14 September 2004
14 September 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. |
| On the set at Flashpoint | Previous Internet debate |
The LDU has received $2000 from the UN Foundation as a part of its series of events called "The People Speak." The UN Foundation, in cooperation with the International Debate Education Association, has called for events across the nation between September 15 and October 15 2004 on the issues of energy security, global prosperity, and the effects of American power. The LDU applied for grant support for four events, and all were granted.
The events include:
A Flashpoint television program on energy security to be taped this Saturday,
September 18;
A Flashpoint television program on US power also to be taped this Saturday;
An internet debate about wind power as a substitute for fossil fuels to be webcast
on September 28; and
A speak out to take place on 23 September on the steps of Royall Tyler Theatre.
Additional events might be added if there is time and ability to organize them before the 15 October deadline. The funds will be used to promote the events as well as to sponsor future public events.
JILL WITNEY is now working at the Dartmouth Medical School in the Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology on a major series of experiments. She hopes to be able to judge for the LDU this year!
MATTHEW SWEENEY
writes: "Since June I have been teaching at Centerpoint School in South
Burlington. Centerpoint is a school for middle school and high school age kids
with behavior problems that public schools are unable to serve. Most of the
students are coming in with mental illness, learning disorders and drug dependency.
As of the fall semester, I have become the art teacher. I am currently teaching
courses in filmmaking and sculpture, with a couple of smaller classes like vegan
sushi making and Frisbee Golf. I can't complain. The kids are tough, but they
are the most rewarding to work with. One of the challenges faced by my students
is being unable to express themselves in ways that others find persuasive, in
order to overcome many of the stigmas that have been attached to them. My debate
experience has definitely come in handy in this regard, being able to help them
understand why people judge them on how they speak, and helping them come up
with rhetorical and behavioral strategies to get their needs met.
Other than that: hoping to finish my masters thesis by december, on the use
of filmmaking as an instruction and assessment tool in the middle school classroom,
and trying to plan a trip to central europe for my winter break."
LISA HELLER is getting married this weekend in Connecticut. More next week, as the VOICE OF EDWIN will be sending a reporter.
LORI SHERMAN
reports from Florida amidst the hurricane conditions: So are you ready for a
real news report?
Here it is: 80% of the hotels and business on Daytona beach are still closed.
Some already have going out of business signs up and as well as "being
condemned signs". 3 story stores that have all glass fronts are totally
broken out and destroyed - Every piece of merchandise ruined. One hotel that
has condos on the top floor are completely gone except for the roof (all windows
and insides blown out of them)
THE HOSPITAL ON THE BEACH SIDE WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER BECAUSE
OF THE DAMAGE!!
60% of homes have roof and water damage, 40% of homes have tree damage (trees
hit house), All homes have debris and parts of trees everywhere that need to
be cleaned up; All of a sudden chainsaws, gas cans and generators (things us
Vermonters always have on hand) are PRECIOUS commodities. Saw first hand about
20 homes that you HAVE to take a boat to to get into them. They are flooded
up halfway between the ground and the window sills. Orange, lemon, lime crops
60 days away from being harvested ALL gone.
Peoples psyches are not too well either. Rob works at Walmart and the day after
the storm was over when Walmart opened people were fighting over the little
amount of food it had left in it. There were three Riots (Fights with more than
3 people involved). The next day They had to have cops limit how many people
could enter the store to prevent it from happening again. But GOD blessed us
immensely during all this. We have had no damage at all and only lost our power
for about 4 hours this time. It is a MIRACLE."
PAM PECK
writes about her 40th birthday: "I have been celebrating the big 4 0 since
9/3 when I saw Toots and the Maytals with the Marley Brothers. Hearing (and
singing along to) live versions of songs that have meant so much to me over
the years was fantastic.
Last evening lots of friends stopped by for chocolate cake and today I'm headed
to Forest Park for a hike among the towering trees. I hope we will see each
other soon. Love, Pam."
ERIC NELSON, USAF, writes: "Good luck and I hope you guys have a fantastic year. I recently got back from 3 months in the desert (Qatar, not Iraq thank you!), and am now weathering hurricanes in Florida, very lucky so far. 18 months from being eligible to retire, if you can believe that."
SEND US NEWS ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND EVENTS IN IT! LDU ALUMNI LOVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH!
| SEMESTER ONE | SEMESTER TWO |
| 10/2 Buffalo 10/16 Rochester 10/30 Harvard, 10/30 West Point 11/6 Oklahoma 11/20 Columbia 11/20 Wake Forest 12/4 U Mass |
1/5-7 North Texas 1/9-11 Texas at Dallas 1/29 Cornell 2/5 Northwestern 2/12 Binghamton 2/26 CEDA East/District 8 (Vermont) 3/5 JV/Novice Nats at Georgetown 3/19 CEDA Nats at San Francisco State 4/? NDT Nats at Gonzaga, Spokane, Washington |
FLASHPOINT TELEVISION
-- NOW WITH 290 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 tapings: 9/18 10 AM, 9/25 2 PM, 10/19 2 PM, 10/23 2 PM.
9/18 taping, meet at 10 AM at the office for a ride. Topics will include an energy topic and a USA power topic. These will be worked out on email. Panelists include: Fletcher, Knops, Whiting, Morgan Parmetts, Aeschlimann, Snider, and Brown Valera.
Suggested Future Topics:
Free speech and protesting, Cars and the Environment, Fogel's Vision for UVM.
COUNTDOWN TO PROGRAM #300 BEGINS
Now in the 290s it is only a matter of time (and not a very long time) until
Flashpoint reaches its 300th show. Ideas are being sought for how this show
should be done. Let us know of any ideas.
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 | |||
| 2004-2005 RECORD | |||
| 2003-2004 RECORD | 315 | 374 | 45.7% |
| 2003-2003 RECORD | 334 | 384 | 46.5% |
HUBER HOUSE!