Debate prepares for Worlds
Campus Times
November 7, 1997
The University of La Verne's debate team hosted a preparation debate
competition for the World Championships last weekend in Founders Hall.
The competition featured schools from across the nation that will take
part in this year's World Championship debate competition, which will be
held in Athens, Greece.
In response to the importance of the competition, coach and director
of debate Jason Sandford said, "To prepare some of the top teams in
the nation for the World Championships."
The schools included University of Richmond, from Virginia; University
of Wyoming graduate school; Northwest College, from Washington; Portland
Community College, from Oregon; Stanford University; Claremont-McKenna College;
and Loyola Marymount University.
La Verne's best performers took fourth place at the debate with one
of its teams composed of sophomore Mitch Berthelson and Sandford. La Verne
also took fifth place with a team which was composed of freshman captain
Sean Krispinsky and sophomore John Keller, but lost in the semi-finals.
A Wyoming team won the preparation competition with two former national
champions, Neil Sample (1995) and Dan Nelson (1997).
Sandford explained that the teams can be composed of anyone, including
coaches and alumni, could join as an exhibition team. Each debate team features
two students, or a combination of student/coach/alumni to make a team of
two.
The tournament hosted 16 teams, which was a compilation of various teams
from the nine different colleges. There are teams that do not score or participate
in the playoffs (if they qualify), called "shadow-teams." The
"shadow-team" is a form of practice for the debaters who want
to challenge their debating skills at a competition.
La Verne had two "shadow-teams" at the competition last weekend.
The first team, named was composed of ULV graduate Scott Mac Kay, who debated
both the opening and closing speaker positions in the round. The other shadow
team was composed of David Randall and USC graduate David Feldon.
The debate last week was formatted to be "international style,"
the style that will be used at the World Championships, which means that
four teams in a round debated international issues four times. There will
be nine rounds at Worlds.
At last year's World Championship debate, La Verne was ranked first
after five of the nine rounds of competition, but fell to 77th place at
the competitions end.
This year the debate team will send Krispinsky and another undetermined
student to the World Championships, which will be held from Dec. 29 -Jan.
6.
