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Re: Why Does CEDA Exist?

I don't think Scott's question amount to whining.  In fact, I think its a
good starting point for what seems to me to be an inevitable merger of
some kind in the fairly near future.  

In fact, in some ways, it has already happened with NDT folks
participating in the CEDA topic selection and NDT adopting the CEDA topic
and so on.  Until more former members of the each organization infiltrate
the structure of the other, I don't think the level of trust will exist by
either organization to cede to the other. 

I do think there are still some other barriers that will gradually work
themselves out:

If any organization were to "merge" into the other, it might be
more logical for NDT to merge into CEDA.  After all, the NDT (and its
various functioning bodies) run one tournament a year.  CEDA has a lot
more input into the format, divisions, and other decisions that affect
individual tournaments.  A merger would certainly require some sort of
joint committee to agree upon the level of involvement of the emergent
organization.  Personally, I think we should consider approaching this
fairly soon, absent strong arguments by the community against it.

On a related note, some of us happen to like the formats of either
or both of the National Tournaments.  I like the size and homgeneity of
the NDT judging pool and the every round is tough quality of the
tournament.  I also like the size and free-for-all of CEDA Nats 
and that is essentially completely open.  In my opinion, they offer very
distinct and equally attractive alternatives to each other, but many
people prefer one or the other.  Now, that doesn't mean that CEDA couldn't
have a seperate tournament, but for the time being, CEDA folk can go to
NDT and NDT can go to CEDA.  No harm, no foul.

The philosophies of the two organizations are somewhat different.
As per above, CEDA is far more top-down.  I don't mean this in a negative
way, but CEDA is much more involved in the values and practices of the
individual tournaments which it endorses.  As more traditional NDT
tournaments seek CEDA sanctioning, however, this aspect becomes less
important.

I think there is still some residual distrust of the practices and
motives of each organization.  Many programs left NDT, not just for
stylistic reasons (which for the most part don't exist any more) but
because of the National Circuit, first-round team focus of many NDT
programs.  But since a national and round-robin circuit has emerged in
CEDA, I suppose this difference is fading as well.  And as NDT has adopted
a sweepstakes system, the differences are smaller and smaller.

Some initial thoughts of mine about this topic, anyway.

Tom Jewell
University of New Mexico
Follow-Ups: References:
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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