Topic Selection Proposals

[asnider@moose.uvm.edu (Alfred C. Snider)]

Proposal #1: CEDA should debate the national high school policy topic for
that year.

Personally, this is my favorite.

It would bring the two together in a lot of good ways. We can even have
some of the same tournaments, or tournaments which allowed cross-overs. We
can coach and recruit more effectively. We can show them we are top notch.
We can create new HS programs easier and vice versa.

We might also consider using their high school L-D topics for an L-D
division of CEDA.

Proposal #2: Year Long Topic System

I will opt for a year long topic system. I believe the community will as
well. Assuming that, we need to reform our topic selection process.

Here are a list of my starting ideas. None of these are firm, it is just a
starter.

December-January: Encourage individuals to write topic area papers with
resolutions (a mix of policy-non policy).

Feb-March: Circulate topic area papers. Build Problem area list, have
problem area vote.

Nationals (last day): topics from winning topic area finalized. This should
be easy since the topic area papers will have proposed topics.

After nationals: vote for topic.

Bastille Day (some time in July): release results of topic vote. Same
release as NDT?

End of September: first tournaments which qualify for points at same date
as now.

>From Thanksgiving until Christmas: no tournaments allowed for points.
Nationals in March (not same weekend as NDT). Perhaps a weekend earlier
than it is now.

COMMENTS:

1. Topic papers improve the process and help get people involved.

2. You know what the topics are going to be in the problem area you vote for.

3. We don't have to fly topic committee members to meetings. The real
meeting is at Nationals, and most will already be there. We can meet during
the elim rounds. This meeting will be easier since we already have topics
for the winning area.

4. We have an earlier release on the topic so that people can start on it
during the summer if they want ... BUT ...

5. We still start 4 weeks after school starts so that there is time to
prepare after school starts ... AND THERE'S MORE ...

6. We seal off parts of the school year (early Sept., Thanks-XMas) from
debate madness, as well as ending a week earlier so that students have lots
of time for school at the end of the semester.

7. People can have tournaments if they want, but they would not be
sanctioned for points. We would try and find a weekend for those who get
crowded out (sorry, Josh).

8. Fewer votes: one for problem area, one for topic.

9. More time to consider topic areas/topics, unlike rushed system for
second semester now.

++++++

Well, I invite comments from any and all.


Alfred C. Snider AKA Tuna
Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics, University of Vermont
Mail: Box 54225, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405-4225
Phone: 802-656-0097, Fax: 802-656-4275
DEBATE CENTRAL:
http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/dc.html
gopher://beluga.uvm.edu
LAWRENCE DEBATE UNION:
http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/ldu.html

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