2009 Cabin Fever Debates continue Tuesday with rounds on stimulus package and abortion

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7-10 p.m.
Social Sciences Building (SSB), Room 118

The fourth annual Cabin Fever Debates continues to challenge UAA students to consider some of the most thorny public policy issues we face. The first preliminary rounds were held last week; two teams were selected to advance to the semifinal round.

In the first round, Catherine Helle and Michael Duffy successfully opposed the motion "The State of Alaska should invest its public funds according to the principles of socially-responsible investing" by showing that socially-responsible investing is counter to Alaska's libertarian principles. In the second round of the evening, Kyle Benson and Christy Strong prevailed in their opposition to the motion "The NATO Alliance should negotiate with the Taliban to achieve stability in Afghanistan" on the grounds that negotiating with the Taliban would only increase their control over the region.

The contest continues with two more preliminary rounds on Tuesday, Feb 10 in SSB 118. The motion for the 7 p.m. round is "Any stimulus package should require that materials and goods purchased with stimulus dollars be bought from American sources when possible." The stimulus bill passed by the House and being debated by the Senate contains a labor-backed amendment requiring that U.S.-made iron and steel be used in the construction of stimulus-funded projects.

Competing in the first round of the evening will be:

• "Senators" [Andy Ray (senior, business management) and William Hutchings (senior, psychology)]
• "Bomb Buds" [Chris Stephanovich (senior, political science) and Levi Purdum (senior, political science)]
• "The Bees' Knees" [Solomeia Kojin (senior, psychology) and Brenna McLaughlin (junior, undeclared)]
• "Sirans!" [Porsche Warren (freshman, undeclared) and Alexia Tisdale (freshman, education)

The second round on Tuesday will begin at 8:30 p.m. on the motion "The State of Alaska should require either parental or judicial consent for minors seeking abortions." Tracing its roots back to the late '90s, the consideration of parental consent for abortions in the State of Alaska has long held the attention of our legislature. A recent Alaska State Supreme Court decision on the matter and a bill introduced by Representative John Coghill (R-North Pole) puts this controversial issue in the public spotlight once again.

Teams contesting this motion include:

• "The Vikings" [Nils Sandtroen (freshman, undeclared) and Eric Romig (sophomore, languages)]
• "Legit" [Doanh Tran (freshman, political science) and Romanie Roach (freshman, human services)]
• "Unbendable Steel Lions" [Anna Berger (freshman, undeclared) and Erin Cambell (sophomore, theatre)]
• "Soft Jelly" [Ryan Nolan (junior, undeclared) and Naleaha Peshel (freshman, undeclared)]

For more information, visit the Cabin Fever Debates Web site or contact Steven Johnson at (907) 786-4391.