Spring 2007: Cabin Fever Debates continue with rounds on longevity bonus and Barack Obama
by Kathleen McCoy |
Intramural debating tournament brings forth talented debaters
Last week's introductory session of the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Debates, UAA's intramural
debating tournament, kicked off with debates over the spanking of children and the
appropriateness of military officers publicly criticizing their superiors.
An estimated crowd of more than 80 curious observers and participants showed up to
enjoy an evening of public debate and spirited discussion. The UAA students involved
in the competition did an outstanding job testing the motions before a panel of judges
that featured members of UAA's own Seawolf Debate Team. Delivering their arguments
and rebuttals with passion and flair, it was hard to believe that most of the students
involved in the competition had never participated in a formal academic debate.
The third and fourth preliminary rounds are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the
Student Union Den. The motion for the 6:30 p.m. debate that evening is "The longevity
bonus should be reinstated for Alaska's seniors."
Teams selected to compete in the third round are:
Opening Proposition: (The Italians) Breanna Golez & Tiffany Knight
Opening Opposition: (What?) Merry DePalatis & Kate WilliamsClosing Proposition: (Platinum
Vexation) Peter Finn & Severin Randall
Closing Opposition: (Regulators) Joe Foxley & Ryan McKee
The debate scheduled for 8:00 p.m. will feature the motion "Barack Obama would be
the best choice for the Democratic presidential candidate."
Teams selected to compete in the fourth round are:
Opening Proposition: (The A Team) Amanda Harman & Meriah Sutherland
Opening Opposition: (M.S.) Sarah Park & Maywen Tungul
Closing Proposition: (The Veracious Vanguard) Bennett Lapham & Anna Koch
Closing Opposition: (Almost Persuaded) Kaitlin Johnson & David Pine
The final preliminary round will be held February 27; the top ranked teams will participate
in the final round on March 6. Each member of the champion team will receive a $1,000
award and the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Universities Debating Championships
in Los Angeles from March 30 to April 1. The first round begins at 6:30 p.m. in the
Student Union Den. The second round will also be held in the Den and will commence
at 8:00 p.m.
Members of the UAA student body, faculty, staff and the larger community are invited
to attend these public debates; all events are free and open to the public. The Seawolf
Debate Team, the Alaska Debating Society, the College of Arts and Sciences, CAFÉ,
and the Office of the Chancellor sponsors the Cabin Fever Debates.
For more information, please visit http://cabinfeverdebates.uaa.alaska.edu or contact
Steve Johnson (786-4391) or Andrew Gardner (786-4354).
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