL's work.

Jeff Pash for hosting a breakfast in New York for NAUDL Executive Director Linda Listrom to share information about the NAUDL Strategic Plan with supporters and friends.

Matt Nichols and the New York members of the NAUDL's Young Professionals Leadership Board for soliciting support for the New York City Urban Debate League.

We owe our success and achievements to all the generous supporters of urban debate across the country! Thank you!

Debatijada Open 2012 in Mostar in April

2012-02-01T06:53:00.002-05:00

April 26 at 12:00pm until April 28 at 12:00pm

Description

Mostar University Debate Club is proudly inviting you to join "Debatijada Open 2012" and experience unique beauty and soul of Mostar.
7th edition of traditional BP format tournament Debatijada in Mostar will be this year for the first time held in English and open for debaters across the Europe. It is also a great opportunity to prepare and improve your debating skills for upcoming EUDC Belgade 2012!

We proudly announce our adjudicators team:
-Laura Horvat ( WUDC ESL finalist, Belgrade open & Athena finalist)
-Filip Dobranić (WUDC ESL best speaker, WUDC EFL best speaker, EUDC champion)
-Maja Nenadovic (Founder of several debating societies across Europe)
-Crt Podlogar ( Belgrade open 2011 champion, Athens open 2011 & IDAS 2010 finalist. Zagreb Open best speaker)
-Milan Krstanovic (WUDC EFL finalist, Athens 2011 best speaker)
-Nebojsa Kolundzic (WUDC EFL finalist, Split 2009 champion)
-Predrag Petricevic (WUDC EFL finalist, Athens 2009 finalist)
-Giorgi Veselin,
-Damir Barbir

Registration fee is 25 € per person and includes:
- Accommodation with breakfast/two nights - Hotel "Kriva Ćuprija",
- Lunches and dinners,
- Materials and evening events
The tournament will consist out of 4 preliminary rounds, semi-finals and finals which we plan to organize on secret location!

Registration will start on 10th of February and closed on 1st of April. You will be required to fulfill registration form and send it on debatijadaopen@gmail.com. Team cap - 32 teams.

Further detailed information will be announced soon! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us here on FB, or at our e-mail address.
Hope to see you all in our beautiful city of Mostar! We will make sure it will be one of your best experiences ever!

organization team:
-Martina Raguz
-Sanja Zadro
-Marin Vican
-Marko Pandza
-Daniela Maric
-Anita Primorac
-Marko Kovacevic

https://www.facebook.com/events/308300162550864/

Northwestern Tops USA Policy Poll for January

2012-01-31T19:37:00.000-05:00

USA Policy Debate National Top 25 -- as of 1/29

Team (First Place Votes) – Points Per Eligible Ballot (Previous Position)

1. Northwestern BK (19) - 25.00 (1)
2. Loyola EM - 23.44, H/L 23.50 (5)
3. Georgetown AM - 23.44, H/L 23.44 (2)
4. Gonzaga KM - 21.83 (4)
5. Northwestern LV - 20.65 (6)
6. Kansas KK - 19.42 (10)
7. Northwestern BM - 18.28 (8)
8. Oklahoma GL - 17.16 (7)
9. Michigan AL - 16.39 (9)
10. Cal GW - 16.28 (15)
11. Baylor CM - 14.89 (12)
12. Harvard KT - 12.63 (11)
13. Emporia St WW - 12.16 (13)
14. Georgia LL - 11.94 (17)
15. Kansas PW - 8.95 (NR)
16. Samford BL - 8.89 (23)
17. Harvard DT - 7.16 (NR)
18. Wake Forest BC - 6.50 (14)
19. Wake Forest MM - 6.00 (NR)
20. Michigan St HR - 5.67 (NR*)
21. Towson EM - 5.33 (20)
22. Texas Dallas DR - 3.89, H/L 3.64 (19)
23. Georgetown DE - 3.89, H/L 3.52 (NR)
24. Liberty GW - 3.79 (16)
25. Emory CP - 3.37 (NR)

Dropping out: No. 18 Missouri St FR, No. 21 Wake Forest LQ, No. 22 Wichita St BM, No. 24 Dartmouth ER, No. 25 Texas GM.

Also receiving votes: Dartmouth ER, Harvard BS, Mary Washington MM, Missouri St FR, Texas GM, Wake Forest BM, Wake Forest LQ, West Georgia DF, Wichita St BM.

Top Schools (by total points to that school per eligible ballot):

1. Northwestern - 63.93
2. Kansas - 28.37
3. Georgetown - 27.33
4. Loyola - 23.44
5. Gonzaga - 21.83
6. Harvard - 19.95
7. Oklahoma - 17.16
8. Michigan - 16.39
9. Cal - 16.28
10. Baylor - 14.89
11. Wake Forest - 13.35
12. Emporia St - 12.16
13. Georgia - 11.94
14. Samford - 8.89
15. Michigan St - 5.67
16. Towson - 5.33
17. Texas Dallas - 3.89
18. Liberty - 3.79
19. Emory - 3.37
20. Missouri St - 2.68
21. Wichita State - 1.63
22. Texas - 1.05
23. Dartmouth - 0.53
24. West Georgia - 0.17
25. Mary Washington - 0.11

WUDC Berlin Registration Details

2012-01-31T10:34:00.001-05:00

Dear debaters and adjudicators of the world,

The Berlin Debating Union cordially invites you to be part of the
33rd World Universities Debating Championship, held from
December 27th 2012 to January 4th 2013 in Berlin, Germany.

The registration process opens on March 31st 2012; 400 teams á
two speakers as well as 300 adjudicators will be admitted.

Each speaker and adjudicator will be requested to pay a registration
fee of 400.00 EUR and to cover their costs of travel.

To find out more about locations, schedule, registration, payment
etc., visit www.wudcberlin.com.

We are looking forward to welcome you in Berlin.

Registration

Cap: 400 teams and 300 adjudicators; 3 teams per institution; n-1 applies
Registration fees: 400 EUR per participant, 800 EUR per Observer
(Depending on the level of funding it is very likely that the registration fee will be reduced)

It is the policy of the WUDC Berlin 2013 to provide a balance between inclusiveness and competitiveness. The registration process has therefore been slightly modified compared to previous years. It will consist of four phases.

Phase 1: General Registration
Every institution eligible to participate in the WUDC Berlin 2013 will be able to register up to three teams. Registration will open on March 31st 2012 at 3 p.m.Berlin time (GMT+2). Registration closes, exactly one week later, on April 7th. Updates on the registration results will be posted continuously; the institutions that have successfully been allocated slots will be informed of this. Independent judges may register during phase one as well. They will be notified of the success of their applications by April 30th. The further registration phases also apply to independent judges.

The following concrete mode of team slot allocation has been approved by Council.

1) All institutions registering within the first three days will be allocated a first team on a first come, first served basis.

2) Second and third teams will be allocated together, again on a first come, first served basis to the institutions that registered in the first three days.

3) The remaining slots will be allocated in three-slot packages on a first come, first served basis to those institutions that registered after the first three days.

Phase 2: Down Payment
A down payment of 50% will need to be provided by May 22nd 2012. Failure to provide this down payment will result in teams and/or institutions and/or judges losing their slots. Institutions on the waiting list will be notified by May 24th as to whether they have been allocated slots. These institutions will have till May 31st to provide their down payment. Any fees paid during this period will not be refunded.

Phase 3: Full Payment
Institutions will have until September 4th 2012 to pay the remaining balance. Failure to settle the full payment will result in teams, institutions and/or judges losing their slots. Institutions on the waiting list will be notified by September 6th as to whether they have been allocated slots. These institutions will have until September 13th to provide their full payment. Any fees paid during this period will not be refunded.

Phase 4: Provision of Participants’ Details
Institutions, teams and judges will have until October 21st 2012 to provide participants’ details.

© Manuel Adams

Tournament Schedule
Dec 27th Arrivals and Registration Hotel Berlin, Berlin
Dec 28th Briefings; Pre-Council; Masters’ Rounds; Opening Ceremony Technische Universtität (TU)
Dec 29th Preliminary Rounds 1–3; Women’s Forum; Public Speaking TU
WUDC 2014 Night
Dec 30th Preliminary Rounds 4–6; Developing Nations/Equity Forum; Masters’ Rounds TU
Women’s/Diversity Night
Dec 31st Preliminary Rounds 7–9; Public Speaking TU
New Year’s Eve Party/Break Night Hotel
Jan 1st Council and Outings
Jan 2nd
Open Break Octo- and Quarter-Finals;
ESL Quarter- and Semi-Finals;
EFL Semi-Finals;
Public Speaking and Masters’ Final; Comedy Night
Jan 3rd
Open Break Semi-Finals; all Finals
Championship Dinner
Jan 4th Departures

Migrant Students in USA Learn Through Speech & Debate

2012-01-31T06:16:00.000-05:00

The winning middle school debate team from Holtville Unified School District will move on to the state competition. (Courtesy of Sandra Kofford)

Students learn, debate, speak in IVROP Migrant Program tournament

By ELIZABETH VARIN

Imperial Valley Press Staff Writer

12:26 a.m. PST, January 31, 2012

While Kassandra Castro, Eric Romero and Lilian Arellano of Calexico weren’t eager to start research during their Christmas break, the more they learned, the more they got excited to compete against other schools in the Imperial Valley.

They spent weeks prepping their speeches and arguing the point with whomever they could, trying to nail down all components of the arguments. When it came down to the final moments — after arguments were made and speeches given — the group was tense waiting to see if they would be the first place winners.

“They worked hard, and they went out to prove themselves,” said Ashly Reitsma, migrant program debate instructor at Calexico High School. “And now they will at state.”

The group from Calexico will be among the more than a dozen of students from the county who will travel to Sacramento for the state competition after winning Saturday’s Migrant Education Program speech and debate tournament.

The local migrant education program held its third speech and debate tournament, and it’s grown every year since it started, said Sandra Kofford, Migrant Education Program Region 6 director. First place winners from Imperial County will head to the state competition May 4 through 6 in Sacramento.

The tournament is a way to teach the basics of speech and communication to the students, many of whom were taught English as a second language, she said.

“We are teaching them English in a fun way,” she said.

The students aren’t the only ones who dedicated their time to the competition, she said. It’s inspiring to see so many community members coming out to support the students.

In total this year, there were 54 community members that served as judges from 7:30 a.m. to about 1 p.m., she said.

“It’s really amazing to see these people supporting our neediest kids,” she said.

The community leaders weren’t the only ones supporting the students, as coaches and teachers worked for weeks and months to prepare their students.

It’s been a rewarding experience, said Rene Agundez, English teacher at Central Union High School and migrant speech coach. The students are “hungry for improvement,” he said.

“I think it offers them a sense of how the written word and the spoken word can really take them places,” he said. “It gives them self-confidence. It’s not easy to get up and speak.”

Gissel Aguirre was nervous the first time she gave her speech. However, the 17-year-old Central Union High School senior soon got over that for the next two speeches.

She was a little disappointed she didn’t win first. Gissel said she did pretty well, taking second place in both extemporaneous and prepared speech. And it was a good experience.

“It’s really cool,” she said. “I had a lot of fun, and I like competing.”

While Gissel is happy with the experience she got, others are preparing for another competition in a few months.

The Calexico High School debate team is planning on continuing the work they’ve already done, memorizing their opening and closing arguments and continuing to study their points.

One thing the group definitely has down is teamwork, as they talked Monday afternoon, joking around about prom and future debates. The team is all about supporting each other now.

“What we learned the most is to work together,” Eric said. “We were complete strangers before this.”

The debates are good life lessons for the three for different reasons. Kassandra wants to be a lawyer, so arguing what she thinks is right helps with that. Eric sees the public speaking as an opportunity to practice talking in front of a crowd, as he wants to be a film director and teach.

For Lilian, who wants to be a dentist, there won’t be a direct benefit from debating. However, the others joked with her that she can always argue that point now with the training she’s getting.

Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.

By the numbers
90 students competed in 2010
120 students competed in 2011
164 students competed in 2012

Breakout
Winners at the Imperial County Office of Education-Migrant Education Program regional speech and debate tournament

Fourth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Erica Soberanes, Meadows Union Elementary School District
Second place Ricardo Mendes, Holtville Unified School District
Third place Abril Padilla, Holtville Unified School District

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Erica Soberanes, Meadows Union Elementary School District
Second place Ricardo Mendes, Holtville Unified School District
Third place Abril Padilla, Holtville Unified School District

Fifth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Montserrat Gonzales, Holtville Unified School District
Second place Rosalva Cano, Meadows Union Elementary School District
Third place Isabel Cuevas, Meadows Union Elementary School District

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Kendra Barrera, Imperial Unified School District
Second place Montserrat Gonzales, Holtville Unified School District
Third place Julian Puentes, Calipatria Unified School District

Sixth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Sujey Ocegueda, Meadows Union Elementary School District
Second place Marisol Chaing, Heber Elementary School District
Third place Eric Becerra, Meadows Union Elementary School District

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Cecilia Aguilera, Brawley Elementary School District
Second place Montserrat Gonzales, Meadows Union Elementary School District
Third place Stephanie Valencia, Calipatria Unified School District

Seventh-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Priscilla Leyva, Heber Elementary School District
Second place Anthony Brambila, Westmorland Union Elementary School District
Third place Yulissa Ochoa, El Centro Elementary School District

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Priscilla Leyva, Heber Elementary School District
Second place Anthony Brambila, Westmorland Union Elementary School District
Third place Yulissa Ochoa, El Centro Elementary School District

Eighth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Sydney Savannah Anguiano, Heber Elementary School District
Second place Selene Almaguer-Morales, San Pasqual Valley Unified School District
Third place Delia Raygoza, Heber Elementary School District

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Delia Raygoza, Heber Elementary School District
Second place Savannah Anguiano, Heber Elementary School District
Third place Ricardo Leal, El Centro Elementary School District

Ninth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Claudia Joselyn Rodriguez, Southwest High School

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Claudia Joselyn Rodriguez, Southwest High School

Tenth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Rubi Ledezma, Imperial High School
Second place Hector Mendoza, Calipatria High School

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Hector Mendoza, Calipatria High School
Second place Rubi Ledezma, Imperial High School

Eleventh-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Dharla Torres, Central Union High School
Second place Cesar Barreras, Imperial High School
Third place Reynalda Quintero, Calipatria High School

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Dharla Torres, Central Union High School
Second place Cesar Barreras, Imperial High School
Third place Jane Silva, Calipatria High School

Twelfth-grade students

Prepared speech winners
First place Victor Peralta, Holtville High School
Second place Gissel Aguirre, Central Union High School
Third place Leslie Fonseca, Southwest High School

Extemporaneous speech winners
First place Victor Peralta, Holtville High School
Second place Gissel Aguirre, Central Union High School
Third place Adrian Acosta, Southwest High School

Debate

Middle School
First place Holtville Unified School District
Second place Heber Elementary School District
Third place Calexico Unified School District

High school
First place Calexico High School Team A
Second place Holtville High School Team B
Third place Central Union High School Team B

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/ivp-news-students-learn-debate-speak-in-ivrop-migrant-program-tournament-20120131,0,5004669,full.story

Loyola Marymount is Tops in USA Parliamentary & Policy Debate

2012-01-30T07:30:00.003-05:00

University’s debate team continues success

Posted: Monday, January 30, 2012 1:00 am | Updated: 11:25 pm, Sun Jan 29, 2012.
Posted on January 30, 2012
by Zaneta Pereira

Over 3,000 miles separated them, but on the weekend of Jan. 20 to 23, two of LMU's debate teams competed simultaneously in tournaments at Dartmouth College and Stanford University, achieving what LMU debater, philosophy graduate student and part-time faculty member James Kilcup describes as "eerily similar results."

Along with his partner, LMU alumnus Bobby Cashen, Kilcup competed in the American Parliamentary Debate Association (A.P.D.A.) format at the Stanford tournament. Out of the 100 plus speakers present at the tournament, Kilcup was ranked third and Cashen fourth. Overall, Kilcup and Cashen placed second, losing in the final round on a 6-3 decision to a team from Yale University.

Meanwhile, the LMU team of senior philosophy major James Mollison and senior communication studies major Jack Ewing competed at the Dartmouth Round Robin which featured the top six National Debate Tournament (N.D.T.) teams in the nation as well as a top 25 team from host Dartmouth. Mollison and Ewing finished in second place behind a team from Northwestern University, the top-ranked team in the nation going into the tournament. Mollison was ranked third and Ewing finished as the fourth speaker in the tournament making LMU the only school with two of the top four speakers at the tournament.

When questioned on the coincidental results, Ewing demurred, stating, "I don't assume to be able to speak about cosmic connections between debate teams."

Coincidences aside, it is undeniable that the LMU Debate Team has gone from strength to strength. With 31 wins out of 35 rounds, Ewing and Mollison have the best record in the nation for the N.D.T. format, according to Debateresults.com. Additionally, according to Dr. Jay Busse, LMU director of debate and associate professor of communication studies, Mollison and Ewing are ranked as the number two or three team in the N.D.T. format in the country.

Busse was also keen to highlight some "very creative things" the debate team is doing, pointing to an incident at a major national invitational N.D.T. competition at CSU Fullerton where Mollison and Ewing debated the number one team in the country - the Northwestern University team they lost to at Dartmouth. In fact, of Mollison and Ewing's four losses, two of them have been to this team, although they have defeated them twice as well. The Fullerton competition was one of those victories, with Mollison and Ewing choosing to allow their opponents to pick the side they debated on in return for proceeding at a "conversational pace," according to Busse. The gamble paid off, and they won the debate 3-0.

Similarly, Kilcup detailed one of the A.P.D.A. format debates he and Cashen had against a team from Yale University where the Yale team, debating as the government, choose to debate on the subject of debt breaks. According to Kilcup, the Yale team's argument, "was basically an obvious thing that anyone would do - when you have lots of money you should put some away and save it so that when you don't have money you can spend it. So we called it out ... and we told the judges that they should just vote against them [Yale] to punish this kind of behavior [because] if you reward them then you're going to get more and more cases like this that nobody wants to listen to, that are chosen strategically." Noting that Cashen and he had competed in only two or three A.P.D.A. tournaments in their careers, compared to the 20 or so the Yale team had attended this year alone, Kilcup acknowledged that it was, "kind of a David and Goliath situation. ... My expectation was that ... [we'll have] a good time, we're going to lose, but the judges voted 5-0 for us."

For Busse, the LMU Debate Team's successes have come a long way to raising the profile of LMU as an academically rigorous institution, stating that, "I would often like to be a fly on the wall when the coach from Harvard or Yale has to go back and say, ‘We lost to LMU.' Whereas for us, we can say that we defeated Harvard or Dartmouth."

Kilcup concurs, noting the "well-rounded" nature of Jesuit education as a key contributor to the debaters' successes and adding that,"[Debate] is one good reason that students should be excited to ask more of themselves, faculty should be excited to ask more of them, because there's a lot of untapped potential, and it's cool that debate can be a kind of signal, or symbol of that fact."

http://www.laloyolan.com/news/campus_news/university-s-debate-team-continues-success/article_3de8cede-4b03-11e1-8735-0019bb30f31a.html

Real Debaters Would Trounce Politicians - North Americans Tournament

2012-01-30T07:07:00.001-05:00

Carleton University's Simon Cameron, left, and Romeo Maione celebrate winning the championship at the North American Debating Championships, held at Hart House at the University of Toronto. STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Debate teams trounce the politicians
Published On Sun Jan 29 2012

Memo to Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney: These are debates you really don’t want to enter.

You’d get crushed.

“A lot of us would kill Newt,” said Romeo Maione, a fourth-year political science student at Carleton University.

Nor would the subject up for debate make any difference in the outcome. “With great ease would I argue for a moon base,” he added.

• PHOTOS: North American Debate Championships

Maione has reason to boast. He and Carleton University teammate Simon Cameron came out on top Sunday at the North American Debating Championship held at Hart House, University of Toronto.

The competition, which started Friday, began with 64 teams from universities across Canada and the United States.

And the reason most politicians would fare poorly is that both their style of argument and their aims are so different from what was on display among the students over the weekend.

“They’re not interested in winning the argument,” said Sam Greene, a U of T student and one of the organizers. “They’re interested in sound bites that will be talking points.”

Gingrich, for instance, recently avoided queries about the serial nature of his marital infidelities by simply expressing outrage that the question would even be posed. He wouldn’t get away with that during a university debate.

“You can’t not answer the question,” said Richard Lizius, a debate judge and U of T law student. “Nobody can lie or manipulate facts.”

The rules of debate are strict in other ways, as well.

At this competition, the contestants were slowly whittled down through a long series of debates, culminating in Sunday’s final pitting Carleton (which had vanquished Yale University in the semi-finals) against McGill University (winners against Princeton University).

In each debate, there is only one resolution at play, and the weekend’s topics ranged from the abolition of the euro to immortality.

But competitors learn what the topic will be only 15 minutes before the debate begins. Each team then starts with a six-minute overview of their argument for or against a certain proposition.

The winning team from Carleton, for instance, successfully argued in favour of a mock resolution that fathers be given preference in child-custody cases.

“The debates don’t rely on specialized knowledge,” said Steven Penner, a judge and former champion debater. “It’s an exercise in logical thinking and persuasive speaking.”

But not all arguments are alike.

Among judges and veteran debaters, there’s a general consensus that different countries favour different styles of debate in such competitions. American teams tend to be very content-driven, while British and Irish squads rely more heavily on rhetoric and humour.

Canadians, by contrast, seem to come down the middle of that divide, offering a little something for everyone. This may help explain why Canadian teams have historically done so well in debating tournaments.

Since the current rendition of the North American championship was inaugurated in 1992, Canadian teams have come out on top 12 times, versus nine for the Americans.

The University of Toronto has the most titles, with five, but as hosts didn’t field any teams this year. Yale University sits in second with four wins, followed by McGill University with two.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1123349--debate-teams-trounce-the-politicians

Kansas City Remembers Slain Debater Déja Davis

2012-01-29T05:55:00.002-05:00

In the hospitality room at a debate tournament at Ruskin High School on Saturday, Jayson Manuel of Kansas City gave Stephanie Davis, mother of murdered Ruskin debater Déja Davis, a hug.

Ruskin debaters pay tribute to slain teammate
Posted on Sat, Jan. 28, 2012 10:22 PM

BY MIKE HENDRICKS
The Kansas City Star

Deja's Donations for slain debate student Deja Davis

Ruskin debaters pay tribute to slain teammate
Ruskin’s debate team remembers Deja Davis’ ‘open and giving heart’

Déja Davis loved to talk. Oh, my, how she would talk and talk and ...

“She could talk a lot — she was very talkative,” her friend Nichelle Jones said with one of those big smiles and shake of the head that said she was in no way exaggerating.

And argue?

That was one of Déja’s fortés, as well, and not just in competition as a member of the Ruskin High School debate team.

“She loved to argue, period!” teammate Jasmine Bolton said.

Though a novice on the Golden Eagle squad in this, her junior year, 16-year-old Déja was on her way to becoming a fine debater, Bolton said, until that argumentative voice of hers was silenced by a bullet on Thanksgiving.

Déja and her godmother, 53-year-old Loretta Petty, were shot to death at Petty’s home in the 6600 block of Bellefontaine Avenue that night. The shooter, the older woman’s husband, Jerry Petty, was later shot and killed after turning his gun on police.

Déja’s death saddened the entire Ruskin community, but it was especially hard on the debate team. Debaters spend so many hours together, including nights and weekend, that teammates become like family, Ruskin debate coach Paul Hackenberger said.

On Saturday that family came together to honor the memory of their sister, the feisty and funny young woman whose mom always called her Dé-Dé (pronounced day-day).

“It’s been a little over 60 days, so it’s still hard,” Déja’s mother, Stephanie Davis, said as she waited for that night’s award ceremony.

The second annual Golden Eagle Speech and Debate Tournament was this weekend at Ruskin. The competition drew 14 metro-area high schools and 400 debaters.

As host, Ruskin sat out. Blue Springs South scored the most points, followed by Blue Springs High and Liberty High School.

It was raucous at times as trophies were handed out. But the loudest applause was when Déja’s mother climbed the stage.

Participants in the competition had been asked to donate coats, warm clothing and cash to benefit the Community Assistance Council and Wayside Waifs.

Déja’s Donations, the charity drive was called, and Ruskin debaters plan on doing it again next year.

“She was a bright, intelligent young lady,” Hackenberger said and, turning to a sobbing Stephanie Davis, he said: “You will always be a part of our family.”

And Ruskin debaters will always be part of hers, she told Nichelle and D’Auna Edwards, who fussed over her all night.

“I’ll be back for graduation,” she told them.

The Class of 2013 has one fewer member, but Stephanie Davis promises that her daughter will be there in spirit all the same.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/28/3397477/ruskin-debaters-pay-tribute-to.html#storylink=cpy

Romney Resurgence Credited to New Debate Coach, Ex-Liberty University Mentor

2012-01-29T05:47:00.002-05:00

See video at http://www.wset.com/story/16619489/romneys-new-debate-coach?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6682905

Romney's New Debate Coach Worked at Liberty University
Posted: Jan 27, 2012 5:14 PM EST

Newt Gingrich's momentum has been fading in Florida, and Mitt Romney is pulling out all the stops to make sure it Armed with sharper words and helped by a new debate coach, Romney was able to blunt Gingrich's attacks in the last debate before Tuesday's Florida primary.

Romney is also getting help from the most recent Republican presidential nominee. Sen. John McCain blasted Gingrich's proposal to put an American base on the moon.

"I think we ought to send Newt Gingrich to the moon and Mitt Romney to the White House . What do you think about that," said McCain.

The efforts of Romney and his surrogates appear to be working because earlier this week, Gingrich and Romney were in a dead heat. But some polls now have Romney opening up a lead, and many say the reason for that lead is Romney's new debate coach.

Brett O'Donnell is a former Liberty University debate coach and joined Romney's campaign less than a week ago. Now he's in Jacksonville, Florida working closely with the campaign.

Romney's newest addition to his team is no stranger to politics. O'Donnell has coached four presidential candidates, including Romney.

"Governor Romney's a very good candidate so it was just a matter of talking through strategy," said O'Donnell.

Romney's campaign team called O'Donnell last Saturday night.

"Hopped on a plane on Sunday down to Tampa and got to work Monday morning," said O'Donnell.

And after Thursday night's debate, the pundits have been talking about the big change they saw in Romney's performance.

"Candidates tend to underestimate the amount of preparation necessary to actually execute a debate," said O'Donnell.

Liberty University won its first national championship under O'Donnell's leadership. In his 18 years at LU, O'Donnell's teams won 18 national titles, and the debate center was named in his honor in 2008.

"The reason for that is because of the impact he had in making debate available," said Michael Hall , director of LU debate.

"My work at Liberty absolutely prepared me for what I'm doing right now," said O'Donnell. "Even though the debating styles are different, the methods of preparation are very, very similar."

Romney made a strong turn this week to go after Gingrich and point out the difference between their records.

O'Donnell says he believes Romney is the only candidate who can beat President Obama. He also says Virginia is going to be a key state for Romney in the general election.

Global Debate Times January 28, 2012

2012-01-29T05:18:00.002-05:00

http://paper.li/asnider/1314018022

GLOBAL DEBATE TIMES
Follow the world of international debating in one convenient space. Stories are gathered from Global Debate Blog as well as Debate Video Blog for your enjoyment. This format may be easier for you to deal with than those blogspot blogs, and it happens here automatically.
http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com
http://debatevideoblog/blogspot.com

Also thanks to Colm Flynn, Paul Lau and other debate information champions we link to.
http://worlddebating.blogspot.com

alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Chester Gibson: Debate Coach for Young Gingrich

2012-01-28T08:03:00.002-05:00

( David Goldman / Associated Press ) - In this photo taken, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, Chester Gibson, a former professor who ran one of the nation’s top-ranked competitive debating programs from the middle of rural Georgia, is photographed in Horton’s Bookstore in Carrollton, Ga. As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills. Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but he had flaws. He frowned. He titled his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. His supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems. Gingrich didn’t need to look far to find help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate.

Debate coach honed Gingrich’s public speaking skills when he was a young prof seeking office

By Associated Press, Published: January 27

ATLANTA — As a young college professor running for Congress, Newt Gingrich wanted to sharpen his debating skills.

Admirers say the Republican was always a dynamic speaker, but with flaws. He frowned. He tilted his head oddly and fell back repeatedly on the same words. He went for the rhetorical jugular. Supporters worried that TV cameras magnified those delivery problems.

Gingrich didn’t need to look far for help. In the building next to the one where Gingrich taught history at West Georgia College, professor Chester Gibson coached students whose ranks now include a former Georgia governor, high-powered Atlanta attorneys, judges and preachers. He gave Gingrich free help as a new candidate.

Strong debate performances have kept alive Gingrich’s candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination after a bleak period last summer when his staff quit and his campaign fell into debt. After a commanding performance in a pair of South Carolina debates, Gingrich has not performed as strong lately. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was considerably more aggressive in a Florida debate on Thursday, repeatedly putting Gingrich on the defensive.

Now retired, Gibson said he still sees Gingrich’s old habits — good and bad — in the presidential debates.

“Gingrich is clearly the best debater in the final four,” said Gibson, who communicates by email because doctors removed his voice box in 2010 during cancer treatment. “No contest. A Gingrich-Obama debate would be one of the great moments in American political history.”

The pair met in 1970 when they started teaching at West Georgia College, now called the University of West Georgia. Gibson coached Gingrich before his first unsuccessful run for the House in 1974 and kept working with him until Gingrich won four years later. Gibson said the coaching continued into Gingrich’s early years in office. A Gingrich spokesman did not respond to requests for information for this report.

Gibson, 70, said Gingrich’s problem was delivery, not substance.

“He was poised, confident, quick on his feet and well versed in both U.S. and world history,” Gibson said. “He read everything that he could get his hands on. His greatest asset was his incredible memory.”

In their coaching sessions, Gibson said he filmed Gingrich speaking so he could see his mistakes. The students on Gibson’s debate team — one was Randy Evans, now Gingrich’s longtime attorney — listened and critiqued Gingrich’s speeches. They researched the positions of his political opponents and constructed arguments. Gibson traveled with Gingrich to debates so they could practice in the car.

Gibson pushed his students to win.

“He just worked endlessly and worked us very hard because he was as competitive as all get-out,” said trial lawyer Paul Weathington, one of Gibson’s debaters and a nationally ranked debater in college.

Gibson told Gingrich to work on his body language. When listening intently to another speaker, he tended to frown — a bad habit that Gibson said the Republican candidate has not fully stopped. In fact, Gingrich recently told reporters that his granddaughter told him to smile more and that she counts his grins during debates.

“I am always pleased when I see a grin because I know that he is ready to launch into a great answer to the question,” Gibson said.

Years ago, Gibson encouraged Gingrich to tone down grandiose statements, saying they distract the audience from the message.

Then, as now, Gingrich would occasionally cock his head oddly to the right, Gibson said. When he latched onto a word, he’d use it repeatedly.

“Listen to the number of times that he uses the word ‘frankly,’” Gibson said. “You will lose count.”

Gingrich understands how to exploit TV debates and has avoided any major gaffes, said Mitchell McKinney, a communications professor at the University of Missouri who studies presidential debates. When his campaign was lagging, Gingrich baited the front-runners to engage him during debates, which helped him get airtime. He also picks messages that are sure to be replayed on TV. It adds up to free publicity.

“These moments get captured and played over and over,” McKinney said.

One such moment came last week in the South Carolina. CNN debate moderator John King started the broadcast by asking Gingrich to respond to his second ex-wife’s accusation that he asked her for an open marriage.

“I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office,” said Gingrich, on his way to gaining a standing ovation from the audience. “And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

He won the primary two days later.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/debate-coach-honed-gingrichs-public-speaking-skills-when-he-was-a-young-prof-seeking-office/2012/01/27/gIQANFQTVQ_story.html

USA National Debate Tournament 2012 Invitation

2012-01-27T19:46:00.001-05:00

66th NATIONAL DEBATE TOURNAMENT, 2012

January, 2012

Dear Colleague:

Plans are nearing completion for the 66th National Debate Tournament to be hosted by Emory University and the Barkley Forum. Registration for the tournament will take place on THURSDAY, March 29. Competition will take place on Friday, March 30, through Monday, April 2. All competition will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place, the tournament hotel.

This brief letter will provide information on the tournament location, qualifying processes, eligibility certification, and entry for the tournament

TOURNAMENT HOTEL. The tournament hotel is:

Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place, 1775 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth GA 30096

Registration, banquets, preliminary debates, and elimination rounds will be held at the tournament hotel. We would recommend that you reserve rooms as soon as your teams have qualified. We have secured a tournament rate of $99 per night for up to 4 people per room, which includes Internet access and self-parking. Reservations must be made before March 15, 2012 to obtain the rate. You can make your reservations now by clicking onhttp://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlgp?groupCode=debdeba&app=resvlink&fromDate=3/27/12&toDate=4/4/12 or copying and pasting this link into your browser. If you prefer making reservations by phone call: 1-866-339-3132. Make sure to identify yourself as attending the National Debate Tournament.

IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR THE 2012 NDT

1. Please examine the dates for first and second round applications. The dates in relation to the NDT have been changed relative to last year.

2. The 2012 NDT is the second year hybrid teams may qualify for the tournament. In order to be eligible, hybrid teams must comply with all appropriate rules. Please see the NDT Standing Rules. In addition, notification must be provided to Tim O’Donnell, chair of the NDT Committee, no later than February 1.

3. The following rule change is effective for the 2012 NDT. The NDT Committee passed the following amendment to the qualifying procedures. “Districts choosing to select representatives for the NDT in a manner other than a qualifying debate tournament will be allowed to submit only those teams over a 40% win-loss record for the purposes of bid allocation. If a district makes a good faith attempt (evidence of planning or economic commitments) to host a tournament, but cancels the tournament because weather would make travel unsafe, that district shall not lose allocated bids due to this rule. In this event, the District Chair must notify the Bid Allocation Committee, who will confirm that the situation appears to be a good faith cancellation. The decision of the Bid Allocation committee is final, but must be publicized to the broader community. If a member of the Bid Allocation committee is from the district, the NDT chair will appoint a replacement member for any deliberations.”

RULE REMINDERS.

1. All debates are governed by the rules of the National Debate Tournament and the American Forensics Association. The documents governing the administration of the National Debate Tournament may be found athttp://groups.wfu.edu/NDT/Documents/goveringdocs.html.

2. Effective with the 2007 NDT, teams qualifying for the tournament must provide 13 rounds of judging.

3. Individuals in attendance at the National Debate Tournament who provide significant coaching to, or argument production for, any team participating in the NDT should be required to enter the judging pool on a supplemental strike sheet for at least four debates or, if it is more appropriate, provide a significant equivalent contribution to the tournament as defined by the tournament host or director.

QUALIFICATION PROCESS. The selection process, altered before the 1994 NDT and 1999 NDT remains in place for the 2012 NDT. A complete set of the NDT rules and procedures may be found at www.wfu.edu/organizations/NDT/.

AT LARGE APPLICATION PROCESS. The process for first and second round at large bids will be the same as that established in 2004. The number of preliminary rounds required for a team to count toward bid allocations is 18. All teams selected through the Second Round At-Large process must have a 50% or greater preliminary round win-loss record in rounds on the fall CEDA topic or its NDT topic parallel immediately prior to the District tournament or at the time of submission for second round bids. Those subscribing schools wishing to nominate their teams for At-Large consideration must submit copies of their completed electronic Official NDT At-Large Application (without covering letters or other supplementary materials). Applications must be received by the dates listed below. Schools submitting at-large applications must have paid their NDT subscription fee prior to submitting their application for the bid to be considered. In addition, all teams wishing to be considered for an at-large bid must pay $50.00 to the treasurer of the NDT Board of Trustees. A system has been set up to pay using Paypal at www.americanforensics.org, or the treasurer also will accept a check or money order made out to the NDT, RECEIVED BY THE APPLICATION DEADLINE, sent to the following address:

Sherry Hall
324 Franklin Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

The electronic at-large bid form may be found at: www.debateresults.com. The bid forms may be found under the Account Management link.

ENTERING THE TOURNAMENT. ENTRIES ARE DUE MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2012. Online entries will be accepted using the web site and methods used for many invitational tournaments during the year. The web site may be found atwww.debateresults.com
.
JUDGING PHILOSOPHIES. Judging philosophies should be posted to www.debateresults.com no later than MARCH 19, 2012. Judging philosophies may be edited at the same site by clicking on the "Enter, edit, and remove the names of judges and competitors (and enter or edit judge philosophies)" link in the account management box in the top-left.

The NDT may impose a $50 fine on institutions which have not supplied judging philosophies by MARCH 19. The NDT may impose an additional $50 fine if judging philosophies are not available at the time of registration.

FEES. The Board of Trustees has set the fees for the 2012 NDT. The fees are $100.00 per team. Participant fees for debaters and judges—four people for each team in the tournament will be no more than $50. The fees for observers (all other persons with your group over the four per team that count as participants) will be $135.00. Persons traveling with the team will be charged for the banquets and other meal functions.

Attached you will find a tentative tournament schedule, contact information for the Chair of the NDT Tournament Committee, and a copy of the NDT judge philosophy form.

Please join us in Atlanta for the 66th National Debate Tournament.

Sincerely,

John Fritch
Director, National Debate Tournament

TENTATIVE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 29
9:00-11:00 Registration
11:00 - 2:00 NDT Board of Trustees Meeting
1:00-4:00 NDT Committee Meeting
4:00-5:00 Late Registration
6:30 Reception and Pre-Tournament Awards

Friday, March 30
7:45 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00 Announcement of Round I
11:45 Announcement of Round II
2:00 PM Lunch
4:15 Announcement of Round III

Saturday, March 31

7:45 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00 Announcement of Round IV
11:15 Lunch
12:30 PM Announcement of Round V
5:00 Announcement of Round VI

Sunday, April 1

7:45 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00 Announcement of Round VII
11:15 Lunch
12:30 PM Announcement of Round VIII
4:45 Announcement of First Elimination Round
9:30 Awards Banquet

Monday, April 2

7:15 AM Drawing of Octofinal judges
7:30 Announcement of Octofinals
8:00 Octofinal round begins
(Rounds continue throughout the day)

FIRST ROUND AT LARGE BIDS

Must be received by
Committee Members February 16 (5PM CST)
Committee calls or e-mail to Director February 17-19
Director Announces February 20

DISTRICT PROCEDURES

Declaration of intent to attend District February 21
Announcement of preliminary district bids February 22

SECOND ROUND AT LARGE BIDS

Must be received by
Committee Members March 8 (5 PM CST)
Committee calls or e-mail to Director March 9-11
Director announces March 12

CHAIR OF THE NDT COMMITTEE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, NDT Chair
University of Mary Washington
Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication
1301 College Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Office Phone: 540-654-1252
2012 JUDGE PHILOSPHY FORM
Revised 2-16-94

NAME _______________________ INSTITUTION _____________________________

POSITION _______________________ YEARS OF COACHING _______________

NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS THIS YEAR _______________________

The following questions represent some of the issues you may want to discuss in your judge philosophy. They serve as a guideline. Please try to make the philosophy relevant AS APPLICABLE to the current topic. It is understood that many of your positions may be altered by specific situations. Please limit yourself to ONE photocopy ready page. The left hand margin should be one (1) inch.

Theory: 1. What decision making paradigm do you use? 2. What are your standards for the evaluation of T? 3. What are your standards for counterplans (especially topical Cps, conditionally, international fiat, Agent of Action, and permutations)? 4. How do you react to new cases at the NDT?

Topic Specific Arguments: 1. Which T violations do you like/dislike? How is T evaluated? 2. What are your preferences for disads? Counterplans?

Critiques/Deontology: 1. Do you like them? 2. What standards do you use to evaluate them? 3. How do they weigh against other impacts?

Evidence: 1. Do you read evidence after a round? 2. What are your standards of evaluation? 3. Do you require full cites to be read? How does that affect your evaluation of evidence? 4. What are your standards for an evidence challenge?

Style: 1. What, if anything, do you do to encourage comprehensible speaking? 2. What constitutes an argument? 3. Do you find tag-team CX objectionable? 4. What behavior or mannerisms do you find objectionable?

Miscellaneous:

America's Cup Roster Updated - 4 Teams Added

2012-01-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

New teams have been added to the tournament.

Andrew Connery & Max Dovala (Yale University)
Kaleb Brooks & John Denzler (Regis University)
Tejeswara Reddy & Rafael Baptista (Willamette)
Josiah Peterson & Burk Ohbayaski (King’s College)

We have three more slots left and teams who have requested are on the waiting list, but we want to make sure the best teams get in. Send in your application today!

We are also seeking excellent judges. We can promise a lunch and some fabulous debates to judge.

alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Current roster
In no particular order:
Josh Martin & Buzz Klinger (Tennis & HWS)
Paul Gross & Drew Adamczyk (Vermont)
Travis Steele & Austin Thoma (Colgate)
Colin Etnire & Ian Malamud (Bates)
Colin Murphy & Aaron Baker (Cal-Davis & Portland State)
Brian Farnham & Michael Wilson (Michigan)
John Patrick & Ryan Mansell (LaVerne)
Rohan Grey & Agnes Nam (Columbia)
Emily Ravenscroft & Courtney Pickard (Loyola Marymount)
Andrew Connery & Max Dovala (Yale University)
Kaleb Brooks & John Denzler (Regis University)
Tejeswara Reddy & Rafael Baptista (Willamette)
Josiah Peterson & Burk Ohbayaski (King’s College)

Three more needed. Apply soon. Others are on the waiting list but we would prefer to have the best teams possible.

For complete information, go to:
http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/americascup/

NPDA Nationals 2012 Invitation

2012-01-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

http://www.parlidebate.org/pdf/2012invite.pdf

On behalf of President Marty Birkholt, the Executive Council, and the membership of the National Parliamentary Debate Association, I am pleased to invite you to attend the seventeenth annual NPDA National Championship Tournament, Wednesday, March 21st through Saturday, March 24th, 2012 at Western Washington University. We anticipate a fine weekend of education and competition, culminating with the awarding of the 2012 National Championship.

For the NPDA,

Glenn Prince

National Championship Tournament Director

News from IDEA January 27

2012-01-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Obviously, the date should be 2012. - Global Debate Editor

Complete WSDC 2012 Results

2012-01-27T08:18:00.000-05:00

Champion:
Scotland (Alfie Hinchliffe, Ruth Cameron, Josh Richards, April Shepherd, Charlie Holmes)

Runners-up:
Wales (Amy Jones, David Wigley, Pearce Digby, David Wigley)

Top 10 Speakers:
(Source: Revaldi N. Wirabuana)
1. Teoh Renjie (Singapore)
2. Sam Collier (England)
3. Alfie (Scot)4th Michael Macklin (South Africa)
5. Natasha Rachman (England)
6. Akshay Karia (England)
7. Ned Lis-Clarke (Australia)
8. Ben Goldstein (England)
9. Darion (Singapore)
10. Bo Seo (Australia)

Top ESL Team: Greece

Top EFL Team: Lithuania

Best New Nation: Swaziland.

Breaking Teams and Prelim Results:

Prelims Results: Click here.
Team Bangladesh Results: Click here.

Motions:

Round 1: THW Ban Alcohol.
Round 2: This house believes that newly democratised Arab nations should not allow religious parties to participate in elections. [Prep]
Round 3: THW allow single parents in prison to raise their children behind bars.
Round 4: This house believes that developing nations should place limits on internal rural-urban migration. [Prep]
Round 5: This house believes that the police should use racial profiling to fight crime.
Round 6: This house believes that the feminist movement should seek a ban on pornography. [Prep]
Round 8: This house believes that states should enshrine legally actionable socio-economic rights
Octo-Final: THBT governments should create schools which teach in endangered indigenous languages.
Quarters: THBT Gay rights organizations should out gay public figures.
Semi-Finals: THS a 100% tax on inherited wealth.
Grand Final: This house regrets South Africa's decision to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
rather than prosecuting perpetrators of crimes committed under Apartheid.

From Bangladesh Debate http://bddebate.blogspot.com/2012/01/wsdc-2012-results.html

Wiley & Southern California Restage 1935 "Great Debaters" Event

2012-01-27T08:04:00.003-05:00

This photo provided Thursday, Jan. 25, 2012, by Wiley College shows Melvin B. Tolson, center, and members of the 1935 Wiley College debate team that prevailed over the nationally known University of Southern California during a debate in California. A rematch of the memorable debate will be held Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. The accomplishments of Wiley's debate team under the leadership of noted poet Tolson inspired "The Great Debaters," a 2007 movie starring Denzel Washington. (AP Photo/courtesy Wiley College)

Wiley, USC have rematch of memorable 1935 debate

By Jamie Stengle
Associated Press / January 26, 2012

DALLAS—Teams from Wiley College and the University of Southern California will have a rematch Friday of the memorable 1935 debate that saw the small, historically black school prevail over the nationally known, mostly white powerhouse.

The exhibition will be held at Wiley in the small town of Marshall, near Texas' border with Louisiana. The 1935 debate at USC took place when the nation was heavily segregated and helped inspire "The Great Debaters," a 2007 movie starring Denzel Washington. The movie climaxes with a fictional debate against Harvard that was modeled on the real match in California.

"Before the civil rights movement, before Dr. King, Malcolm X, before Rosa Parks, it was Wiley and USC: This little bitty African-American school and this ... predominantly Caucasian school that came together in 1935 when things were still racist in America," said Cary Chavis, Wiley's debate captain, adding that with the event, the two schools "stood firm that racial tension had nothing on the power of speech."

Wiley's teams traveled the nation throughout the 1930s under the leadership of noted poet Melvin B. Tolson, accumulating an impressive string of victories against black and white opponents. Tolson's teams included several students who went on to distinguish themselves, including James Farmer Jr., the civil rights leader who formed the Congress of Racial Equality.

Those participating in Friday's debate say it's a chance to celebrate the connection between the two schools. Two students from each school will face off in a competition that combines features of the two different debate styles practiced by the schools.

"I think it's an incredible opportunity for the two teams to get together once again," said Chris Medina, Wiley's director of forensics. "We owe a debt of gratitude to USC for being ground-breakers in allowing us, an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities), to really, at that point, achieve legitimacy. They were one of the few white colleges that would debate with us."

Though experts say there wasn't a structure for a national debate championship until the late 1940s, USC was known as a nationally competitive debate team, said Gordon Stables, USC's director of debate and forensics. And Wiley debaters referred to USC as national champions.

News coverage of the debate shows it attracted much attention. It's a debate that seems to have also stood out in Tolson's mind. In the journal of the debate society Pi Kappa Delta, he described the excitement surrounding the event, which took place while Wiley was "on an interracial goodwill tour covering 5,000 miles," and noted that 2,000 people attended.

Stables said that although there's no official record, accounts from the time have it as a win for Wiley. The winning team could have been determined by audience applause or judges, he said.

"I've never heard anyone contest that Wiley wasn't the better team in that competition," Stables said.

Wiley had ceased to have a debate team by the time "The Great Debaters" rekindled interest in its legacy. With the help of donations that included $1 million from Washington, the school resurrected its debate team in 2008.

Medina said "The Great Debaters" legacy is very much present in the minds of students on the team.

"They really have a sense of history and carrying on of the history of the school," Medina said. "They take it very personally and they take it to heart and really work hard in order to continue that legacy of excellence."

Wiley, a primarily liberal arts college founded in 1873, has seen its enrollment grow since the release of the movie, from 520 a decade ago to 1,356 this school year, said Joseph Morale, Wiley's vice president for student affairs and enrollment services.

Morale expects about 3,000 people to attend Friday's rematch, filling the site of the debate and a room in an adjacent building where the event will be simulcast.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/01/26/wiley_usc_have_rematch_of_memorable_1935_debate/

WSDC Champion - Scotland Defeats Wales 8-1

2012-01-26T12:09:00.004-05:00

http://paullau.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/results-wsdc-2012-grand-final-results/

Motion: TH regrets South Africa’s decision to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission rather than prosecuting perpetrators of crimes committed under Apartheid

Proposition: Team Wales ~ Amy Jones, David Wigley, Pearce Digby, David Wigley
Opposition: Team Scotland ~ Alfie Hinchliffe, Charlie Holmes, Ruth Cameron, Charlie Holmes

This is Scotland’s fourth Championship following 1990, 1999 and 2007. They were previously Runners-up in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998 and 2001. Team Scotland included three returning members (Alfie Hinchliffe, Charlie Holmes and Ruth Cameron) from WSDC 2011, who were joined by Josh Richards and April Shepherd. It was the three veterns who represented Scotland in the Grand Finals. Scotland broke 5th, with 7 wins and just one loss against South Korea. They had unanimous wins over Greece and 2010 Champions Australia in the octo and quarter finals. Scotland beat this years surprise package, Philippines, 6-2 to progress to the finals.

Team Wales had just one returning member, David Wigley, although this was his 3 return, after attending WSDC 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was joined this year by Helen Price, Amy Jones and Piers Digby. Together, the team broke 7th, with 6 wins and 2 split losses to New Zealand and South Africa, who both won all 8 preliminary rounds. Wales progressed to the semifinals at the expense of India and Ireland. In a reverse of the semifinals of WSDC 2010, Wales beat England to reach the Grand Finals of WSDC 2012. This is Wales’s first ever Grand Final apperance, WSDC 2010′s semifinal apperance, of which David was a part of, being their previous highest ranking.

The Grand Finals was held in St George’s Cathedral, a stunning location and quite a fitting one given the motion. Here are some of the images of the venue that were tweeted:

Massive thanks to Sayeqa Islam, Paidamwoyo Mangondo and Sydney Atkins for live-tweeting the Grand Finals.

Info about Wales team:
http://www.wales.com/en/content/cms/Blog/Grand_Final_260112/Grand_Final_260112.aspx

Wales reach Grand Final at global schools debate

Wales has achieved its best ever result at the World Schools Debating Championships, reaching the Grand Final in a competition between 48 nations taking place in Cape Town, South Africa.

In the final, Wales faced Scotland, debating the motion “This house regrets South Africa's decision to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission rather than prosecuting perpetrators of crimes committed under Apartheid”. The Welsh team comprises Amy Jones, 18, of Y Pant Comprehensive School, Pontyclun; Helen Price, 17, of Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls; David Wigley, 17, of Bishop of Llandaff High School, Cardiff; and Piers Digby, 17, of Monmouth School. The team has been coached by Harry Thomas.

Wales won 6 of its 8 initial debates, achieving a ranking of 7th place after the preliminary rounds. They then defeated India and Ireland in the first two knock-out rounds. Wales then met England in the semi-final, defeating them by 6 judges to 1 on the topic “This House supports a 100% tax on inherited wealth”.

The World Schools Debating Championships is an annual event, first organised in Australia in 1988. Teams debate a mixture of prepared topics (provided several weeks in advance) and impromptu topics with only one hour’s preparation. The Welsh team is selected from outstanding competitors in the Wales Schools Debating Championships, organised by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs with support from the British Council.

Martin Pollard, Chief Executive of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by four dedicated young debaters. We’ve been taking part in the World Schools Debating Championships for nearly 20 years and this is the first time we’ve reached the Final, so everyone is very excited. This competition is all about communication and bright ideas, and it’s great that we can show off the skills of young Welsh people to so many other countries.”

Information on the World Schools Debating Championships: www.schoolsdebate.com

Joe McGrade About Winning Public Speaking Title in Manila

2012-01-26T06:19:00.000-05:00

http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2012/01/making-the-mcgrade-in-manila/

Making the McGrade in Manila

Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2012

McGill Debating Union member Joe McGrade continued his hot streak after his return home from the World Championships. He and his partner, CEGEP student Ariel Shapiro, won the McGill-hosted Laurier Cup debating contest (in French) January 13-15. / Photo: Owen Egan

Debating Union member takes Top Speaker award at world championships

By Jim Hynes

Joe McGrade is a man of many words. And his verbosity served him well indeed at the recent World Universities Debating Championship in Manila, Philippines, where the member of the McGill Debating Union (MDU) was crowned Top Public Speaker.

McGill has a long history of strong showings in the “Worlds” public speaking category. MDU member Riva Gold took home first place in 2010, following up on wins by Andrew Zadel in 2001 and Adrianne Thomas in 1994.

That said, calling McGrade a dark horse winner this year would be a major understatement. The 20-year-old Toronto native and third-year Economics major wasn’t initially picked to be part of the eight-person (four teams of two) MDU contingent that participated in the event that brought the world’s finest university debaters to Manila’s De La Salle University Dec. 27 to Jan. 4. McGrade applied to be a participating debater, but didn’t make the cut, even after two more spots opened up when a McGill pair dropped out of the long and expensive trip. He was slated to go to Manila as one of three McGill judges until the MDU was eventually offered a spot for a fourth team.

In Manila, McGrade was one of approximately 70 debaters who signed up for the event’s Public Speaking competition, where the goal, he said “is to be a good speaker, to win hearts and minds.”

In his first speech, about “the difference between First World problems and real problems,” he combined his cutting sense of humour, love of righteous indignation and his experiences and observations of Manila.

“The university we were in was very nice and the hotel was beautiful. And then you’d go around the corner to get a coffee and it was completely different,” says McGrade, who has been a public speaker since his elementary school days and started organized debating in Grade 7. “People were living in abject poverty. And I felt terrible standing there in my dress shoes and shirt with my latté.

“During the tournament, everybody was complaining about the silliest things: the coffee was terrible, the elevators lines were too long, the writing pads that they gave us were too small. And so my first speech was about the main contribution that the debaters were bringing to Manila being a lowering of the bar of what a problem is.”

His speech resonated with the judges, who sent him and nine other finalists along to the next round, this time on a big stage. There, he answered the question “Why do you debate?” with a winning speech about being addicted to it – “Hi, my name is Joe and I have a debating problem.”

Meanwhile, back at the main debating event, McGrade and partner Emma O’Rourke-Friel were creating a pleasant surprise of their own. After nine rounds of debating topics like private health care, the free movement of labour, and defamation laws in academic discourse, they finished in 47th place out of approximately 350 teams, making them they highest placing Canadian team.

“That was surprising. I mean we were ‘McGill D’. They weren’t going to take me!” McGrade laughs. “It felt good. I thought that I was good enough to go. And I’m glad that I showed I was.”

McGrade and his MDU teammates will participate in the North American Debating Championships at the University of Toronto this coming weekend. The Canadian national championships, which McGill captured as recently as 2010, take place at York University, March 16-18.

To learn more about the McGill Debating Union, visit: http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/debate/

North Americans to Webcast Final from Toronto

2012-01-25T20:33:00.003-05:00

NorthAmerican Debating Championships, 2012

HartHouse, University of Toronto

Updateon live webcasting of the finals

The CUSID-APDA North American Championshipsis coming up this weekend, January 27– 29, 2012. We will be livestreaming the final round of the tournament on Sunday, January 29^thstarting at 2:30pm. The link and information are below.

The URL for the webcast is:

http://mediacast.ic.utoronto.ca/20120129-HHDC/index.htm

(The link is dead right now but I will makeit active by the end of the day.)

BASIC VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS

ForWidows Vista and XP users

-Windows Media Player must be installed.

-Internet Explorer is the preferred browserto access the URL. Other browsers may have problems.

-It may help to pre-install Silverlightsoftware from Microsoft to access the Windows Media stream. (http://www.microsft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx)

-Windows 7 has not been tested as yet.

MacOS X users

-Use Safari as the browser to access theURL.

-Select the Real Media link on the browserinterface. Mac users should install Real Player from http://www.real.com.

-Microsoft does not directly support WindowsMedia in OS X. Do not use the Windows Media link unless you have installed thesoftware called Flip4Mac which may work but we cannot guarantee success withit.

-You can also pre-install the Mac OS XSilverlight software from Microsoft to access the Windows Media stream. (http://www.microsft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx)

Registration for US Universities Now Open

2012-01-25T14:21:00.002-05:00

There may be limited space, so I suggest you register soon.

There is a limit of 200 teams, but we had 192 last year, and this format of debate is growing. I also expect a number of (very welcome) NPDA and policy schools to give it a try.

http://www.forensictournament.net/home

Alfred Snider
University of Vermont
Chief Adjudicator

List of Tournaments for World Universities Sweepstakes

2012-01-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

I suspect that all of these tournaments, especially the smaller ones, will benefit substantially from this listing, as teams trying to rise in the sweepstakes will target those tournaments.

I received this list from Colm Flynn, sweepstakes coordinator.

Africa
Pan African PAUDC
South Africa NUDC

Asia
Malaysia Open
Philippine Intercollegiate Debating Championship PIDC
Philippine NDC
SMU Hammers
HK Open
UADC
Bangladesh NDDC
BIND 2011
WUPID
Asians BP
Taiwan NEAO

Oceania
Easters
Sydney Mini
Melbourne Mini
Australian Women's Championships
Victoria Wellington IV

Austral Asians
Austral Asians

Europe
Israel Nats
Koc Istanbul
Berlin
Sciences PO Paris
Athens
Kiev
Belgrade Open
Utrecht
Vienna IV

UK/Ire
English Mace
Cambridge
Oxford
LSE IV
Oxford Womens
Warwick IV
SOAS
Durham IV
Glasgow Ancients
TCD
Cork

Euros
Euros

N Amer
Cusid BP
CUSID Nats
Guindon
Huber Debates, Vermont
Queens Chancellors Cup
North Americans
US Open
US Universities USU
Yale IV
Hart House IV

S Amer
Spanish Worlds CMUDE

Worlds
Worlds

WSDC Capetown Quarters Results, Semis Matches

2012-01-25T07:25:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Paul Lau, on the spot as usual!

http://paullau.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/results-wsdc-2012-qf-results-and-sf-match-up/

Quarterfinal Results
Motion: THBT Gay rights organizations should out gay public figures {Impromptu}
QF1: Singapore (1) vs. Philippines (8) ~~~ 5-0 Philippines (Opposition)
== Judging Panel: Christopher Bishop (C), Taiumur Bandey, Seham Areff, Iqbal Gafiedz, Eirianna Kouri
QF2: Australia (4) vs. Scotland (5) ~~~ 5-0 Scotland (Opposition)
== Judging Panel: Tracey Lee (C), Beth James, TJ Senamngern, Desley Horton, Tom McLennan
== Australia: Emma, Bo, Tyrone, Bo
QF3: England (6) vs. New Zealand (3) ~~~ 3-2 England (Opposition)
== Judging Panel: Daniel de Kadt (C), Stephanie Dick, Chris Sanchez, Chris Hibbard, Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed
== New Zealand: James, Thomas, Nick, Thomas
== England: Akshay, Ben, Sam, Akshay
QF4: Wales (7) vs. Ireland (15) ~~~ 3-2 Wales (Proposition)
== Judging Panel: Joshua Park (C), Kip Oebanda, Irene McGrath, Thng Yi Ren, Kristen Price

3 of the 4 debates were won by the opposition. Not quite an opposition sweep but interesting, especially given that it led to the downfall of a number of traditionally top teams.
3 of the 4 semifinalists are from Great Britain, meaning there is a 50 percent chance the Grand Final will be an all British affair.

Semifinal Match-up
SF1: Philippines (8) vs. Scotland (5)
SF2: England (6) vs. Wales (7)

Semifinal Match-up by Total Speaker Points Ranking
SF1: Philippines (17) vs. Scotland (6)
SF2: England (1) vs. Wales (9)

DEBATE-Kansas City Fights for Survival

2012-01-24T19:35:00.000-05:00

From: http://savedebatekansascity.com/about/

DEBATE-Kansas City is an Urban Debate League that provides middle and high school students debate workshops & tournaments, scholarships, resources, mentoring and general team support. DEBATE-Kansas City participants have achieved academic success and assumed leadership roles in high school, college and beyond. We encourage you to read through these materials to better understand the powerful impact that DEBATE-Kansas City can have on each student.

Open Letter from President of the Board of DEBATE-Kansas City
Success by the Numbers
Testimonials
About DEBATE-Kansas City

Open Letter
Are you are tired of reading headlines about suffering schools and troubled teens in the Kansas City area? Are you concerned by budget cuts “in this economy” that dismantle programs essential to the development of our city’s students? If so, DEBATE-Kansas City (DKC) needs your financial help.

DEBATE-Kansas City is an Urban Debate League that provides middle and high school students debate workshops & tournaments, scholarships, resources, mentoring and general team support. DKC seniors graduate over 95% of the time; the academic studies supporting debate’s ability to improve test scores are almost too countless to name. Debate is good. Ironically there is little debate over this point.

Kansas City has an incredible debate legacy. Melvin B. Tolson, the greatest African American debate coach in our nation’s history, received his early speech training at Lincoln High. His success inspired the film The Great Debaters, where he was played by Denzel Washington. More recently, Joe Miller’s award winning book, Cross-X, detailed the journey and success of the Kansas City Central debate team.

Before the creation of DEBATE-Kansas City in 1998, only two schools in the city had debate teams. At DKC’s peak, 40 middle and high schools had teams. Unfortunately, as The Kansas City Star recently reported, debate programs in Kansas City recently suffered from significant financial cutbacks, ultimately resulting in an 82% decline in students who can participate in KCMO. Nobody knows the exact moment when successful programs like debate die in inner cities; they just slowly fade out of consciousness.

We can avoid this fate, we can keep a legacy alive and empower the next generation of great debaters to write new stories of success. Our goal is raise $50,000 so that we can continue to provide these essential debate opportunities to students in the Kansas City area. With your generous support, we can save DEBATE in Kansas City.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey E. Thomas
President of the DEBATE-Kansas City Board of Directors

Success by the Numbers

Research consistently confirms that debate is an effective pedagogical tool to increase academic achievement, leadership, and self-image. Below are some highlights from our experience and from large research projects designed to measure the effect of debate on a student.

Deja Davis - Enthusiastic Debater Murdered in Kansas City

2012-01-24T18:59:00.000-05:00

Ruskin’s debate team remembers Deja Davis’ ‘open and giving heart’

BY DONALD BRADLEY
The Kansas City Star

Deja Davis started out shy in debate.

But the Ruskin High School student was smart and as her confidence grew so did her love for public speaking.

No doubt she would have been primed for this weekend’s Golden Eagle Speech and Debate Tournament at Ruskin High in south Kansas City.

But Deja will be there only in the thoughts of her teammates and in the warmth of the coats that students from other schools bring.

The 16-year-old student was murdered Thanksgiving night.

“The entire squad took it hard,” said Paul Hackenberger, Ruskin’s debate coach.

Soon after the killing, he assembled the team so they could talk about a way to honor their fallen colleague.

“She was passionate and enthusiastic,” Hackenberger said. “There was not a time she came into class without a question to ask about the topic we were discussing or about how to formulate arguments.

“The students were full of wonderful ideas. Time after time, they recalled she had such an open and giving heart, so we thought it only appropriate to work with a charitable organization in her honor.”

The team collaborated with the Community Assistance Council (CAC), to hold a winter coat drive during this week’s debate tournament. Schools participating are being asked to bring new or gently used winter-weather coats, gloves, hats and other warm clothing. Schools will compete to see who brings in the most.

The team also came up with “Deja’s Donations” to benefit Wayside Waifs.

About 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, when police arrived on a burglary call to a house in the 6600 block of Bellefontaine Avenue, someone fired at officers. Police shot back, hitting the suspect who died at the scene.

Thinking more people could be involved, police called an Operation 100 and tactical units entered the house. They found two people dead, Deja Davis and her godmother, Loretta Petty, 53.

The dead suspect was identified as the older woman’s husband, Jerry Petty.

Deja’s mother, Stephanie Davis, said she couldn’t find a single photograph of her daughter in which the girl was not smiling. Deja wanted to be a nurse practitioner, she said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/17/3389060/ruskins-debate-team-remembers.html#storylink=cpy

WSDC Capetown Octafinal Results, Quarterfinal Matches

2012-01-24T17:27:00.001-05:00

From
http://paullau.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/results-wsdc-2012-of-results-and-qf-match-up/

Octofinal Results
Motion: THBT the government should create special schools that teach in endangered indigenous languages
OF1: Singapore (1) vs. South Korea (16) ~~~ 2-1 Singapore (Opposition)
OF2: Philippines (8) vs. Canada (9) ~~~ 2-1 Philippines (Proposition)
OF3: Australia (4) vs. Malaysia (13) ~~~ 3-0 Australia (Proposition)
OF4: Scotland (5) vs. Greece (12) ~~~ 3-0 Scotland (Proposition)
OF5: Lithuania (11) vs. England (6) ~~~ 3-0 England (Opposition)
OF6: Hong Kong (14) vs. New Zealand (3) ~~~ 2-1 New Zealand (Opposition)
OF7: India (10) vs. Wales (7) ~~~ 3-0 Wales (Opposition)
OF8: Ireland (15) vs. South Africa (2) ~~~ 2-1 Ireland (Opposition)

All wins were by the team that broke higher, except for Octofinal 8 where Ireland, who broke 15th, defeated hosts South Africa, who broke 2nd.

Quarterfinal Match-up
QF1: Singapore (1) vs. Philippines (8)
QF2: Australia (4) vs. Scotland (5)
QF3: England (6) vs. New Zealand (3)
QF4: Wales (7) vs. Ireland (15)

Quarterfinal Match-up by Total Speaker Points Ranking
QF1: Singapore (2) vs. Philippines (17)
QF2: Australia (4) vs. Scotland (6)
QF3: England (1) vs. New Zealand (7)
QF4: Wales (9) vs. Ireland (13)

Interesting thought, might this change the perception of how difficult or easy a debate might or might not be?

From https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/WSDC and http://schoolsdebate.com/years/2012/

Shengwu Li on Setting Motions, a Must Read

2012-01-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

There is an excellent piece by Shengwu Li, formerly of Oxford now of Stanford. Everyone who is involved in setting motions can learn something from this.

http://trolleyproblem.blogspot.com/2012/01/advice-for-new-cas-setting-motions.html

I asked him for his judging CV, and he said:

I've been Chief Adjudicator at almost every major British IV. These include the Manchester IV, the Oxford IV, and the Cambridge IV. I was also CA at the Trinity IV, which is Ireland's largest competition. I've judged out-rounds, finals, etc, pretty much to the degree you'd expect. I'm also the CA for this year's LSE Open.
Internationally, I've judged at the European Universities Debating Championships twice, and been on the CA team once (for Galway Euros 2011). I've also judged at Worlds 2012 (Open-break quarterfinal and ESL Final). I've also judged at two World Schools Debating Championships (Cardiff 2006, Dundee 2011).

Former Liberty Debate Coach Joins Romney Campaign

2012-01-23T19:36:00.001-05:00

Brett O'Donnell listens to then-Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), on Sept. 19, 2011, in Sheffield, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall - Associated Press)“Brett’s been working with us for some time, since Michele Bachmann got out of the race,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul. Bachmann ended her presidential bid earlier this month after a disappointing finish in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa.

Mitt Romney taps former Bachmann strategist for debate prep
By Felicia Sonmez and Amy Gardner

(Joe Raedle - Getty Images)Former Massachusetts governorMitt Romney (R) is turning to a former strategist for Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) presidential bid to help him with debate prep as the GOP presidential race heads into the key primary state of Florida.

Brett O’Donnell, a former top Bachmann strategist and debate coach, confirmed via e-mail Monday that he is informally assisting Romney’s camp.

“I actually haven’t signed on formally, but I’ve been helping for some time after Michele got out,” O’Donnell wrote. “I am still very focused on helping her move forward as well.”

A Romney spokeswoman also confirmed that O’Donnell is aiding the campaign.

O’Donnell, who was seen talking with several other Romney advisers at campaign events Monday, is well-known in GOP political circles for working with candidates’ natural abilities, as the Post’s Amy Gardner noted in her September profile of the adviser.

Once a legendary debate coach at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, O’Donnell went on to coach George W. Bush in his 2004 re-election bid. In 2008, he played a key role in helping Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) prepare for his debates against then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

The O’Donnell news comes as the four remaining GOP contenders — Romney, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) — prepare to face off at 9 p.m. Monday night for their 17th debate of the primary season.

Staff writer Philip Rucker contributed to this report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/mitt-romney-taps-former-bachmann-strategist-for-debate-prep/2012/01/23/gIQAzcbkLQ_blog.html

The Break! - WSDC Capetown Octafinal Pairings

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

WSDC 2012: THE KNOCKOUT ROUNDS

Singapore (1)

Korea (16)

Philippines (8)

Canada (9)

Australia (4)

Malaysia (13)

Scotland (5)

Greece (12)

Lithuania (11)

England (6)

Hong Kong (14)

New Zealand (3)

India (10)

Wales (7)

Ireland (15)

South Africa (2)

World Debate Institute Programs for 2012 Announced

2012-01-23T16:54:00.003-05:00

2012 Events Announced - a Lot of Them!

2012 is shaping up to be a very active year for the World Debate Institute as it promotes debating all around the world, in many formats and in a variety of languages. The World Debate Institute is not a funding agent, we don’t pay for things, but we do supply expertise, personnel, curriculum and planning for events people want to offer, as well as supporting a number of well-established events.

In January we will be announcing the 4th Thinking and Speaking a Better World conference which will take place in Doha, Qatar in January 2013. Lots of details coming after the launch.

WDI will be assisting at a University debate tournament and workshop taking place in Bosnia Hercgovina March 12-18 2012. It will be the first major university debate event in the country and is arranged through cooperation with WDI partner ZIP Slovenia along with local organizers.

Alfred Snider, WDI director, has been named to be the Chief Adjudicator at the US Universities Debating Championship to take place at Willamette University in Oregon 13-15 April, where 200 teams are expected to compete for the USA national title. For more information go tohttp://www.willamette.edu/cla/debate/events/2011_2012/USU2012.html .

The Faculty of Organizaional Sciences at the University of Belgrade is planning a workshop on ecological advocacy to take place in Belgrade, Serbia 18-22 June 2012. The faculty has partnered with WDI previously on several events, including a very successful summer training program in persuasion. More details coming.

WDI will again partner with ZIP Slovenia in sponsoring the World Schools Debate Academy to be held in Slovenia 29 July-7 August 2012. This successful program brings high school students from all over the globe to learn and develop in a week long workshop that concludes with a tournament, For more information, to go tohttp://debateacademy.net/Debate_Academy/WSDA_Slovenia.html . This time we are expecting over 100 students.

WDI will cooperate with the Lawrence Debate Union at the University of Vermont to host a workshop for Vermont school students 25-30 June 2012. The focus will be on at-risk students who do not usually have such beneficial summer programs. A website will go up soon.

Romanian debate organization ARGO is holding an international schools invitational tournament 26-30 July 2012 and WDI director Snider has been invited to be the Chief Adjudicator. Plans are to attend this event, but details are still in the process of becoming. Their website is athttp://www.argodebate.ro/ .

WDI will once again be an important part of sponsoring the 2012 Spanish language university world debate championship, the Campeonato Mundial Universitario de Debate to be held 5-11 August in Santiago Chile at Universidad Andres Bello. Last year’s first ever event was a huge success and this one should be bigger and better than ever.

WDI will be sponsoring the North American Debate Academy (formerly East Debate Institute) 19-24 August 2012. This FREE top quality debate workshop has been growing each year and attracting excellent faculty. See more details athttp://debateacademy.net/Debate_Academy/EDI_Vermont.html .

There are many other plans in the works, so keep checking back for news!

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wdi/WDI_Blog/Entries/2012/1/23_2012_Events_Announced_-_a_Lot_of_Them!.html

WSDC Capetown Records at the End of Prelims

2012-01-23T10:08:00.001-05:00

PROVISIONAL AGGREGATES AFTER ROUND 8

Note: The Chief Adjudicators do not yet guarantee the accuracy of these results.

The full team tab will follow the announcement of The Break.

TEAM WINS JUDGES

Argentina 4 12

Australia 7 20

Bangladesh 2 12

Bermuda 1 3

Botswana 2 6

Canada 6 17

China 3 10

Czech Republic 3 10

Denmark 1 5

England 6 20

Estonia 5 14

Germany 3 7

Greece 6 16

Hong Kong 5 16

India 6 17

Indonesia 4 13

Ireland 5 16

Israel 5 15

Japan 0 1

Korea 5 15

Kuwait 0 2

Lithuania 6 17

Malaysia 6 15

Mexico 4 12

Moldova 0 2

Mongolia 0 0

Netherlands 4 13

New Zealand 8 21

Nigeria 0 0

Pakistan 5 15

Peru 3 8

Philippines 6 18

Qatar 2 4

Romania 3 10

Scotland 7 19

Singapore 8 23

Slovakia 4 13

Slovenia 4 14

South Africa 8 21

Sri Lanka 5 14

Swaziland 4 12

Sweden 1 5

Thailand 5 14

Turkey 4 11

UAE 5 12

USA 2 8

Wales 6 18

Zimbabwe 3 10

WSDC Capetown Round 8 Results

2012-01-23T10:01:00.003-05:00

PROVISIONAL RESULTS : ROUND 8

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of judges won.

The Chief Adjudicators do not yet guarantee the accuracy of these results.

Australia Prop (2) defeated England Opp (1)

Bermuda Prop (2) defeated Romania Opp (1)

China Opp (3) defeated Qatar Prop (0)

Denmark Prop (2) defeated Moldova Opp (1)

Estonia Opp (2) defeated Bangladesh Prop (1)

Germany Prop (2) defeated Czech Republic Opp (1)

India Opp (3) defeated UAE Prop (0)

Indonesia Opp (3) defeated Botswana Prop (0)

Ireland Prop (3) defeated Korea Opp (0)

Israel Prop (2) defeated Sri Lanka Opp (1)

Lithuania Prop (3) defeated Mongolia Opp (0)

Malaysia Opp (3) defeated USA Prop (0)

Mexico Opp (3) defeated Peru Prop (0)

New Zealand Opp (3) defeated Greece Prop (0)

Pakistan Opp (2) defeated Netherlands Prop (1)

Philippines Opp (2) defeated Hong Kong Prop (1)

Scotland Prop (2) defeated Slovenia Opp (1)

Singapore Opp (3) defeated Canada Prop (0)

Slovakia Opp (3) defeated Kuwait Prop (0)

South Africa Prop (2) defeated Wales Opp (1)

Swaziland Prop (3) defeated Nigeria Opp (0)

Thailand Opp (3) defeated Argentina Prop (0)

Turkey Prop (2) defeated Sweden Opp (1)

Zimbabwe Opp (3) defeated Japan Prop (0)

Global Debate Times January 21 2012

2012-01-23T08:07:00.000-05:00

http://paper.li/asnider/1314018022

GLOBAL DEBATE TIMES

Follow the world of international debating in one convenient space. Stories are gathered from Global Debate Blog as well as Debate Video Blog for your enjoyment. This format may be easier for you to deal with than those blogspot blogs, and it happens here automatically.

http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com
http://debatevideoblog/blogspot.com

Also thanks to Colm Flynn, Paul Lau and other debate information champions we link to.
http://worlddebating.blogspot.com

alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Verbattle Contest in India Moves Ahead

2012-01-23T07:43:00.001-05:00

HYDERABAD: The battle of the words did finish off with a dramatic end. The final selection round for Verbattle South, an inter-state debate competition, which was held at the Sundarayaa Vignan Bhavan saw a good response from the students.

Six teams which have been zeroed in from Hyderabad for the next round include four teams from Chirec Public School, one team each from Jubilee Hills Public School and P Obul Reddy Public School and the students were from classes 7 to 10 and in the age group of 12 to 16 years.

A few topics on which the teams debated in the selection round were, “There is no culture without civic sense”, “Privatization is the root of all economic problems”, “Tolerance is a weakness” and a topic given by PETA “Animals do not have rights like human beings” among others. Deepak Thimaya, supervised the debates and was also the moderator.

The next round will be held in Bangalore on January 23, where teams from Hyderabad, Karnataka, Chenna i , Kochi and Pondicherry will compete against each other.

The finals of Verbattle South will also be held in Bangalore on January 24.

The final winning team will be awarded a cash prize of `1,00,000, the last two finalist teams will get `20,000 each and the best state team will get `5,000 and there is also a prize of `10,000 for the mentor of the winning team.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/six-teams-in-verbattles-next-round/223395-60-121.html

High School Debate at 350 wpm

2012-01-23T07:34:00.001-05:00

High School Debate at 350 wpm

By Jay Caspian Kang
January 20, 2012 |
3:09 pm |
Wired February 2012

From left: Erin Sielaff, 17, is a senior at Edina High School in Edina, Minnesota, and Liam Hancock, 17, is a senior at Iowa City West High School in Coralville, Iowa.
Photo: Bruce Gilden

It is the double-octafinal round at the Greenhill Fall Classic Debate Tournament in suburban Dallas, and the team from Lexington High School in Massachusetts has just flipped affirmative. That’s debate talk. In English, it means that because of a coin flip, the Lexington duo—Bennett Clifford and James Fraser—is now tasked with arguing in favor of this year’s resolution, which reads: “The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.” Their opponents, a pair of students from the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, are charged with negating the resolution.

Julian Manasse-Boetani, 17, is a senior at Lowell High School in San Francisco.
Photo: Bruce Gilden

Clifford and Fraser huddle with their coach and start assembling their arguments. Just a few years ago, they would have rifled through several 14-gallon Rubbermaid tubs filled with photocopied documents sorted into hanging files, manila folders, and accordion files. Now, they head straight to their laptops, tapping into a program called Debate Synergy that stores, organizes, and excerpts tens of thousands of pages of arguments. Their opponents, just 5 feet away, are doing much the same. The preparations are solemn and covert. Almost all discussion of strategy takes place via Google Chat.

After about 20 minutes, the judges call for the round to start. Fraser walks to the front of the room. With his square-rimmed glasses, high-cuffed jeans, and delicate features, he looks exactly like what he is in his free time: the lead singer for a fledgling indie-rock band. He sits, straight-backed, in his chair—keeping his diaphragm unencumbered throughout his presentation. He asks if everyone is ready. The audience grunts. Fraser begins:

“THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD—GASP—ESTABLISH LUNAR PROPERTY RIGHTS—FOR HELIUM-3 MINING! MOON RACE IS HAPP—GASP—MOONRACEISHAPPENING! A LEGAL—GASP—GASP—FRAMEWORKFORLANDDISTRIBUTION ISREQUIRED!”

The sentences fly out of Fraser’s mouth at about 350 words per minute, a good 100 words faster than a well-trained auctioneer, and they will keep flying out at that rate for eight straight minutes. His voice, normally slow and thoughtful, has jumped two octaves. He sounds a bit like Aaron Neville if Aaron Neville had swallowed a cat that had swallowed five pounds of Adderall.

James Fraser, 17, is a senior at Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachussetts.
Photo: Bruce Gilden

Welcome to the esoteric world of Policy Debate. While high school debate comes in many varieties—the elevated discussion of Lincoln-Douglas debate, the quick-witted improvisation of Extemporaneous Speaking—Policy Debate attracts a uniquely intense breed. The event requires one team to argue in favor of a specific government policy, while the other team must point out the flaws in the plan. Each assertion must be supported by a piece of published evidence, and any argument that goes unchallenged, no matter how ridiculous on its face, is accepted as fact.

From left: Joseph Nelson, 18, is a senior at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Amelia Sadler, 15, is a sophomore at Dexter High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Photo: Bruce Gilden

Policy debaters started talking fast in the 1960s, when a team from the University of Houston figured out that speed allowed them to cram more arguments into a timed speech than their opponents would physically be able to negate. Soon, students were talking like this at hundreds of competitions across the country every year. The innovation increased the demand for source material, the scholarly texts that support debaters’ arguments. That demand quickly outpaced supply—debaters had to track down their evidence in libraries, then photocopy and cut and paste it (with scissors and tape!) onto sheets of paper, which would in turn be tagged and filed away in tubs or banker boxes. When my high school debate career ended in 1998, “information technology” meant figuring out a way to sneak into a nearby college library, where, under the eye of a willfully blind old lady, I would steal access to LexisNexis.

Daniel Schexnayder, 17, is a senior at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Photo: Bruce Gilden

The Internet has changed all that. Today’s debaters no longer have to painstakingly hunt through books and law reviews for new material. They enjoy instant access to a seemingly infinite number of published sources—not just articles and essays, but blog posts and even tweets. High school debaters are no longer hunters and foragers but highly efficient, thoroughly optimized information processors.

Jay Caspian Kang (jaycaspiankang@gmail.com) is an editor at Grantland. His debut novel, The Dead Do Not Improve, will be published by Hogarth/Random House in August 2012.

WSDC Capetown Round 7 Results

2012-01-23T07:01:00.001-05:00

PROVISIONAL RESULTS : ROUND 7

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of judges won.

The Chief Adjudicators do not yet guarantee the accuracy of these results.

Argentina Opp (2) defeated Slovenia Prop (1)

Australia Opp (3) defeated Moldova Prop (0)

Canada Opp (3) defeated Zimbabwe Prop (0)

China Prop (2) defeated Bangladesh Opp (1)

England Prop (3) defeated Denmark Opp (0)

Estonia Prop (3) defeated Qatar Opp (0)

Germany Opp (2) defeated India Prop (1)

Greece Opp (3) defeated Nigeria Prop (0)

Hong Kong Opp (3) defeated Romania Prop (0)

Ireland Opp (3) defeated Mongolia Prop (0)

Israel Opp (3) defeated Indonesia Prop (0)

Lithuania Opp (3) defeated Korea Prop (0)

Malaysia Prop (2) defeated Peru Opp (1)

Mexico Prop (2) defeated USA Opp (1)

Netherlands Opp (3) defeated Slovakia Prop (0)

New Zealand Prop (2) defeated Swaziland Opp (1)

Pakistan Prop (3) defeated Kuwait Opp (0)

Philippines Prop (3) defeated Bermuda Opp (0)

Scotland Opp (3) defeated Thailand Prop (0)

Singapore Prop (3) defeated Japan Opp (0)

South Africa Opp (3) defeated Sweden Prop (0)

Sri Lanka Prop (3) defeated Botswana Opp (0)

UAE Opp (2) defeated Czech Republic Prop (1)

Wales Prop (2) defeated Turkey Opp (1)

WSDC Capetown Results After 6 Rounds

2012-01-22T22:57:00.002-05:00

PROVISIONAL AGGREGATES AFTER ROUND 6

Note: The Chief Adjudicators do not yet guarantee the accuracy of these results.

Note that one judge retired through illness during Round 4, but the debate was allowed to continue.

This result is still to be conﬁrmed in due course.

Note that the India v. Mexico debate for Round 5 has been postponed until this evening.

TEAM WINS JUDGES

Argentina 3 10

Australia 5 15

Bangladesh 2 10

Bermuda 0 1

Botswana 2 6

Canada 5 14

China 1 5

Czech Republic 3 8

Denmark 0 3

England 5 16

Estonia 3 9

Germany 1 3

Greece 5 13

Hong Kong 4 12

India 4 11

Indonesia 3 10

Ireland 3 9

Israel 3 10

Japan 0 1

Korea 5 15

Kuwait 0 2

Lithuania 4 11

Malaysia 4 10

Mexico 2 6

Moldova 0 1

Mongolia 0 0

Netherlands 3 9

New Zealand 6 16

Nigeria 0 0

Pakistan 3 10

Peru 3 7

Philippines 4 13

Qatar 2 4

Romania 3 9

Scotland 5 14

Singapore 6 17

Slovakia 3 10

Slovenia 4 12

South Africa 6 16

Sri Lanka 4 10

Swaziland 3 8

Sweden 1 4

Thailand 4 11

Turkey 3 8

UAE 4 10

USA 2 7

Wales 5 15

Zimbabwe 2 7

Follow the World of Debate on Twitter

2012-01-21T06:21:00.003-05:00

More and more people are doing it. Try it and see how it works for you. Get it on your phone or use the webfeed, or both. There are many feeds to follow the world of debating.

We suggest:

@DebateTourney where Jozef Thenu is covering as many debate events as possible and doing a good job. Now 908 followers.

@asnider is my humble feed for news, debate gossip, and debate stuff. Also news about the Lawrence Debate Union at the University of Vermont, Flashpoint television program, and other infobits. I try to not Tweet too much, just a couple a day unless there is a major event. Now 820 followers.

WSDC 2012 Capetown Results after Four Rounds

2012-01-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

WSDC 2012

PROVISIONAL AGGREGATES AFTER ROUND 4

Note: The Chief Adjudicators do not yet guarantee the accuracy of these results.

TEAM WINS JUDGES

Argentina 2 6

Australia 3 9

Bangladesh 2 8

Bermuda 0 0

Botswana 1 3

Canada 3 8

China 1 4

Note: Only two adjudicators were able to deliver results in China’s Round 4 debate. This result is therefore still to be conﬁrmed.

Czech Republic 2 5

Denmark 0 3

England 4 12

Estonia 2 6

Germany 1 2

Greece 3 8

Hong Kong 2 7

India 3 8

Indonesia 2 7

Ireland 2 6

Note: Only two adjudicators were able to deliver results in Irelands’s Round 4 debate. This result is therefore still to be conﬁrmed.

Israel 2 7

Japan 0 1

Korea 4 11

Kuwait 0 1

Lithuania 3 8

Malaysia 3 7

Mexico 2 6

Moldova 0 0

Mongolia 0 0

Netherlands 3 7

New Zealand 4 11

Nigeria 0 0

Pakistan 2 7

Peru 2 5

Philippines 2 7

Qatar 2 4

Romania 2 7

Scotland 3 9

Singapore 4 12

Slovakia 2 7

Slovenia 2 7

South Africa 4 11

Sri Lanka 2 5

Swaziland 1 4

Sweden 0 1

Thailand 2 6

Turkey 2 6

UAE 3 7

USA 2 6

Wales 4 11

Zimbabwe 1 4

ESU & Claremont Colleges Foster Middle School Debate in New Jersey

2012-01-20T05:44:00.002-05:00

English-Speaking Union Hosts Garden State Debate League Tournament for Middle School Students

THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY 2012 12:33

New York, NY—The English-Speaking Union of the United States, in collaboration with Claremont McKenna College, is holding a Garden State Debate League tournament for middle school students on Saturday, January 28th, 9 am-4:30 pm, at Red Bank Charter School in Red Bank, NJ (59 Oakland Street, Red Bank).

The Garden State Debate League is part of a national network of middle school debate programs established ten years ago by Claremont McKenna College to integrate public speaking and debating into the school curriculum for young adolescents.

Competing for trophies in the categories of Best Speaker, Top Team and Best Overall School, more than 70 students from Stone Bridge Middle School (Upper Freehold Regional Schools), Red Bank Charter School, Mother Teresa Regional School (Atlantic Highlands), Our Lady of Sorrows School (Hamilton), Bolger Middle School (Keansburg), and Barkalow Middle School (Freehold) will pose well-researched arguments on topics: Schools should be peanut free; New Jersey's bullying laws do more harm than good; the United States should increase its use of solar power; the European Union should drop the Euro; and the Occupy Wall Street movement is good for America.

Established this school year, the Garden State Debate League promotes sophisticated public speaking, critical thinking, research, argumentation and refutation skills through school classes and inter-school competitions. Public, charter, independent and parochial middle schools in Monmouth County are invited to participate.

Coach Judi Hoffman from Stone Bridge Middle School explains the power of debate: “Teaching has many rewarding moments, but when you witness a Middle School Debate you will be truly amazed. A must see event for all educators and parents. A learning lab where young adolescents enter informed and leave empowered. They are a force to be reckoned with.”

The English-Speaking Union is a non-profit, non-political educational organization whose mission is to celebrate English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators, and members. The ESU carries out its work through a network of 70 Branches across the United States, sponsoring a variety of language and international education programs.

Through middle school debate leagues, the English-Speaking Union teaches the art of public speaking and debate, and improves the state of civil discourse among our country’s younger citizens.

DLSU WUDC 2012 Evaluation

2012-01-20T05:03:00.000-05:00

Again, we would like to thank you for allowing us to take you to Manila. It has been our pleasure to host you last December 27, 2011 - January 4, 2012. We would appreciate your help by completing this short evaluation form so that we can further improve on our hosting and provide constructive feedback to all parties involved in the preparations.

Please visit www.dlsuworlds.com or directly to this link to be able to answer our online evaluation form. For those who cannot access google docs, please send us your feedback by sending us an email to info@dlsuworlds.com.

Thank you very much!

Missing you guys dearly, ;)

Gabriel Romeo Ferriols Pavico
Project Coordinator
De La Salle Worlds 2012

James Taylor - Debate Changes Lives, Like His

2012-01-19T21:50:00.002-05:00

Debate coach plays important role, mentors K-State forensics program

By Jakki Thompson

Published: Thursday, January 19, 2012
Updated: Thursday, January 19, 2012 09:01

On a campus with many student activities and organizations, the K-State forensics team plays a prominent role for the people who are interested in speech-related hobbies.

One of the newest coaches to the debate side of forensics is William Taylor, graduate student in communication studies and graduate teaching assistant for public speaking courses here on campus.

"I have debated for the better majority of my life," Taylor said. "I debated all four years of high school, three years in college and then went into coaching."

Taylor debated at Missouri State University for a year then transferred to Truman State University and debated there for two years. After three years of debate, he decided to go into coaching. His first coaching job was at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. After this, Taylor moved to Kansas and coached at Emporia State University for 12 years before coming to K-State.

"I knew the director and the assistant directors of debate here at K-State," Taylor said. "They were and are still really good friends of mine. This is a very welcoming and supportive environment. A lot of other schools don't have this kind of environment when it comes to debate and other forensics."

He went on to further explain that K-State was ideal for his graduate school option in communications studies. Taylor said the graduate program has a lot of flexibility with the scheduling of classes he needs to take for his graduate program and for the classes he needs to teach.

"Now that I'm in Manhattan, I have realized something very odd about Emporia," Taylor said. "I realized that there are no grocery stores in Emporia that have salad bars. The first time I ever went to Hy-Vee here in Manhattan, I felt like I was in heaven. But even with that, I do miss all of the genuine authentic Mexican restaurants in Emporia."

Taylor said one of the most important things he had accomplished since joining debate many years ago was learning how to research. Because of his debate research, Taylor said he was exposed to different theories about social justice and different thoughts of philosophers.

"When I was debating in college, Taylor actually judged me in debated rounds," said Sarah Green, assistant director for the K-State debate program and professor of communication studies. "I looked up to him and he was always one of my favorite people."

Green said that it is a wonderful experience to be able to work with Taylor as he has amazing evidence production and is always the go-to person when it comes to how to support an argument or to block a different argument.

"He is familiar with so many different types of arguments because of all of his years of debating and coaching," Green said. "He works well with all sorts of different people. He can help all sorts of debaters find places to get citations and to fill research gaps in their cases and arguments."

Taylor said that he thinks people who are not involved in debate don't understand how debaters are so committed to the activity. He said that each semester, the debaters do a lot of research and that the work load is comparable to the work involved with producing a graduate-level thesis.

"I have seen people grow, both as people and as debaters," Taylor said. "I used to coach at a high school level debate camp at the University of Kansas in the summer. I would later see these students go through high school, then judge them in college and watch them go on and coach at the collegiate level and find their own program."

Most graduate teaching assistants are usually in their early 20s or straight out of their undergraduate degree. Taylor, on the other hand, was able to gain more than a decade of experience before coming to K-State. Green said that the K-State debate team is very lucky to have Taylor as a coach.

"It is clear to me that the experience of debate fundamentally changes lives," Green said. "People think that I believe that because I am a debate coach, but I hear this all the time from people — that debate has changed their lives."

WSDC 2012 Capetown Results After Two Debates

2012-01-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

TEAM WINS JUDGES

Argentina 1 3

Australia 1 3

Bangladesh 0 2

Bermuda 0 0

Botswana 1 3

Canada 2 5

China 1 3

Czech Republic 1 3

Denmark 0 1

England 2 6

Estonia 1 3

Germany 0 0

Greece 2 5

Hong Kong 1 4

India 1 2

Indonesia 1 3

Ireland 1 3

Israel 1 4

Japan 0 1

Korea 2 6

Kuwait 0 0

Lithuania 1 4

Malaysia 2 4

Mexico 1 4

Moldova 0 0

Mongolia 0 0

Netherlands 2 4

New Zealand 2 5

Nigeria 0 0

Pakistan 1 3

Peru 1 2

Philippines 1 4

Qatar 1 2

Romania 1 4

Scotland 1 3

Singapore 2 6

Slovakia 1 4

Slovenia 1 4

South Africa 2 5

Sri Lanka 1 2

Swaziland 1 3

Sweden 0 0

Thailand 1 3

Turkey 1 3

UAE 2 5

USA 1 4

Wales 2 5

Zimbabwe 0 1

Follow WSDC 2012 Capetown Results Online

2012-01-19T07:47:00.002-05:00

Hello all – good luck to the competitors in WSDC 2012 which is now underway. Just a reminder you can follow the results of the debates in a number of places, including:

· Official WSDC Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/SchoolsDebate

· WSDC 2012 feed: https://twitter.com/#!/WSDC2012

· WSDC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Schools-Debating-Championships/340591412990

· WSDC website: http://www.schoolsdebate.com/years/2012/

· WSDC 2012 website: http://www.sa-debating.co.za/wsdc/

· And the WSDC blog: http://blog.schoolsdebate.com/

Overwhelmed by choice? Follow @SchoolsDebate and @WSDC2012 on Twitter, or keep visiting the WSDC blog. We’ll post the results as soon as the adjudication team are done with them.

All the best

Trevor Sather

(WSDC Development Committee)

USU 2012 Seeks Judges & Overseas Teams

2012-01-19T07:35:00.002-05:00

Greetings,

I am the Chief Adjudicator at the US Universities Debating Championship 2012 that will take place at WIllamette University in Salem, Oregon 13-15 April 2012. I am working closely with Robert Trapp, the convener.

The website is up and running at http://www.willamette.edu/cla/debate/events/2011_2012/USU2012.html and will grow.

The purpose of this note is to talk about our recruitment efforts for guest judges and teams from abroad.

In terms of judges, we seek to attract outstanding judges to come and help us select the new USA national champion. Judges with excellent qualifications are invited to to apply to attend. All judges with WUDC experience are invited to attend at no fee. For those who need support, we would ask you to:

Send a brief judging CV and an expression of interest.
If you need subsidy, please indicate the minimum amount of subsidy that you will need. Funds are limited, as the tournament has no major sponsor and operates on entry fees and must break even. Asking for small amounts increases the likelihood that you will receive subsidy.
We will examine applications on a regular basis and submit requests to Robert Trapp for the final decision, as he is in charge of funding for this event.
If you receive a subsidy, we would like to arrange reimbursement of travel expenses. You just retain all receipts AND boarding passes and submit them at the tournament for reimbursement of the agreed on sum. USA regulations are fairly strict here, but we will be glad to help you comply with these.
We may be able to offer housing in complementary hotel rooms we are negotiating. Nothing fancy, and there will be no single rooms, but it should be comfortable. Housing is limited to those who apply early.
We will try to reply quickly so that you can make travel arrangements at low cost.
Those judges who may already be in the USA at other events, such as the HWS Round Robin or the Colgate IV, should consider adding this tournament to their itinerary.

In terms of teams from beyond North America, we urge you to attend what will be a large and highly competitive tournament. Fees will be waived but there are no travel subsidies available. While non-USA teams can win the tournament, they cannot be the USA national champion as that is reserved for the highest ranking team from a school in the USA. No hybrid teams can be entered. As with judges, if you are in the USA for other vents, you are welcome at USU2012.

Judges and teams should also consider attending the America's Cup 2012, also at Willamette, taking place the day before USU, especially judges. Teams should also consider applying for this exciting event. http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/americascup/Welcome.html

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from many of you and greeting you at USU.

Best wishes,

Alfred "Tuna" Snider

alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Ten Teams Announced for America's Cup

2012-01-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Participate in the Race for the America's Cup!

Teams composed of any two individuals from any nation may apply for a space in the America’s Cup Debates, to be held 12 April 2012 on the campus of Willamette University in Oregon, the day before the US Universities Debating Championship. Sixteen teams will be chosen for the contest, a seeding round, a quarterfinal, semifinal and then a final round to occur in the evening as a major public debate. The format is WUDC.

Here are the teams so far accepted into the America’s Cup competition for 2012.

In no particular order:

Josh Martin & Buzz Klinger (Tennis & HWS)
Paul Gross & Drew Adamczyk (Vermont)
Travis Steele & Austin Thoma (Colgate)
Colin Etnire & Ian Malamud (Bates)
Colin Murphy & Aaron Baker (Cal-Davis & Portland State)
Brian Farnham & Michael Wilson (Michigan)
John Patrick & Ryan Mansell (LaVerne)
Rohan Grey & Agnes Nam (Columbia)
Emily Ravenscroft & Courtney Pickard (Loyola Marymount)
Kaleb Brooks & Jon Denzler (Regis University)

Six more needed.

Judges so far:

Bojana Skrt, Slovenia
Marcus Paroske, Michigan
Rob Ruiz, LaVerne
JJ Rodriguez or James Kilcup, Loyola Marymount
Alfred Snider, Vermont
Rob Margesson, Regis

MORE JUDGES NEEDED! PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JUDGE!

For more information, go to
http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/americascup/

Qatar Schools Debating League Grows and Glows

2012-01-17T05:07:00.000-05:00

Qatar Academy tops in schools debating league

More than 120 students from 22 schools recently participated in the third Qatar Schools Debating League, organised by QatarDebate and hosted at the Tareq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for boys.
Qatar Academy’s team finished first in the competition, followed by DPS Modern Indian School and the Amna Bint Wahab Independent Secondary School for Girls in second and third respectively.
Member of Team Qatar 2011, Yousif Fakhroo welcomed the students to the event, and provided them with advice and a number of debating tips, stating that comprehensive preparation is the most important aspect of a debate. The tournament centred around four motions: ‘This House Believes (THB) that newly democratised Arab nations should not allow religious parties to participate in elections,’ ‘THB that developing nations should place limits on migration from the countryside into cities,’ ‘This House would punish parents who smoke in the home,’ and ‘This House would ban the trade and sale of animal fur.’
The award for best speaker was presented to Doha College’s Mustafa el-Mumin, with Jonathan Coutinho, Abdullah al-Shackarchi, P Vainatheya, Shima Abdulla, Paul Illori, Leen Walid, Anton Paulson, Wessam Kanes and Vane Swetah comprising the top ten individuals of the day.
Head of the English programme at QatarDebate, Kelley Bieringer expressed her pleasure at the success of the league and the introduction of a number of new schools to debating.
Officials from host school, Tareq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for boys said they were pleased to host the event, and explained that most of their students have been learning about debating, highlighting the positive impact that it has had on their schoolwork.
“The school is very concerned about the art of debate and believes in its great importance for the educational process,” they said, expressing their commitment to support future activities organised by QatarDebate.
Some 63 judges took part in the tournament, including Khalid al-Khulaifi, who highlighted the impact of debate on students’ educational, practical and personal lives.
He said: “The most important characteristic of the third league is significant participation by schools’ students, pointing out that the level of the participants is in continuous progress and improving the great efforts of QatarDebate Centre.”
Students, Mariam al-Manaai and Leen Walid expressed their happiness at the strong performance of their Amna Bint Wahab team in the competition, noting that participating in debating has helped improve their studies.
Fellow student Nada Nabil said: “The debates give students a space to be creative, and grow their minds in order to be updated with the education revolution through the development of the art of debate culture and dialogue, and to accept others’ opinions and to listen to others.”
The schools which participated in the competition included the Al Arqam Academy, Al Resala ISSG, Al Wakra ISSB, Ali Bin Jassim ISSB, Al Sailiyyah ISSG, Amna Bint Wahab ISSG, Arwa Bint Abdul Muttalib ISSG, Birla Public School, Cambridge International School for Girls, Doha College, DPS-Modern Indian School, Khalifa ISSB, MES Indian School , Mosab Bin Omair ISSB, Omar Bin Abdul Aziz ISSB, Omar Bin Khattab ISSB, Park House, Pakistan Education Centre, Qatar Academy, Raba’a Al Adawiya ISSG, Rauda Bint Jassim ISSG and Tareq Bin Ziyad ISSB.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=481317&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

US Universities 2012 Willamette, Oregon

2012-01-16T11:48:00.001-05:00

http://www.willamette.edu/cla/debate/events/2011_2012/USU2012.html

United States Universities Debate Championships

Willamette University
April 13 - 15, 2012

Invitation

On behalf of the staff and students of the Willamette University Debate Union and the Philomathean Society, I am happy to invite you and your best British Parliamentary debating teams attend the United States Universities Debate Championships. The USU debates will be held on our campus on April 13 - 15, 2012.

The tournament will host an open competition in British Parliamentary debate based on the model of the World Universities Debate Championships. The tournament will consist of six preliminary and four elimination debates. The tournament will use tight motions and concensus judging with decisions revealed at the conclusion of each debate.

Because of space limitations, we will limit the tournament to 200 teams and will initially limit each institution to six teams. Registration will be conducted using forensictournament.net. Registration will open on January 20, 2012. On February 15, we will close registration and calculate the number of teams and judges entered. After February 15, we will ask all schools to confirm the number of teams and judges. After we have a good idea of the number of teams and judges entered, we will then allow schools to request to bring additional teams beyond the initial maximum of six.

Each institution is expected to bring a minimum of one judge. The total number of judges required for every school is the number of of entered teams minus 1 (N - 1). If you are unable to bring enough judges to cover your teams we will do our best to hire one for you at a cost of $250 per uncovered team. All judges are required to attend the judge training on Friday morning and all those wishing to be considered as a panel chair are required to attend the chair's training.

Participation fees are $120 per team and $60 per judge. Fees will be waived for any schools from Europe, Asia, or any continent other than North America. Checks for tournament fees should be made to Willamette University. Tournament fees are due on the first day the tournament and schools who have not paid fees will not be allowed to participate.

Teams traveling from a distance will wish to fly to Portland International Airport (PDX), approximately 1 hour drive to Salem. The airport contains a number of rental car facilities and a shuttle service called the Hut (http://www.hutshuttle.com/) is available for a $64 round trip.

We hope you are able to join us for the US Universities Debate Championships in April.

For the Willamette University Debate Union,

Robert Trapp

DLSU 2012 WUDC Briefing Document Now Available

2012-01-16T11:36:00.001-05:00

This is a useful document for those new to the activity as well as for those considering debater and judge briefings at their own tournaments.

This document reflects the views and preferences of the specific adjudication group at DLSU Worlds, and does not represent a set of "rules" but one approach to this format of debate.

http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/dlsu_wudc_2012_briefing.pdf

Dutch Open 2012

2012-01-16T07:06:00.000-05:00

On the 30th and 31st of March the Erasmus Debating Society and the Leiden Debating Union will bring you the very first Dutch Open!

Registration:
Teams: € 50-
Judges: Free
Team cap is 52 teams
N-1 will apply for domestic institutions. There is no judging rule for non-domestic institutions, but we welcome and encourage them to send judges.
An institutional cap of 3 will apply to Dutch institutions

At this moment crash is only guaranteed for non-domestic institutions and those having to travel far (e.g. Groningen/Middelburg)

Reg is open now!https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGpnUzYwM0NtNjg5dFBJNlZhOVhwSkE6MQ
Registration will be open till the 1st of March, more information concerning payment will be sent after registration.

The IV:
5 preliminary rounds
7 min speeches
Break to semi’s
Novice final!
All meals provided on Friday and Saturday
Two Socials!

CA-Team:
Will soon be announced!

Location:
The Dutch Open takes place at the Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw in Leiden

Leiden is only a 20 min train ride away from Schiphol Airport(Amsterdam). But has good public transport connections to Rotterdam and Eindhoven Airport as well. If you are traveling from Germany or France the train would also be a good option to consider.

From Leiden central station it is only a short walk to the university

address:
Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw (KOG)
Steenschuur 25
2311 ES Leiden

Time Table:
Friday
14.00 reg
15.30 Welcome and announcements
16.30 Dinner
18.30 round 1
20.30 Round 2
22.00 Social

Saturday:
10.00 reg
11.15 round 3
13.00 lunch
13.45 round 4
15.30 round 5
17.30 semi finals
19.30 dinner
21.30 finals
23.30 Social + results

More info:dutchdebatingopen@gmail.com

China Open 2012

2012-01-15T23:48:00.001-05:00

http://willamette.edu/cla/debate/events/2011_2012/ChinaOpen2012.html

China Open 2012
Willamette University, the International Debate Education Association, and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics proudly announce the Third Annual China Open to be held on May 25 - 27, 2011. The tournament will feature competition in three divisions: English and Mandarin divisions of British Parliamentary debate and an English division of Moot Court.

Invitation
Schedule
Registration Information

Huge California Schools Tournament Empowers Youth Through Speech and Debate

2012-01-15T06:59:00.003-05:00

Logan to Host National Speech and Debate Tournament

The Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational tournament begins Friday and runs through Sunday

January 10, 2012

The James Logan High School Forensics team will welcome high school speech and debate competitors from across the country this weekend for the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.

Logan’s campus will be filled with over 1,600 high school students from 77 different schools. While the majority of teams competing are from California, the tournament will also welcome teams from as far as Wyoming and Mississippi.

The director of the James Logan Forensics Team, Tommie Lindsey, is excited this tournament continues to bring many competitors together from a wide array of locations as they compete and refine their public speaking skills.

“The competitors are able to mingle with others interested in the activity and live out the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. through speech and debate,” Lindsey said.

This is the largest speech and debate tournament hosted by Logan during the year and is a great opportunity for members of the community to see the talents of Logan students.

“I want people to know that James Logan Forensics is regarded and respected throughout the state for being one of the top public school programs,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey notes the importance the tournament has on the local community and encourages members of the community to participate in the program.

“Economically, it brings in a lot of revenue for local restaurants, hotels and other establishments,” Lindsey said. “Culturally, it fosters the diversity that this community so strongly represents.”

Lindsey emphasizes this tournament provides students the opportunity to have a voice and express themselves – something that has become increasingly difficult in tough economic times.

“It’s extremely difficult seeing how a lot of students are unable to pay for competitions. We try our best to hold everything together, and it’s not easy,” Lindsey said.

Despite the economic difficulties, Lindsey is excited about the tournament and encourages members of the community to join in welcoming the high school competitors and share in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

For more information about the James Logan Forensics program and the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational, visit jlhsforensics.org.

Additional Information

Who: James Logan High School Forensics (Speech and Debate)

What: Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational

Where: James Logan High School, Union City, CA

When: Friday, January 13, (last afternoon and evening), Saturday, January 14 (all day) and Sunday, January 15 (all day)

Why: The tournament is a positive community event that embraces public speaking. Many competitors at this tournament will go to the California State Tournament and the National Tournament. Members of the community are encouraged to watch and judge. Anyone over 18 can judge.

There are numerous acting events ranging from humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, thematic interpretation and original prose and poetry.

There are a range of debate events including Lincoln – Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, and Parliamentary Debate.

There are “platform” events including Expository, Original Advocacy, and Extemporaneous speaking.

How: Those who want to judge can meet in the James Logan Old Gym where they can sign up.

Global Debate Times January 14 2012

2012-01-15T00:21:00.000-05:00

http://paper.li/asnider/1314018022

GLOBAL DEBATE TIMES
Follow the world of international debating in one convenient space. Stories are gathered from Global Debate Blog as well as Debate Video Blog for your enjoyment. This format may be easier for you to deal with than those blogspot blogs, and it happens here automatically.

http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com
http://debatevideoblog/blogspot.com

Also thanks to Colm Flynn, Paul Lau and other debate information champions we link to.
http://worlddebating.blogspot.com

alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Peru Bids for WSDC 2014

2012-01-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

See the bid document at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/peru_wsdc_bid_2014.pdf

Dear all

Please find attached the bid from the Peruvian delegation to host WSDC 2014. Sixto Ramos will make a short presentation about this bid at the start of the Tournament Committee meeting on 24 January and there will be an opportunity for delegates to ask questions afterwards.

Best wishes

Beth James

--
Chair, WSDC Ltd Tournament Executive Committee

UC Berkeley & Diversity of Jewish Debate

2012-01-13T09:34:00.004-05:00

Debate among all Jewish groups belongs at U.C. Berkeley

by Noah Stern

Thursday, January 12, 2012

In the secular press, U.C. Berkeley is portrayed as a diverse, vibrant, intellectual environment where award-winning faculty receive accolades for their research, and students engage in lively political and ethical discourse.

In the Jewish press, U.C. Berkeley is a dark, foreboding institution rife with anti-Semitism that is hostile to Jews and Israel while being the focal point for anti-Zionist agitation in the country, if not the world.

As the former student body president, and a senior at Cal who has been intimately involved in most of the issues that have garnered headlines in the Jewish press, I want to set the record straight.

In November, U.C. Berkeley’s Jewish Student Union (JSU) voted to bar a J Street U chapter from gaining membership and, predictably, the Jewish press was awash with articles and opinion pieces claiming that J Street U and other progressive Jewish organizations at Berkeley are symptomatic of the anti-Israel sentiments that pervade the campus.

Those who decry the lively debate about Israel taking place at U.C. Berkeley among the Jewish students are wrong, and those who declare it “anti-Israel” could not be further from the truth.

First, it must be revealed that despite its misleadingly inclusive name, the Jewish Student Union is not necessarily representative of the broader Jewish community at U.C. Berkeley.

The JSU does a fantastic job of distributing student government funds to JSU member organizations. It is an assembly of some of the more active members of Jewish student groups, but “active” should not be confused with “majority opinion.” If asked to weigh in on the recent decision by the JSU, most Jewish students at Berkeley would probably have responded with a perplexed “the JS- who?”

The two groups that have been the focus of the recent round of articles and editorials are J Street U and the progressive Jewish group Kesher Enoshi. There is no doubt that these groups support left-leaning causes. They are not unlike thousands of Jews throughout this country and in Israel who, to quote journalist-author Peter Beinart, choose not to “check their liberalism at Zionism’s door.” In fact, their views are not out of sync with Israeli political parties such as Kadima or Meretz.

On a campus where students are thirsty to learn about progressive issues, Kesher Enoshi has hosted programs discussing Bedouin rights, Muslim-Jewish dialogue and peace-building initiatives in Israel. Many of these programs drew rapt audiences.

Because of their important work in presenting Israel in new ways, and their right to their own beliefs on Israeli politics, I reject assertions that these left-leading Jewish student organizations are not worthy of recognition by the larger U.C. Berkeley Jewish community. In an era when the very participation of the next Jewish generation is in question, can we afford to shut the doors on these passionate students?

During a BDS campaign (boycott, divestment and sanctions) at U.C. Berkeley in 2010, a bill went before the student senate asking the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) to divest from several companies doing business with Israel. Few outsiders realized that the most compelling points made to the non-Jewish student senators were those that reflected less dogmatic, more balanced opinions. Jewish students who stood up and could articulate a cohesive pro-Israel argument that acknowledged the criticisms and even the blemishes on Israel’s record were the ones who carried the day.

If young Israel advocates are to succeed in the work the Jewish community demands of them, they must be able to engage all opinions and be challenged even within the Jewish community. I witnessed their effectiveness because I was one of the ASUC senators who spent countless hours lobbying votes, coordinating with Hillel staff, scheduling meetings with the Israeli consul general and ensuring that the divestment legislation failed on the Berkeley campus.

Even in the midst of high-profile Israel-related political activity, and contrary to popular belief, Jewish students at U.C. Berkeley do not feel threatened, under attack or marginalized.

A recent study sponsored by the U.C. Berkeley Office of Planning and Analysis — titled “University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey” and sent to all U.C. Berkeley students — showed that of students who self-identified as Jewish, 91 percent responded, “I feel I belong on this campus,” a full 4 percentage points higher than the university average.

Furthermore, 90 percent of Jewish students at U.C. Berkeley said, “Knowing what I know now, I would choose to re-enroll on this campus.”

I hope prospective Jewish students read these numbers and realize Berkeley is a safe campus for Jewish students. While the scaremongering of right-leaning Israel advocacy organizations may make for effective fundraising, it is an inaccurate portrayal of Jewish life at Berkeley and undermines the potential of the campus to recruit effective Israel advocates that can actively engage the real detractors of Israel that are indeed present on this campus.

The truth about Jewish life at U.C. Berkeley is that passionate student leadership has created a vibrant community. These students engage in heated political debates regarding Israeli politics, but also support spirited Jewish life that includes holiday celebrations and service projects.

Berkeley Hillel is at the center of Jewish activity for the U.C. Berkeley campus and has shown incredible fortitude in the way it supports diverse politics and strong pro-Israel programming.

I hope that, in the future, my peers have the strength to rise above the example being set by some in the broader Jewish community — and strive to be more welcoming of differing viewpoints.

Noah Stern is a fourth-year student at U.C. Berkeley majoring in political economy. He was the 2010-11 president of ASUC and is currently a member of the Berkeley Hillel board of directors.

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/63918/debate-among-all-jewish-groups-belongs-at-u.c.-berkeley/

University of Sydney Debaters have Fearsome Global Reputation

2012-01-13T08:30:00.003-05:00

Battling with peers for argument's sake
January 14, 2012

University of Sydney debaters have a fearsome global reputation, says Michael Koziol.

Many would kill to be as comfortable behind the microphone as Eleanor Jones. An arts and law student at the University of Sydney, the 22-year-old is already a remarkable intellect and speaker and able to weave original aphorisms off the cuff while eliciting rapturous applause for each devastating blow landed against the opposition.

Her skills have been honed in the highly competitive arena of university debating. She and her teammate Daniel Swain returned this week from the 2012 World Universities Debating Championship in Manila, after reaching the grand final, which was narrowly won by a team from Monash University in Melbourne.

''There's always a lot of controversy in the worlds grand final,'' Jones says. ''I would say we were probably the crowd favourite. But that never made me feel comfortable because, as tradition goes, it is never the crowd favourite which wins.''

The deciding motion, ''This house supports nationalism'', was unusually brief and non-specific, with competing definitions of nationalism adding complexity to the debate.

Debating is a troublesomely subjective sport and in grand finals, with panels of seven or nine adjudicators, a unanimous verdict - as was the case this year - is rare.

''As a competitive activity it is quite arbitrary,'' says Jones, the incumbent Australasian Best Speaker. ''Ultimately, when you get to that really high level, good people will and should disagree on debates which are that close.''

Debate in Manila adhered to the British parliamentary format of four teams: two defended the proposition while two opposed.

Like watching Roger Federer in his prime, it is said that hearing debating at its elite level is to witness an art form. Students are given 15 minutes to prepare for topics as diverse as invading Zimbabwe, forcing fathers to take paternity leave and banning all private healthcare. They speak for seven minutes each, often at bewildering speed. The format allows opposing teams to raise ''points of information'' mid-speech, often turning a civilised stage into a flurry of raised hands and impatient interjections, not unlike a real parliament.

It is a far cry from high school debating where staccato speeches on uniforms or junk food are delivered to a restless and malicious class only too ready to laugh at the slightest stumble.

The University of Sydney has been ranked the best in the world at debating since 2007. It led the unofficial ratings last year with 506 points to Oxford's 458. Yale placed third on 394.

That year, Sydney students Julia Bowes and Anna Garsia were last minute starters in the world competition at Canada's University of British Columbia. In a tale which has entered debating folklore, they won the tournament, defeating teams from Oxford, Cambridge and the University of Queensland in the grand final. They were only the second all-female duo to win the championship.

Since then Sydney has appeared in the grand final every year except 2008, bringing home the trophy again in 2010. At the most recent championship, students Paul Karp and Patrick Caldwell were respectively named the fourth and seventh best speakers in the world.

The university enters the annual Australian University Debating Championships each year as the most-feared institution and presumptive favourite.

The success is in large part due to the commitment of the University of Sydney Union, the largest student union in Australia, which was founded as a debating society in 1874. The director of student and community programs, Alistair Cowie, says debating is part of the union's DNA. ''We do invest quite heavily in debating: it's our football team, if you will,'' he says.

Such expenditure includes subsidies to attend interstate and overseas tournaments: up to $3000 per student for worlds, and $2000 for the Australian championship. It sent 10 debaters to this year's worlds and 21 to last year's domestic tournament.

But unlike American universities, Sydney does not hire professional coaches for its teams. Weekly training sessions are conducted by senior debaters, who are also appointed to advise younger teams preparing for novice tournaments.

''It is all done peer-to-peer, and I think that is one of its strengths,'' says Cowie. ''Good students foster good students, they recognise talent and skills in others and nurture those, because they see that as their legacy when they leave the university.''

Graduates of the debating program are peppered across public life. Past competitors include the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, the Environment Minister, Tony Burke, the former prime minister John Howard, the federal MP Bronwyn Bishop and the former High Court Justice Michael Kirby. Adam Spencer, breakfast announcer for 702 ABC Sydney, won the worlds' ''best speaker'' prize in 1994 and frequently returns for debating events.

Despite the impression that they are destined for parliamentary dispatch boxes or the courts, Jones says most debaters eschew the limelight, preferring behind the scenes work.

''I think debaters would find politics quite frustrating, because it would be so one-eyed, to one side of an argument,'' she says. ''There is a very significant tendency for debaters to go into public service as opposed to more notable careers … not that being in the public service isn't a notable career.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/battling-with-peers-for-arguments-sake-20120113-1pz29.html#ixzz1jLQFOVph

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