PHOTO: Students examining some materials

 

Posted by: Alfred Snider

 

Tuesday was an important day for high school students at the World Debate Institute.

 

First, the weather took a turn for the better. Usually Vermont has no more than 4-6 days a summer over the 90 degree mark, and recently we had three in a row, with yesterday being especially steamy. Today the high is about 84 and an afternopon rain shower has squeezed the humidity out of the air and the temperature has dropped to 74 degrees.

 

Second, after spending Monday on basic skills like speaking, listening, note taking and the like, today it is topic orientation and distribution of the starter evidence set. The morning sessions featured cross examination and Internet research instruction. The afternoon involves small group sessions on opic background and a step-by-step analysis of the starter files set. These will be especially important because everyone starts having debates tomorrow.

 

This evening there will be an hour at the university pool starting at 7 PM, and then after that students will work with the evidence set at the dorm getting ready for the debats tomorrow. The faculty will be in the dorm helping any students who ask for it, and maybe even some who do not.