Dartmouth Parliamentary Debate: November 2007

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Oh, Canada!

On Saturday, October 27th, while the other half of the Parliamentary Debate team was competing at Yale, four Dartmouth debaters ventured north of the boarder to compete in the Bishop's University Invitational tournament in Sherbrooke, Quebec. This tournament provided the Dartmouth squad with a unique opportunity to compete in an international tournament, without having to travel too far from Hanover. Unlike most tournaments, the Bishops Invitational was more of an individual tournament, with debaters switching partners each round and judges counting speaker points for each debater rather than wins and losses. Then, after three rounds the top 8 speakers were paired up and debated against each other until there was only one team left standing.

The Dartmouth debaters were able to adjust to the different style of debate, and had a very successful tournament. Ben Lo '10, Connor Beatty '10, and Sourabh Mishra '10 all finished in the top 8 speakers, placing 2nd, 4th and 7th, respectively with Austen Zheng '10 narrowly missing the cut. Connor and his partner Mike from Bishop's University finished the tournament in 1st place, with Sourabh's team placing 2nd and Ben's team placing 3rd.

Here are some pictures from the tournament:

Ben and Sourabh discuss their round

Connor prepares to deliver a speech

Ben receives his award for 3rd place team

Sourabh and his partner collect their prize for 2nd place team

Connor and his partner take home 1st place

Austin and Ben prepare for the long ride home

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Yale IV

On October 26-27, four members of the Dartmouth Parli team traveled to New Haven, CT for the Yale IV debate tournament. The Yale tournament is unique, in that it is the only British Parliamentary (BP) style tournament on the APDA schedule. As a result, the Yale tournament attracts many of the top teams from both the US and Canada.

Andrew Wansley '10 and Jonathan Choi '11 had a strong tournament, finishing 19th out of the 112 team field. Jonathan also finished 10th among novice speakers.

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2008-2009 APDA Schedule

September

12-13 John Hopkins (APDA Meeting)

19-20 Smith College & William and Marya

26-27 Columbia

October

3-4 Boston University Novice & Swarthmore

10-11 Harvard (APDA Meeting)

17-18 George Washington & Vassar College

24-24 Yalve (IV)

31-1 Brown & Wesleyan

November

7-8 Penn (ProAm) & Tufts (ProAm)

14-15 America & Cornell

21-22 Fordham (APDA Meeting)

December

5-6 Bucknell & Northeastern

January

9-10 Middlebury College

16-17 DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

23-24 Amherst College (NorthAms)

30-31 NYU (APDA Meeting)

February

6-7 Brandies & Bryn Mawr

13-14 Wellesley & William and Mary II

20-21 Boston University & UMCP

27-28 Bates College & George Washington II & Skidmore

March

6-7 Stanford & West Point

13-14 MIT

20-21 Providence College & University Virginia

27-28 Princeton (Elections)

April

3-4 Clark & Rutgers & University of Chicago

10-11 Swarthmore College & Williams College

17-18 Amherst College & UCMP II

24-25 Mount Holyoke College Nationals

About Parliamentary Debate

Parliamentary Debate is defined by the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) as:

A formal contest of reason, wit and rhetorical skill which simulates debate in a theoretical House of Parliament. Two teams, the Government and the Opposition, of two debaters each, consider a resolution proposed to the House. A different resolution is proposed each round. The debate is moderated by a Speaker of the House, who will also serve as judge for the round. In parliamentary debate, emphasis is placed on quick thinking, logical argumentation and analysis, an command of rhetoric over extensive research or collection of evidence. Accordingly, no recorded evidence or other outside written material may be consulted during the round.

Events

Weekly Meetings

On Mondays we hold team meetings in Rocky 2. On Wednesdays and Thursdays we hold practice in Silsby 312. On Mondays, we go over operational matters and discuss debating skills. On Wednesday and Thursdays, we hold practice debates. All of our meetings are open to the campus, so come by if you are interested. Our Monday meetings are usually at 8 PM and Wednesday/Thursday practices are at 7:30 PM, but blitz parli@dartmouth.edu for more information.

Away Tournaments

Nearly every weekend, during Fall and Winter term, there is a debate tournament at a college in the Northeast. As long as there is interest in the tournament, we usually send at least 3 teams.

Dartmouth Invitational Tournament

Dartmouth hosts an annual debate tournament during the third weekend of January. Although Dartmouth students are not allowed to compete in this tournament, it is a great time to expose yourself to the debate format. If you are interested in judging or helping to plan the tournament blitz the parli account.

**No experience is needed; we will teach you everything.**

FAQ

What is Parli Debate?

Parliamentary Debate is an intercollegiate 2-on-2 team competition, emphasizing argumentation and persuasion, not research. Debaters improve their extemporaneous public speaking skills, sense of humor, and knowledge of current events.

What sorts of topics do you debate?

Debaters are given a new resolution shortly before each round. The topics range from the serious to the slightly silly, from whether the European Union should lift sanctions on Austria, to whether Luke Skywalker should have joined the Dark Side of the Force.

Do I need to have debated in high school?

No prior experience necessary. We have had a wide range of members, from national champions, to newcomers who were afraid of public speaking.

What about the time commitment?

We travel the Northeast to compete at other colleges (including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Columbia, etc.), leaving on Friday, and returning usually on Saturday evening. Brief weekly meetings usually take place on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00 PM, in Carson L02. Practice rounds usually occur before each tournament. Being well versed in current events is helpful, but research is not necessary. You can go to as many or as few tournaments as you like.

What if I want to go to a lot of tournaments? What if I can't go very often?

Again, you can go to as many or as few tournaments as you like. This is not an activity where you have to wait a season to debate. We've had freshman go to as many as four or five tournaments in their freshman fall. But we've also had members who enjoy debating on campus but have waited until as late as March to compete (or have never done so). People who come to practice rounds and show enthusiasm generally get preference if there is a space crunch for a particular tournament (drivers also get preference because if space is limited it's often because we don't have enough college-approved drivers).

Why is Parliamentary Debate right for me?

We don't know, you are an individual. But here's what previous debaters have to say:

" Chuck Norris does it, so I figured, ' Hey, why not?!'"

-Steve Spitz '09, current member

"Joining Parliamentary Debate was the best decision I ever made. It's helped me gain confidence, lose weight, and sound smarter at cocktail parties."
-Matt Raymer '03, former Captain

"Law School. It's all about the resume."
-Matt Curro '01, former president, now on the Princeton Law School Dean's List

"Broadway. It's all about learning dramatic interpretation of policy"
-Heather Wyckoff '02, former Vice President, and an understudy for Cats.

"If you ever get in trouble with street toughs, you know your teammates will back you up!"
-Chris Bowen '02, former Treasurer and Member-at-large