29 December 2000
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. Alfred C. Snider is the Director. 802-656-0097 voice, 802-238-8345
mobile, 656-4275 fax, asnider@zoo.uvm.edu
email, and http://debate.uvm.edu/ldu.html
web site.
|
LEFT: Edwin room is center of
action, Casey, Sarah, Anthony, Abigail (partly hidden) Jillian
RIGHT:Every office space used, Brian, David, Wendy
LEFT: Lost in attempted comprehension, Shawn, Aaron
RIGHT: Happy in their work, Charlie, Matt
LDU trips to the Midwest in January have become traditional through the years, as students travel to debate the best so that when they return they will be better. Out of region travel and competition, especially for the younger debaters, builds skills and expertise when they return, while experienced debaters keep up their national presence. One very important feature is that debaters commit to spending considerable time preparing before the trip begins.
This year the trip is larger than ever and the preparation more intense. This year a record number of eight teams have asked to go on the trip, and they span the range of experience among LDU debaters. Debaters Aaron Fishbone-Shawn Wilkerson, Mark Douglas-Anthony Pagan, Shane Egizi-Jennifer Knops, Casey Gervais-Meredith Parmett, Charlie Hoag-Matt Sweeney, Abagail Trebilcock-Wendy O'Connor, David Moss-Brian Hurley, Jillian Marty-Vilasa Campbell will be making the trip. Aaron and Shawn have been debating varsity all year. Mark, Anthony, Casey, Meredith, Shane, and Jen have been debating in both open and junior varsity divisions. Charlie and Matt are focused on junior varsity. Abagail, Wendy, David, Brian, Jillian, and Vilasa are novice debaters who are stepping up to the challenge in the hopes of blitzing their opponents when they come home. The coaching staff will consist of Jackie Massey (fighting with wisdom tooth pain). Sarah Snider, and Alfred Snider, but they will be joined by LDU alum Gordie Miller (now at Arkansas State coaching successfully) and friend Eric Marlow (now coaching at University of Southeast Louisiana) will be helping with the judging commitments.
This year the preparation has been much more intense. Between the end of classes in early December and the beginning of formal preparation on December 27th, considerable work was done. Debaters who could stay in Burlington extra days did so (Fishbone never went home) and accomplished a great deal. A new affirmative case was produced, several new negative arguments were done, and specific negative case hits were completed, along with numerous practice debates. This has allowed the current formal preparation to proceed more smoothly. Each day features a practice debate, argument discussions, speaking drills, organizing argument files, doing research, writing answers to opposing arguments, and basic theory sessions for the novices. The day starts at 9 AM and the official day ends at 6 PM, but many debaters return in the evening to do additional work. Because there are so many working hands this year, the preparation period is more productive than ever.
Two vans with 20 people in board will be leaving early in the morning on January 1, 2001, driving to Kansas City, Missouri. After a stop in Ohio for the night, the group should arrive in KC on January 2. The LDU will attend a debate tournament at the University of Missouri at Kansas City on January 3-4-5, and then will go to a tournament at William Jewell College on January 6-7-8. and then returning home as soon as possible.
Pray for good driving weather when you think of us.
The LDU tradition is clear - we do not have experienced debaters on scholarship, we do not have as many coaches as most nationally competitive squads, and we lack the budget that most nationally competitive squads have, but we make up for it with hard work, sacrifice, desire, and (we hope) intelligent argument choice. The formula has worked before, and the KC swing has been an important part of powering us forward to competitive success in the second semester.
With Host Gyeongho Hur | Keynote
Speech
Guides Kyung Hee & Olivia, Fellow Guest Najeska Kang | With Lawmaker Shin
at National Assembly
Kim & Kim, Korea Champs, Bound for WDI this Summer | Farewell Celebration
in Fine Korean Style
LDU Coach Alfred Snider was invited to Korea to be the keynote speaker at the first national college debate championship tournament hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea and Kyung Hee University. The entire event was masterminded by Gyeongho Hur, a professor at Kyung Hee University, who attended the World Debate Institute last Summer and went home filled with ideas and enthusiasm, although he has been building debate in Korea actively since 1996.
Highlights of the
trip included:
* Delivering the keynote speech at the first Korean National College Debate
Championship.
* Lecturing to the Speech and Debate Club of Professionals in Seoul.
* Meeting with Korea Broadcast Institute President Lee.
* Lecturing to the staff of the Prime Minister's Office on "Creating
a Debating Culture."
* Meeting with ruling party leaders at the National Assembly about promoting
debate (and having lunch there).
* Observing the National Final Round and awarding WDI scholarships to the
winners.
* Meeting countless professors and students interested in debating.
* Seeing the country, learning about the culture, sampling the food.
* Dreaming ambitiously with Gyeongho Hur about the future.
OTHER LDU NEWS (STORIES COMING)
NO
SQUAD MEETING 
RESEARCH
SYSTEMTHE 2000-2001
YEAR-LONG TOPIC:
Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should substantially increase
its development assistance, including increasing government to government
assistance, within the Greater Horn of Africa.
THE PLANNED TOURNAMENT
TRAVEL SCHEDULE:
January 2-7 KC Swing 8 teams
February 3-4 Vermont all 10-11 Cornell all 17-19 Heart of America varsity
23-24 East Regionals at BC all
March 3 VT HS States 7-8 Towson all 24-27 CEDA Nationals a few 29-2 NDT Nationals
qualifiers only
| 2000-2001 Season | WINS | LOSSES | % |
| SEMESTER ONE | 163 | 161 | 50% |
TOTAL 2000-2001 |
163 |
161 |
50% |
1999-2000 Record: 376-349 52%
Email us ! 