1 November 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 .

ONLINE DEBATE ABOUT TERRORISM


| Julia and Chase in video snapshots |

To see the debate online go to http://debate.uvm.edu/tps.htm

As part of a continuing series of events linked to the United Nations Foundation's program "The People Speak" UVM sponsored an internet debate on the topic of "The UN should abolish its terrorist list." The affirmative consisted of Brady Fletcher and Julia Benjamin, while the negative consisted of Chase Whiting and Alfred Snider (continuing with his vow to "debate more"). The short debate dealt with whether the current use of the term "terrorist" is constructive and the UN's ability to deal with such violence and the nations who are determined to engage in a "war on terrorism." "It was an easy debate to organize and stage," commented Snider. "The seminar room is perfect for such an event and the students are familiar with these arguments because we have ben using a 'terror talk' argument for some time now."
The debate qualifies the LDU for a $500 grant from the UN Foundation.
Previous events included two episodes of Flashpoint (the LDU's television program) in September, an on-campus speak out held in October and this debate. In November there will be two additional Flashpoint episodes, both dealing with the role of the UN in world affairs. One episode may even be taped in the van on the way to Washington, DC on Thursday. All these events will allow the LDU to raise $3000.
Additional plans for this semester include a live internet debate with Slovenia (both teams visible on the same computer screen) and a debate to enter the contest the History Channel is sponsoring linked with their new miniseries on the Crusades.

VARSITY TEAM 4-4 AT HARVARD

Nick Landsman-Roos and Jason Hitchcock attended the Harvard debate tournament this weekend. The tournament features a very limited entry and the best competition of the year. "No tournament has the dense excellence of this one," noted Snider, "and good teams go 1-7 or even 0-8. There literally is no bottom of the bracket." Nick and Jason got off to a slow start but finished strong to go 4-4. "They were in every debate," said coach Justin Parmett, "and a lot of really nice things were said about the debaters." It was a slight disappointment after winning West Point, but the team will simply gear up for Wake Forest.

CAP CITIES IS NEXT -- THREE TEAMS HIT THE ROAD

Three varsity teams will make their way to Washington, DC to attend the Cap Cities debate tournament this weekend. Megan Harlow & Brady Fletcher, Chase Whiting & Shane Clark as well as Colin Kern & Stephanie Kimerer will compete. Alfred Snider will go as coach, and LDU alums Aaron Fishbone and Eric Mates will be judging. "It is a long drive, but that's the way it is," said Snider, "we have too many teams and not enough money to fly." The group departs Thursday afternoon at 12:30 PM.

DOCTOR WHO THEATER RETURNS TO BURLINGTON
MONDAYS AT 8:15 PM. EMAIL alfred.snider@uvm.edu FOR A SCHEDULE!

LDU TRAVEL SCHEDULE FOR 2005-2006

SEMESTER ONE Record Placed SEMESTER TWO

10/1-2 BUFFALO 32-36 1-3-5
10/15-16 UVM SCRIMMAGE
10/21-23 WEST POINT 50-59 1-5-9-9
10/29-31 HARVARD 4-4
11/04-06  CAP CITY DC
11/12-14 WAKE FOREST
11/13-14 UMASS 
11/18-26 INTL DEBATE ACADEMY            

1/3-5 NORTH TEXAS
11/7-10  TEXAS-DALLAS
1/28-30 BARD 
2/04-06  TEXAS 
2/11-12  BINGHAMTON 
2/25-26  D8/CEDA EAST WEST CT  
3/3-5  NOV/JV NATS GEORGETOWN  
3/23-27  NDT NORTHWESTERN 
3/31-4/03 CEDA NATS DALLAS

FLASHPOINT TELEVISION

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.
UN FLASHPOINTS BEING TAPED SOON


NOTES FROM MONDAY NIGHT'S 6 PM MEETING:

HOODED SWEATSHIRTS AND SWEATPANTS ARE COMING. AFTER A LONG DISCUSSION CONCENSUS WAS ARRIVED AT FOR "2+2=5 DOUBLETHINK" TO BE THE SLOGAN FOR THIS YEAR. MEMBERS WANTED TO POINT OUT THE ORWELLIAN PROCESS OF DOUBLETHINK THAT IS ALL TOO PREVALENT. ORDERS ARE BEING TAKEN NOW.

NEW RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS WERE GIVEN OUT. ALL DUE WEDNESDAY.

LESLIE KELLER REPORTED ON THE NEW FUNDRAISING PROGRAM IN COOPERATION WITH DEVELOPMENT. ALUMS AARON FISHBONE AND CHUCK MORTON ARE ALSO INVOLVED. A MASSIVE MAILING WILL GO OUT IN EARLY JANUARY.

CAP CITY: THREE TEAMS WITH TUNA
UMASS: BENJAMIN-ANDERSON, THIBAULT-BROWN, GOLDSCHNEIDER-SHAKIROVA, CLARK-WHITING, AND NEEDED TO BE TEAMED UP ARE SHARMA, KERN, MCMAHAN, BACKUS, BATES, AND THE CLASS TEAMS.
WAKE FOREST: HITCHCOCK & LANDSMAN-ROOS, KELLER & HARLOW WITH JUSTIN
INTL DEBATE ACADEMY IN SLOVENIA: KELLER, LANDSMAN-ROOS, MEANY WITH TUNA

INTERNETB DEBATE WITH SLOVENIA BEING PLANNED FOR EARLY DECEMBER.
CRUSADES CONTEST DEBATE BEING PLANNED FOR EARLY DECEMBER.

MORE PEOPLE STILL NEED TO GET DRIVER TRAINING FOR VANS!

WORK STUDY POSITIONS: CHASE IS EVIDENCE, JULIE IS MIDDLE SCHOOL, LESLIE IS FUNDRAISING, STEFFI IS EVIDENCE ARCHIVING, BUT ALL SHOULD HELP CHASE PRINT THE EVIDENCE.

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

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

NOVICE TRAINING THURSDAY AT 7 PM

PRACTICE DEBATE
TUESDAY 6:30 KERN-KIMERER VS. HARLOW-FLETCHER WITH JEN AS JUDGE
WEDNESDAY 6:30 PM CLARK-WHITING VS. MEANY-TBA WITH JUDGE TBA
FRIDAY 5 PM SHAKIROVA-GOLDSCHNEIDER VS. LALEMAND-HOKE/JOKAJTYS WITH JUDGE TBA

SEND US YOUR ALUMNI NEWS -- AND A PICTURE

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
82
95
HARVARD
4
4
TOTAL
86
99
46.4%
2004-2005 RECORD
323
328
 49.6%
2003-2004 RECORD
315
374
 45.7%
2002-2003 RECORD
334
384
46.5%

ALWAYS CALL IT HUBER HOUSE!