HUGE TEAM GEARING UP FOR SEASON
40+ DEBATERS IN MOTION

This time of the season the LDU is recruiting, training and researching before the season begins. By all accounts the season ahead looms as one of promise and challenge.
Recruiting has gone very well. Many new debaters have signed up for the class taught by Justin Morgan Parmett and many others have come to meetings and begin training this week. First year students as well as seniors looking to diversify their college experience are in the fold. Incoming first year Jeffrey Wilson had Justin's sister Meredith (also an LDU alumna) as a high school coach and now he is part of the LDU. People have been trying to recruit Dave Bates, senior, for some time and he is finally joining the squad. And in between there are a flock of fresh energetic faces, brains and mouths gearing up.
The returning teams also reflect a strong squad. Nick Landsman-Roos and Jason Hitchcock are back after their successful end of season last year, qualifying for the NDT and Jason winning JV Nationals. Brady Fletcher, last year's novice national co-champion, will team with Jake Meany, last year's JV National champ, this season. Leslie Keller and Megan Harlow, who debated together last year and were Novice National co-champions, are back and energized for the season. Mike McMahan and Ethan Nelson will be debating together again and hope to stage an innovative argumentative set of performances. Shane Clark and Chase Whiting are back again, and their work effort has been awesome as they develop their own new affirmative case. Julia Benjamin will be debating with Toni Pignatelli who has returned from a semester in South Africa. Novice National co-champion Steffi Kimerer will be debating with incoming Jeffrey Wilson. Matt SIlverman, now editor in chief of THE CYNIC, and Zoe Anderson are paired together for the season, and Zoe has been working exceptionally hard. Debaters Karen Quill and Abram Harrison who joined late last year will be debating together as novices to start the campaign. Matt Jokajtys has recruited a new novice partner and both are in the class. PLUS seven novice teams are in the class and five other novice teams are being trained outside of the class.
The research effort is being closely scrutinized by research director Nick Landsman-Roos and reports indicate that all is coming along well. Coaches are also gearing up for research. the goal is to have a broad variety of arguments so that no one research assignment can stop Vermont due to our argumentative unpredictability.
The coaching staff has been bolstered by former debaters who want to give back. Emily Sanders, Colin Kern, Jen Knops and Kayce Massey will be judging, coaching and training.
And what could it all mean. "It is too early to tell," noted LDU director Snider, "but I like our chances. We have dedicated people, a lot of people, strong support staff and a lot of creative ideas. Whatever our final outcome in terms of national sweepstakes, this is going to be a good year." Time will tell.