20 September 2005
20 September 2005 | 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. To unsubscribe from the email version of the newsletter go to http://list.uvm.edu/archives/topicnews.html . |
|Members of the LDU at the Monday meeting |
It has a hectic time in Huber
House on Monday. The seminar room was full of preparing debaters, some
with paper spread out on the table others with laptops connected to the
LDU wireless, the computer room was full of people online, the back porch
was full of Burlington High School debaters prepping, Helen & Justin
were discussing strategy with a team, Tuna was moaning about the latest
Korea headlines, and THEN the crew arrived to start installing new carpets.
You get the idea -- Huber House is a busy place.
With many returning debaters from an excellent season in 2004-2005, the
prospect for success is considerable, but never a given.
With ten teams ready to go to Buffalo the first week in October and
research assignments due on Friday, the pre-season is coming to an end.
With over 40 students currently active in the LDU space, staff and funding
are all at issue. "It is going to be a challenge to make it happen,"
noted LDU director Snider. "We have a lot of teams, and we just don't
have the space for all of them to work. Practice debates are held on
the back porch and people sort evidence on the floor. We are going to
have a tough time finding enough judges to support the big crew we will
probably be taking to West Point, and I am not sure where we will find
the money to travel this big a group. Gas prices are going to take a
bigger bite out of the budget, as those vans gulp that petrol down. But,
as always, somehow, we will make it happen. We have to look at the end
of the year and work backwards.
"
Several new ideas for raising funds are beginning to take shape, including:
-A thorough fundraising effort directed at alumni, facilitated by a new
and excellent list of alums supplied by development. Chuck Morton and Leslie
Keller will be leading this effort.
-More UN Foundation grants. Hopefully the LDU will score a total of $3000
if they are all accepted.
-Entering a debate contest by the History Channel (more below) where the
prize could be $5000.
-Supplemental funding from the SGA.
-Other ideas now
percolating.
For the last few months the LDU has been working with the History
Channel on a way to use debating to teach about history. As you may know, Maxwell
Schnurer and Alfred Snider wrote a book a while back [MANY SIDES; Debate across
the curriculum] that has been pretty popular, has been in three printings,
and now has a second edition on the way. The point of the book is to assist
teachers in using debating to teach almost anything,
The History Channel has
a new series coming out in November called THE CRUSADES. They wanted to start
by encouraging teachers and students to engage in debates about this period
in history with the television series serving as a springboard. They asked
for a sample debate (Vermont/WDI did one), a set of topics, formats, preparation
guides and support documents for students and teachers (already done).
There
was a little concerned about this topic area and possible problems, but the
program itself seems to be very evenly divided between the way it tells the
story and the people working on the show seem very concerned about making the
events productive given the current world political situation and the need
to keep a strong balance between European and Islamic voices.
Their interest
in debate seems to keep growing. Now they are going to offer a contest for
high school and college students who want to stage a debate on this issue.
More details will come, but it looks like big cash prizes will be given out,
as much as $5000 to the winners, with smaller prizes to others. They will be
announcing all of this in the beginning of October.
But wait, there is more...
But their interest seems to continue to grow. Now
they want to stage a debate on one of these topics between two highly skilled
college debate programs. The American parliamentary format will be used without
points of information, with three persons on a side. The speeches might be
slightly shorter.
The debate would be filmed in NYC. They are seeking debaters who are: articulate,
experienced, and able in front of a camera. The History Channel would bring
the students to NYC for a taping. The debate would be televised along with
background material about the Crusades the day the series begins and might
well be repeated.
|UVM
has been asked to recruit teams for this event from among America's college
debate teams. A number of schools will be sending in audition tapes, including
Vermont.
Teams began signing
up for travel at the squad meeting this week. More should be signing up,
and novices will sign up later. Not all can attend Buffalo as that is LSAT
weekend.
BUFFALO: Clark-Whiting, Hitchcock-Landsman-Roos, Harlow-Keller, Benjamin-Pignatelli,
Kimerer-Wilson, Kichura-Anderson and at least three novice teams from the
class. Danielle wants to go and needs a partner. Judges/coaches will include:
Justin Morgan Parmett, Colin Kern, Greta Lockwood, Ethan Nelson, Emily Sanders.
Tuna Snider.
WEST POINT: Nelson-McMahan, Clark-Whiting, Harlow-Keller, Benjamin-Pignatelli,
Kimerer-Wilson, and more.
JUDGES: Are needed for both tournaments.
UVM SCRIMMAGE: The LDU will also host a intra-squad tournament on campus.
All will be debating and judging.
NEWS AND NOTES OF THE LDU FAMILY
CONGRATULATIONS TO CASEY GERVAIS AND JOE RAMSEY
Married this last weekend in Bristol, VT. Many LDU types attended and it
was a joyous occasion. We hope to have a photo soon. Casey debated for the
LDU and Joe was a national champion debater for Fort Hays State.
ANDREA
LOOBY AMICANGELO andrea30@gmail.com
I hope everyone in the LDU family is
doing well! I graduated from Syracuse University College of Law (cum laude!)
this past May and took the bar exam in Pennsylvania. I am currently looking
for a job and interviewed at a few firms; however, I am not 100% convinced
I want to work in a law firm. I'm starting to lean toward academics because
I love researching, writing and working with students. I'm also considering
DA's offices, public defender's office, etc. Law school was enjoyable and
I was a senior editor for a law journal and a research assistant in the
law library. I can't get too far away from research!
Jay and I are still
in Erie. He is a physical chemistry professor at Penn State Erie which
is a great little campus. We enjoy Erie's summers on the lake and hope
to get some kayaks soon. I've learned that the local Erie high schools
have some decent debate teams. If my future employment allows for it,
I might consider doing some volunteer coaching (even though it's been a
long long time). I saw that you are going to a tournament in Buffalo but
unfortunately I'll be out of town. I've attached a picture of Jay and me
from a wedding we attended this summer on Keuka Lake.
SEEN AT HUBER HOUSE
Alumnae Sarah Jane Snider and Rae Lynn Schwartz dropped by for lunch and a visit, accompanied by long-time LDU ally Justin Green. Rae is finishing her doctoral work at Iowa, Sarah is beginning her graduate work at Kansas State, and Justin has accepted the position of director of debate at Kansas State.
Others in town for the Gervais-Ramsey wedding but not visiting Huber House included former coach Bill Shanahan and others.
SEEN IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Anthony Pagan and
his wife Amanda ran into LDU director Snider in the Seoul Airport. Anthony
is in the military based in Korea and will be back in the USA soon.
DOCTOR WHO THEATER
RETURNS TO BURLINGTON| SEMESTER ONE | SEMESTER TWO |
10/1-2 BUFFALO |
1/3-5 NORTH
TEXAS |
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.
Last taping: September 17, Saturday 2 PM. Topics: Caribbean Colonies; Hurricane,
Environment & health. Panelists: Fletcher, Anderson,
Snider, Whiting.
Next taping:
10/29 if studio space is available.
NOTES FROM MONDAY NIGHT'S 6 PM MEETING:
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ARE DEBATE WORK DAYS AT HUBER HOUSE!
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS WERE CONFIRMED, DUE 9/23.
BUFFALO TRIP -- WE WILL NEED TO LEAVE MIDDAY FRIDAY, PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.
EACH TEAM SHOULD DECIDE BY MONDAY WHAT THEIR DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR BUFFALO WILL BE.
TEAMS NEED TO BUILD FILES, ORGANIZE STRATEGIES, FINISH RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS AND SCHEDULE PRACTICE DEBATES.
MORE PEOPLE STILL NEED TO GET DRIVER TRAINING FOR VANS!
HELEN AND BRADY ARE WORKING TO SCHEDULE A SPEAK OUT DOWNTOWN. BRADY IS WORKING ON A CAMPUS SPEAK OUT THE SECOND WEEK IN OCTOBER.
TEAMS MUST HAVE MEETINGS WITH COACHES -- STILL TO DO SO ARE WHITING-CLARK AND MEANY-FLETCHER.
WORK STUDY POSITIONS: RECEIVE JOB DESCRIPTIONS THIS WEEK.
TEAMS NEED TO BE FORMED SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE AN EVIDENCE SET. TEAMS MUST FORMALLY DECLARE. NEW TEAMS ARE: KELLER-HARLOW, NELSON-McMAHAN, WHITING-CLARK, MEANY-FLETCHER, HITCHCOCK-LANDSMAN-ROOS, ANDERSON-KICHURA, BENJAMIN-PIGNATELLI, QUILL-HARRISON.
THE PC IN THE OFFICE IS ONLY FOR EVIDENCE ARCHIVING. PLEASE USE MACS OTHERWISE.
TO JOIN THE LDU DEBATER LISTSERV GO TO http://list.uvm.edu/archives/debater.html
SQUAD
MEETS AT 6 PM EACH MONDAY NIGHT, 475 MAIN STREET, ALL WELCOME!2004-2005 NOVICE DEBATE NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2004-2005 JV DEBATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
UVM DEBATE WAS #6 IN THE CEDA NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2004-2005
UVM DEBATE WAS #18 IN THE CEDA NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2003-2004
UVM DEBATE WAS #10 IN THE CEDA NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES FOR 2002-2003
OUR RECORD |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PERCENTAGE |
PREVIOUSLY |
0 |
0 |
|
NEW |
0 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
0 |
0 |
|
2004-2005 RECORD |
323 |
328 |
49.6% |
2003-2004 RECORD |
315 |
374 |
45.7% |
2002-2003 RECORD |
334 |
384 |
46.5% |
HUBER HOUSE!