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. The LDU meets every Monday night at 6 PM at 475 Main Street.

UVM DOES WELL IN THE
NATIONAL RANKINGS - BUT WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
CEDA #3, NDT #6, ADA #8?

At the end of semester one all national rankings put UVM as high as third and as low as eighth. That sounds good, and it is good, but what do these rankings mean? How are they calculated? What are the differences between the different rankings?

UVM is Third in the Cross Examination Debate Association December National Sweepstakes rankings. UVM is Sixth in the National Debate Tournament/American Forensic Association overall National Sweepstakes rankings. UVM is Eighth in the American Debate Association overall National Sweepstakes rankings.

You gain points under all three systems by being in debates and winning debates. Each win counts in your sweepstakes total. Elimination round victories and final placing also produces additional points. The ADA rankings only tally tournaments which are sanctioned by the ADA, few of which UVM attends, so it is a surprise to be ranked so high. Each system only counts your best tournaments, with different numbers of tournaments counting for points under the different systems. Each system counts only the performance of your best few teams. Both of these controls stop a program from piling up points by entering many teams at many tournaments. In the CEDA rankings, for example, only the top six tournaments are counted. Both the CEDA and NDT Sweepstakes points are looked on as true national contests, as most ADA schools and tournaments are in the middle Atlantic states. However, within their organization the ADA has fostered a lot of healthy debating and novice opportunities.

Sweepstakes points and rankings are traditionally used not only to recognize performance but also to justify budgets and staffing by the sponsoring schools. Because UVM's program operates from the Lawrence endowment there is no "drive for points" because the funding pressures are quite different. For example, sweepstakes points are never a consideration in tournament or division choice. Successful UVM teams at the novice and JV level are routinely encouraged to enter into higher divisions to gain training and experience, even though they would be harvesting a rich load of sweepstakes points at their legitimate level of competition. UVM's goals are still personal growth and development of the individual students, not the points race. But, if we still finish high, we'll take it.

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CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOLIDAY GREETINGS ISSUE

The Mortons [Padraic and Charles] -- we want more things like this!

Alumni and friends, close by and far away, are invited to submit photos, updates, and emails for inclusion in the 25 December 2001 issue. Mail us photos or clippings, or email information and attach scans of photos or documents. Cute family photos with children and pets are always welcome! News about you and yours is desired!

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KANSAS CITY HERE WE COME....

TEAMS: Fishbone-Wilkerson, Marty-Campbell, Trebilcock-Limprevil, Parmett-Gervais, Langsweirdt-Greenman, Cole-Gana.
COACHES: Massey, Snider, Lockwood, and perhaps more.
PREP BEGINS AND RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS DUE: 12/27 9 AM at the debate offices.

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MEETINGS AND EVENTS COMING UP....

NO MEETINGS THIS WEEK -- GOOD LUCK ON EXAMS!

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RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS

Aaron Fishbone is the research director. SWING ASSIGNMENTS DUE 12/27 AM.

WARNINGS: WORK TOGETHER, PRODUCE ONE PRODUCT, BE COMPLETE IN YOUR SEARCH!

AFFIRMATIVES #1 - LANA, CLAUDIA, MEREDITH #2 - SHEILA, GRETA, EDWIN, TUNA #3 - BRIAN, JILLIAN	CRITIQUES ONE SIMPLE ACT/WHITE GUILT - AARON, JACKIE ACADEMIC RACISM - STEPH, ADAM, CLAUDIA STATISM - VILASA HOMOGENEITY - TERESA DRAMATISM - SHEILA NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN - ABY, SHEILA, CASEY
DISADVANTAGES SYMBOLIC ACTION/MOVEMENTS - JACKIE. BRIAN, MARGET, JILLIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT BAD - CASEY, ABY, LANA INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS - AARON WASTE SHIFT - AARON SPENDING/HEALTH - AARON, CASEY OIL - TUNA CASINO - CHARLIE, SHAWN	COUNTERPLAN PRIVATE FUNDING - GRETA, AARON

 

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FLASHPOINT TELEVISION SHOW

NEXT TAPING: DECEMBER 28, 1 PM, AT NEW VCAM STUDIO.

Vermont Community Access Media, Channel 15, Burlington - Wednesday 12:30 PM, Thursday 10:30 PM, Saturday 1 PM
Also available at http://debate.uvm.edu/watchdiscussion.html

OUR RECORD

UVM IS #3 IN THE NATIONAL DEBATE SWEEPSTAKES RACE!

2001-2002 SEASON	WINS	LOSSES	%
PREVIOUS
TOTAL	210	198	51.4%