5 November 2002
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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, asnider@zoo.uvm.edu
email, and http://debate.uvm.edu/ldu.html
web site. |
|Lindsey Melander & Cody
Rounds | Ryan O'Connor & Colin Kern (hat) |
| Christine Welch & Time
Reimer | Eric Mates & Whitney Smith |
| Sam Miller, Rodrigo Rojas, Gordie Miller | Jillian Marty, Sarah Snider LDU
'01 (now coach at Catholic Univ.), Jake Meany |
The LDU set a new record for teams entered at a single tournament this last weekend as 15 teams went to the US Military Academy at West Point. The huge squad traveled in a fleet of vehicles and numbered over 40 individuals. The large size of the contingent made many things more difficult -- finding places to eat. Avoiding getting lost, assigning hotel rooms, not to mention coaching 15 teams before each round -- but the cooperation of everyone made it possible and, indeed, made it happen smoothly. The LDU was in 101 two-hour debates this weekend!
The stars of the weekend were the novice debaters. 11 novice teams were entered at 5 of them reached the elimination rounds. More novice teams from UVM reached the elimination debates than from any other school. Tim Reimer and Christine Welch, Carlos Varela and Leo Velez, Cody Rounds and Lindsey Melander, Colin Kern and Ryan O'Connor, as well as Whitney Smith and Eric Mates were 4-2 to gain a berth in elimination rounds. In the first elimination round all were winners except for Smith and Mates. In the second elimination debate Reimer & Welch and Varela & Velez won their debates. Both lost their next elimination round to finish tied for FIFTH PLACE in a field of over 130 debaters. Other teams also did well, including Ani Mukherjee & Michael Malone, Oliver Matthews & Sarah Ptalis, Kayce Massey & Amy Vaillancourt, Chris Petrone & Roy Simpadian, and Mohira Suyarkulova & Alexandru Balas.
Special distinction was given to Kayce Massey (9th speaker) and Whitney Smith (12th speaker). Special recognition has to go to those attending their first debate tournament ever who did remarkably well, including Colin Kern, Frank Friel, Roy Simpadian, and Jeff Steere. Colin Kern, who joined the team week before the tournament, astounded everyone with his abilities in not only reaching the elimination rounds but also winning one.
The varsity teams experienced additional challenges but pushed on through. None reached the elimination rounds but Jillian Marty was 8th speaker in the varsity division. Varsity teams included Jillian Marty & Shana Bryce, Brian Cole & Teresa Hill, Edwin Owusu & Sheila Limprevil, as well as Jen Knops & Lana Langsweirdt.
Special thanks have to go to those who made sacrifices to enable our success. Dean for President staffer Abigail Trebilcock, NYU Fulbright Fellow Rodrigo Rojas, freelance coach and LDU alum Gordie Miller, Addison Community Land Trust's Charles Hoag, LDU varsity debaters Jake Meany, Jill Witney, and Steph McDonald all came along as judges. UVM coaches Helen Morgan and Alfred Snider managed to coach all 15 teams before every round, setting new endurance records. Sam Miller added a lot to the trip as transportation coordinator.
Sarah Ptalis had her father drop in to see her debate, as did the mother of Oliver Matthews. The Matthews arrival excited the Army brass because she is the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. PARENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
The testimonials at the Monday night squad meeting made it clear that this tournament was a powerful bonding and learning experience for the entire team. We struggle, succeed, work, and sometimes fail to meet our goals, but always together and in mutual support.
DARTS AND LAURELS
Laurels to Teresa Hill, who debated well after being told her beloved grandfather had passed away, to the varsity debaters who did such a good job helping to coach the novices, and to Ani Mukherjee and Michael Malone for bouncing back in the face of difficult circumstances.
Darts to the Navy judge who told
Carlos and Leo he was offended when they spoke to each other in Spanish
during their prep, to the Navy debater who yelled profanities because he
had to wait briefly while we coached all 15 teams, and to several judges
who refuse to think out of the box (they shall remain nameless) and who
we will continue to try and enlighten during the rest of the season.
BLITZ OF TRAVEL TO FINISH FALL SEMESTERThis
weekend finds the LDU at the JOE JACKSON INVITATIONAL in Oklahoma City. Long
a common travel stop for the LDU, there will be three teams and two coaches.
The teams will include Brian Cole & Teresa Hill, Jillian Marty & Jake
Meany, and Lana Langsweirdt & Jen Knops. Coaches will include Parmett
and Snider.
LEAVE FROM DEBATE OFFICE AT 4 PM ON THURSDAY, FLIGHT AT 5:25 PM, RETURN
MONDAY 5 PM.
The third weekend in November UVM will be at two different tournaments, one in Binghamton, NY at Binghamton University and the other in North Carolina at Wake Forest University. At Binghamton the LDU will enter as many of its teams as possible, especially younger teams. Coach Snider will accompany the group along with alums and volunteers. Meanwhile, three varsity teams will go to Wake Forest to one of the year's largest varsity tournaments, accompanied by Helen Morgan and Justin Parmett.
Other travel with LDU connections includes a trip by coach Snider to the University of Kansas for their "Debate Reunion." He coached there in the late 1970's and has been pestered by his debaters to return. Snider continues his globe-trotting at the end of November. He has accepted an invitation to be flown to Chile and hosted for a series of workshops and training sessions there. The trip is sponsored by the Corporacion Cultural de lo Barnechea, Universidad Diego Portales, and United Airlines. A trip to Venezuela is now confirmed for December, sponsored by Proctor & Gamble and Universidad Catolico Andres Bello.
TOPIC AND TRAVEL2002-2003 topic:
Resolved that the United States Federal Government should ratify or accede
to, and implement, one or more of the following: The Comprehensive Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty; The Kyoto Protocol; The Rome Statute on the International
Criminal Court; The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
The treaty between the United States of America and the Russian federation
on Strategic Offensive Reductions, if not ratified by the United States.
LDU travel schedule:
November, 8-10 Central Oklahoma, 15-17 Wake Forest, 16-17 Binghamton
January, 6-8 UMKC, 3-5 William Jewell, TBA Belgrade (Yugoslavia) Open
February, 1-2 Cornell, 7-9 Western
Washington, 14-16 Kansas, 21-23 East Regionals/D8
March, 28-02 Towson, 20-24 CEDA Nationals, AZ
April, 3-7 NDT, GA
May, TBA Tercer Torneo Hispanoamericano de Debate
RESEARCH THIS WEEKJillian Marty
is our research director.
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS DUE THURSDAY BY 5 PM - PRINTED FOR ALL!
ASSIGNMENTS POSTED IN THE OFFICE, NO LONGER IN THE NEWSLETTER (SORRY TO OUR
OPPONENTS WHO LOOK FOR THEM)
FROM THE SQUAD MEETING
KAYCE
MASSEY HOME TOWN: Saint Albans
Vermont
MAJOR: Business
CAREER PLANS (IF ANY):
A. Stay in Vermont, Start a Tavern Association, Take over my father's bar
B. Go to Boston to become a marketing executive
C. Law school, politics, President!
LEVEL OF DEBATE COMPETITION: Novice
PET PEEVE: People that use personal attacks as a way to argue. How creative
is that?
I AM GRATEFUL FOR: My Father, He is the most important person in my life he's
been a big support with debate. He actually encouraged me to take my time
in school so I could stay another year and keep debating.
WORST MOMENT IN DEBATE: First Tournament when I snapped at Ertan. It was uncalled
for and out of my character. It taught me that winning is not that important.
FAVORITE TEAM TO DEBATE: Anyone but Rochester.
FAVORITE TEAM TO BEAT: Rochester
FAVORITE JUDGE: Johnny Merrill
FAVORITE TOURNAMENT: West Point. The team spirit is always good even when
we are getting the shaft from the judges.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT DEBATE: Everything. The way it makes me feel, the inspiration,
the knowledge, the competition, the friends I have made.
LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT DEBATE: Judges that make their mind up before the
round is over.
FAVORITE DEBATE SPEECH: 2NR
SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT: Our Team Rocks!
FLASHPOINT
TELEVISION SHOW
SQUAD
MEETING |
|
WINS |
LOSSES |
% |
PREVIOUS |
93 |
|
47.2% |
WEST POINT |
47 |
54 |
|
2002-2003 SEASON |
140 |
158 |
46.9% |
UVM Debate was #9 in both major national polls for debate in the USA for the 2001-2002 season.
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