[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]
Return to main CEDA-L Archive Page

Where does CEDA come from?

>It is sad that CEDA members often forget their roots.  CEDA came about
>as a reaction to ndt delivery, primarily.  Now, other groups are
>rebelling at the delivery that is predominate within CEDA.

I am not sure I agree. At Nationals this year I had an excellent
opportunity to talk to Tim Browning (Univ. of Arizona coach then), one of
the founders of CEDA 25 years ago. I asked him this question, was CEDA
formed as a backlash against NDT speed and delivery? He said, very directly
, NO.

It was formed, really, to create regional and experiential alternatives.
There weren't enough NDT tournaments around, and those that were did not
have real novice divisions. Therefore, it was decided to start CEDA so that
there could be more local opportunities for more students -- especially
those at an entry level.

Most of the schools who participated in CEDA during those early years also
had NDT programs at the same time for their experienced debaters ready to
travel the national circuit.

18 years later, or about 6-7 years ago, Steve Dolley, David Berube, and I
switched the Vermont program to CEDA for the same reasons -- we wanted more
regional tournaments to go to so that our money was spent more efficiently,
and we wanted real opportunities for beginning debaters.

Now, 25 years after its founding, I believe that many  in NDT wanted to
debate the CEDA topic for much the same reasons -- a better selection of
regional tournaments to simplify travel and budgeting, and real novice
divisions so that new debaters could get started.

I want to take a lesson from this. The lesson may be that CEDA succeeds or
fails not on how fast or slow we talk, but based on our abilities to keep a
regional circuit alive and to keep novice debate happening.


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
+++++
14th NATIONAL DEBATE INSTITUTE 7/27-8/10/96
Application & Scholarship forms at  http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/ndi.html
+++++
DEBATE CENTRAL:  http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/dc.html;
gopher://beluga.uvm.edu
+++++
LAWRENCE DEBATE UNION: http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/ldu.html
+++++
VERMONT REGGAE FEST: http://beluga.uvm.edu/debatecentral/vrf.html
Follow-Ups:
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
Return to main CEDA-L Archive Page