6 April 2004
6 April 2004| 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, alfred.snider@uvm.edu email, and http://debate.uvm.edu/ldu.html web site. |
The final Cross Examination Debate Association sweepstakes numbers are out, and UVM is in the top 20 once again. While expectations were higher for the season, the results show a strong performance by a group of mostly very young debaters. Last year UVM finished at #10 and this year finished at #18. UVM's highest finish in recent years was #5. The sweepstakes numbers are compiled by looking at the performance of the top two years a school sends to a tournament, and looks at the top six tournaments for the entire year. Every preliminary round win is worth one point and each elimination round win is worth one point. Comparisons with last year show that while UVM did well at almost every tournament attended, there were not as many "dominant" tournaments as in previous years, for example, when UVM would "close-out" a tournament or win more than one division at a tournament. "The stage is set for great performances to come," said coach Snider, "as we have recharged the team with intelligent, talented, and motivated young debaters. I am excited about what they will do in the two and three years to come." There could have been a lot more points piled up by UVM chose to enter teams above their eligibility level in order to gain experience quicker even if it meany fewer sweepstakes points.
The year also featured the second consecutive Junior Varsity national championship.
The top 100 is listed below for reference purposes. It is interesting to look at the schools that finished above UVM as well as looking at those who finished below UVM. Many of those finishing below UVM have substantial scholarship programs for debate (UVM has none) as well as substantially larger budgets than UVM's funds available for debate. "We are lucky to have our endowment, which means we can focus on the growth and development of our students," noted Snider, "instead of having to focus on national rankings to justify our funding, as so many schools must."
UVM alumni and former coaches also did well on the list, having HALF of the top ten and those schools are in italics. They include 4 Rochester (Sam Nelson), 5 Oklahoma (Jackie Massey), 6 Kansas (Jan Hovden), 7 Cornell (Jethro Hayman), 8 UMKC (Sarah Snider), 23 Catholic (Paul Kerr & Aaron Fishbone), 30 Iowa (Rae Schwartz), 55 Wichita State (Brian Cole), 82 Marist (Maxwell Schnurer), and 84 Vassar and 85 Bard (Andy Ellis).
| CEDA SCHOOLS 1-33 | CEDA SCHOOLS 34-66 | CEDA SCHOOLS 67-100 |
| 1 Emory 2 Liberty 3 Michigan State 4 Rochester 5 Oklahoma 6 Kansas 7 Cornell 8 UMKC 9 Texas 10 Harvard 11 George Mason 12 SW Missouri 13 Georgia 14 North Texas 15 Wake Forest 16 Central Oklahoma 17 Binghamton 18 Vermont 19 Army 20 Dartmouth 21 CSUFullerton 22 Whitman 23 Catholic 24 San Francisco St 25 Redlands 26 Pepperdine 27 Georgetown 28 Northwestern 29 Idaho State 30 Iowa 31 New York 32 Southern California 33 CSUChico |
34 John Carroll 35 Mary Washington 36 Gonzaga 37 Concordia 38 Louisville 39 CSUNorthridge 40 Weber 41 K State 42 Pittsburgh 43 Samford 44 Wyoming 45 Miami FL 46 Macalester 47 Trinity 48 Cal Poly SLO 49 Texas San Antonio 50 Kentucky 51 Arizona State 52 Emporia State 53 Missouri 54 Wichita State 55 Miami OH 56 Loyola Chicago 57 Augustana IL 58 Alabama 59 Vanderbilt 60 Middle Tenn St 61 Texas Dallas 62 CSULongBeach 63 Southern Illinois 64 Richmond 65 Northern Iowa 66 Georgia State |
67 Clarion 68 Kansas City CC 69 Regis 70 West Virginia 71 Baylor 72 James Madison 73 West Georgia 74 Fort Hays 75 Mercer 76 Texas State 77 Sacramento State 78 Southeast La 79 Capital 80 Towson 81 Western Connecticut 82 Marist 83 Johnson County CC 84 Bard 85 Vassar 86 Western Illinois 87 Wisconsin Osh Kosh 88 Florida 89 Fordham 90 Marquette 91 Piedmont 92 Puget Sound 93 Florida State 94 Pace 95 Columbia 96 Eastern New Mexico 97 Michigan Dearborn 98 Oregon 99 Denver 100 San Diego State |
The
end of the season featured a special guest for the LDU. Bojana Skrt, director
of the Slovenian national debate program, watched us prepare and attend the
JV/Novice Nationals at Towson in order to get a better sense of American debating.
While initially troubled with the fast talking, she developed an ear for it
and began to understand its different nature and some of its complexity. She
also got a chance to see some "performance" debating by several teams.
Bojana has been very successful organizing debating in Slovenia and for four years was the vice president of the International Debate Education Association. Last November she cooperated with WDI to hold a debate workshop in Slovenia where Snider was an instructor. She has received a USA State Department grant to host another such event next November, also in cooperation with WDI.
<== Bojana (in white in middle) with some of her debaters
| Allana Alexander (left) and her
partner, Heather Towne, Rochester novice finals, 1999 |
"I was writing
to say hello and I hope all is well. I wrote you a few years ago but had not
heard back I imagine my mail got lost with the hundreds of emails I am sure
receive daily so I figured I would try again. Based on the debate web site it
seems we are still doing very well as a debate team and that our membership
is expanding, that is a wonderful thing. I have been involved in the debate
community on some level after graduating from UVM. While in law school I judged
some high school debates and in fact saw Will Baker on a few occasions. After
graduation I attended Fordham law school, there I was a member of the Fordham
Moot Court Board, and the Fordham Trial Advocacy program, my team and I actually
one the First Annual Thurgood Marshal Mock Trial competition. I thought the
Lawrence Debate Union was an incredible experience, it brings to one confidence
in public speaking and has fostered within me quick thinking which was so vital
in the competitions; you always had to think on your feet. It was an experience
one cannot acquire in the classroom.
I graduated from law school in May of 2003 and prepared for the NY bar this
past summer, I passed and am now an attorney for the city of New York at the
New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel, there I am
an Assistant Corporation Counsel. I defend the city in Tort actions. It's an
incredible experience, I'm in court at least twice a week I draft motions and
argue them before the judge. I have conducted several depositions already and
enter into discovery schedules with opposing counsel.
I often read the LDU web site, I am so happy to hear about Helen and Justin,
who would have thought then that they were to be married just a few years later.
And congratulations to them and their baby.
Tuna, keep up the good work with the debate team, it was both an honor and a
privilege to work with the great talent that was the team. Our judges were also
extraordinary. When I reflect on my time at UVM that which brings me the greatest
joy and leaves me with a smile on my face is my time debating. I have not only
the awards but the memories as well. If you should need help with any judging
when in New York, don't hesitate to contact me. "
LDU hopes to announce 2004-05 tentative travel schedule soon.
Off season research assignments will be made for the summer.
NOW WITH 284
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS!
Watch Flashpoint from your computer screen whenever you want! You will need
RealPlayer installed on your computer to become a part of our growing audience.
Here are some recent programs now available at http://debate.uvm.edu/flashpoint.html.
Watch on Burlington Channel 15 Wednesday 12:30 PM, Thursday 10 PM, Saturday
1 PM.
Next taping: 4/10 meet at the office at 12:30 Saturday
LAST TAPING: #283 Diet Daze,
#284 Airport Security
SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR NEXT TAPING: #285 Burlington Restaurant Review, #286 New
Right to Life Movement
Panelists: Knops, Massey, Kern, Hoag, Snider
NEW FLASHPOINT NOW AVAILABLE
ONLINE:
#282: Assassination Policy
See them at http://debate.uvm.edu/flashpoint.html
$30 each for alums
and supporters. Send orders to alfred@snider.name or 475 Main, UVM, Burlington,
VT 05405. Make checks payable to Alfred Snider. This is not a UVM project
(so Waterman bureaucrats stay away).
Choose between: Zipper/hooded
or Pullover/hooded.
Colors: Black, Blue, Gray, Green, Heather.
FRONT: Lawrence Debate Union 2004
BACK: DEBATE THIS! (very large) or DEBATE THIS! with a concert style listing
of places visited this year. Places include: Atlanta, Rochester, Croatia,
Burlington, Cambridge, West Point, Miami, Oklahoma City, New York City, Winston-Salem,
Slovenia, Denton, Dallas, Montreal, Ithaca, Chicago, Binghamton, Poughkeepsie,
Baltimore, Louisville, Washington, Beijing.
SQUAD
MEETS AT 6 PM EACH MONDAY NIGHT, 475 MAIN STREET, ALL WELCOME!UVM DEBATE WAS #10 IN THE CEDA
NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2002-2003.
UVM DEBATE IS #18 IN THE CEDA NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2003-2004.
| OUR RECORD | WINS | LOSSES | PERCENTAGE |
| PREVIOUSLY | 244 | 292 | 45.5% |
| EAST REGIONALS | 26 | 32 | |
| JV/NOVICE NATIONALS | 29 | 25 | |
| CEDA NATIONALS | 16 | 25 | |
| 2003-2004 RECORD | 315 | 374 | 45.7% |
| 2003-2003 RECORD | 334 | 384 | 46.5% |
HUBER HOUSE!