27 January 2003
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News
from Vermont Debate AKA The Voice of Edwin is the weekly newsletter
of the Edwin Lawrence Debate Union at the University of Vermont, an
endowed co-curricular program which trains students in debating and
sponsors national competition and community events. The newsletter is
published every Tuesday during the school year and infrequently at other
times. Alfred C. Snider is the Director. 802-656-0097 voice, 802-238-8345
mobile, 802-656-4275 fax, asnider@zoo.uvm.edu
email, and http://debate.uvm.edu/ldu.html
web site. |
The Lawrence Debate Union showed its wide reach and its determination in a flurry of activities since the last newsletter. We have been busy and now here are some details! For a more complete report on these four weeks see Coach Snider's journal of the trip (with many photos) available later this week at http://debate.uvm.edu/travel/2continents03/2continents03.html.
| Speaking drills during prep week | Alumni visitors: Aby Trebilcock, Sarah
Snider, Dan Gareau |
LDU debaters gathered for an intense week of preparation between Christmas and the new year. Days consisted of practice debates, speaking drills, research, strategy sessions, developing answers, and organizing of files. Several social occasions also marked that time. Thanks to alumni who stopped by, including Abigail Trebilcock, office manager of Dean for President, Sarah Snider, program manager of the Marshall Brennan Urban Debate League in Washington, DC, Dan Gareau, biomedical laser engineer at Oregon Health & Science University, and Michael Calore, now operating as DJ Snackfight in San Francisco.
| Group shot in KC | Coaches consult and plan | Carlos Varela & Colin
Kern | Inside Arthur Bryant's famous barbecue pit |
The LDU sent a young squad to the Midwest to test their strengths at tournaments held by William Jewell College and the university of Missouri at Kansas City. Four teams attended, including Brian Cole & Jillian Marty, Carlos Varela & Colin Kern, Kayce Massey & Michael Malone, and Lindsey Melander & Eric Mates. All teams entered divisions above their eligibility level, so it was clear that it would be a learning experience. At the first tournament no teams reached the elimination rounds, but Carlos & Colin made the novice break out round and defeated the University of Rochester 3-0. At the second tournament the records were better but the elimination results were still the same, except that Colin & Carlos lost the novice breakout final to Northern Iowa 2-1. Thus, the LDU did not get a three-peat of winning the swing sweepstakes awards, but it was clear that the debaters benefited hugely from the experience and grew visibly as the tournaments went on, finishing the UMKC tournament with a 7-1 run in the last two debates. Records at Jewell were 9-20 and at UMKC 13-20. LDU took first place novice at Jewell & second place novice at UMKC. Special thanks to supporter Greg Turner for feeding us and making us feel welcome in KC!
| Serbia Vs Bosnia & Herzegovina debaters after round | Jen Knops,
Coach Snider, & Brian Cole in Serbian national parliament chamber |
Having been involved in the rise of debating in the former Yugoslavia since 1995, it was a great honor to return to Belgrade for the 2003 Belgrade open. Teams from 12 different nations entered this English language tournament with parliamentary debating (receive topic 15 minutes before the debate, no quoted material may be used). Brian Cole & Jen Knops represented the LDU at its first parliamentary debate competition and had a 3-3 record, losing their break round to Kazakhstan. The tournament was a fantastic experience, allowing for a lot of international networking and involvement. LDU debater Brian Cole also performed at the poetry slam. Both Jen and Brian had very glowing reports about both international debating and parliamentary debating. After the tournament Coach Snider held a day-long debate training seminar for debaters from a number of different nations, sponsored by the Yugoslav University Debate Network.
| Workshop for teachers in Ljutomer, Slovenia | Coach Snider is interviewed
by Slovenian national television |
Coach Snider was invited by the Slovenian national debate program (ZiP, Za in Proti, "Pro and Contra") to come to Slovenia for five days after the Belgrade Open for training seminars with teachers and students. The program featured over eight workshops and seven media interviews. There were also two requested public lectures on current public policy issues of national interest in Slovenia, namely USA unilateralism, the wars on terrorism and Iraq, and the role of the media in the USA. The lectures were entitled "The American mind in the age of terrorism" and were very warmly received. Special thanks go to Bojana Skrt and the Slovenian organizers for their hospitality and support.
TOPIC AND TRAVEL2002-2003 topic:
Resolved that the United States Federal Government should ratify or accede
to, and implement, one or more of the following: The Comprehensive Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty; The Kyoto Protocol; The Rome Statute on the International
Criminal Court; The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
The treaty between the United States of America and the Russian federation
on Strategic Offensive Reductions, if not ratified by the United States.
CORNELL IS NEXT!
VANS LEAVE FRIDAY AT NOON, 2 PM & 5:15 PM
Teams: Colin & Carlos, Jillian & Sheila, Brian & Jen, Lana &
Teresa, Eric & Lindsey, Tim & Kayce, Leo & KT, Michael & Ryan
Judges: Tuna, Helen, Justin, Aaron, Matt, Gordie, Greta & perhaps more!
We stay at the Wonderland Motel, 654 Elmira Street, Ithaca
LDU travel schedule
for Spring, 2003:
February, 1-2 Cornell, 7-9 Western Washington, 21-23 Kansas, 2/28-3/2 East
Regionals/D8 at UVM
March, 14-16 Towson, 20-24 CEDA Nationals, AZ
April, 3-7 NDT, GA
May, TBA Tercer Torneo Hispanoamericano de Debate in Honduras
RESEARCH THIS WEEKJillian Marty
is our research director.
THE RESEARCH LIST IS POSTED IN THE OFFICE! ALL ARGUMENTS MUST BE FINISHED
BY THURSDAY EVENING!
FROM THE SQUAD MEETING
FLASHPOINT
TELEVISION SHOW
SQUAD
MEETING |
|
WINS |
LOSSES |
% |
SEMESTER ONE |
189 |
|
48.5% |
WJC, UMKC, BELGRADE |
22 |
40 |
|
211 |
240 |
46.7% |
UVM DEBATE IS CURRENTLY #8 IN
THE CEDA NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2002-2003
UVM Debate was #9 in both major national polls for debate in the USA for the
2001-2002 season.
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