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Re: communal ev good


On November 17, 1993 Jonathan Snyder wrote:

> I hope that I have shown that it is possible to have communal ev and have
>some kind of understanding of issues within this great mire of messages in
>my inbox. I think that the communal ev boxes can be good and can be bad if
>they are abused. I think that having us all run the same case, which I
>understand some of y'all think is bad, but it opens up a door to people
>who want a taste but cannot afford the time, the thing that is abusive is
>of the units who I class above me having to see the ev they worked their
>butts off for being used by seemingly unappreciative novices... 

With the Vt. influence now in Salt City, we too have been starting to run
communal Affirmative cases for the novices. I can't say that I'm entirely
happy about it. First, I think that novice is the time to experment with
new ideas while learning debate theory. When someone writes your case for
you, it does not seem to allow for any growth. Second, when one writes
their own case, they are inherently going to know it better than someone
who didn't. I have seen in numerous practice rounds new debaters who didn't
understand the topic itself (as they were not as directly involved) but
didn't even know the order of the pages in case. Third, if the novices
aren't going to write their own cases, when will they ? As more and more of
us graduate into the real world (Yipee !), and the novices progress
throughout their own career, there will be less and less actual undergrads
being able to write their own case - thus impairing CEDA in general. Once
this happens, coaches and assistant coaches (most likely ex-debaters
themselves) will just be living vicariously through the arguments they
themselves created. While I, and many of you, realize that debate is a time
commitment, I really don't think that asking novices to write their own
cases is too much to ask for (with help, of course). 

At the same time, I whole heartedly support communal evidence. It seems
like the only rational way to divide an almost unbearable amount of
research necessary to win. It is just communal Affirmatives where I draw a
big line.

>  The bottom line is that I agree with the general way the wind blows up
>here in chilly vermont that getting as many people involved with our
>beloved activity is good. Debate is something that requires a lot of love,
>and that can sometimes scare people away...enuf sed

"If you love something
set them free
if it comes back to you, its forever. 
If not it was never meant to be."

>  And to reply to the comment about how Vermont people are infiltrating
>Syracuse...well lets just say that that is just the beginning <sinister grin>

Somehow, I don't see that as a bad thing. Syracuse - where the sky is a
little more grey, the land of less expensive beer, and the home of the Dome
Dog.

"You can sit here in the waiting room or wait there in the sitting room." -
The Firesign Theater

- Todd
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