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Japan Tour

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>Date:         Wed, 19 Oct 1994 23:12:16 -0400
>Reply-To: AXRST@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU
>Sender: National Debate Tournament <NDT-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
>From: Anand Rao <AXRST@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU>
>Subject:      Japan Tour
>Comments: To: NDT-L@uga.cc.uga.edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list NDT-L <NDT-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
>
>I realize this is kind of late, considering most of the discussion about the
>Japan tour occured a couple of days ago, but I was busy with PhD exams, and the
>serious nature of the "possibilities" outlined by Tuna need to be further
>addressed, even if I do little more than repeat what others have said.
>
>I was thoroughly bewildered by the allegations contained in Tuna's post. I
>was a participant on the last debate tour of Japan, and I neither viewed, nor
>experienced any of the problems that were outlined. Allow me to address them
>individually.
>
>_The committee is NDT biased_-
>While this has been best addressed by Madsen and Panetta, let me state that in
>discussing the tryouts with a CEDA debater, as well as two parliamentary
>debaters that participated in the 1993 tryouts, all of them expressed a
>satisfaction with the process (none of them voiced concerns over their
>treatment). Furthermore, while the tryout included a practice debate, the
>committee went to great lengths to emphasize that they did not want fast,
>NDT-style debaters- they were very concerned with the presentation, especially
>with how easy it was to understand each debater (an important issue when
>dealing with debate in a non-English speaking country).
>
>_The committee does not take care to make sure the team is gender and race
>balanced_
>As mentioned in earlier postings, CIDD has sent females to Japan in the past,
>as well to England. While I usually count as a white male on government forms,
>I was as close to a minority as you could get from the last group of finalists.
>The real problem is that the applicants are predominantly white-males, which
>makes it difficult for the committee to do anything but send white males. The
>answer is for more women, and minorities, of all debating styles to apply. It
>is interesting to note that while Japan is a strongly patriarchial society, the
>female students I encountered were the better debaters- some believe they have
>better language skills.
>
>_The committee only picks popular NDT debaters_
>While I was an NDT debater, and I have alot of friends that are involved in NDT
>debate, I think it would be incorrect to describe me as a 'popular NDT debater'
>(in the sense of rep). I might have been competent, but I was certainly not a
>debate god (you can ask Madsen or Stefan for verification).
>
>I would strongly encourage anyone with a real interest in debate, and in Japan,
>to apply. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I made friends that
>I would have never made, otherwise. Whether you view the "possibilities"
>outlined in Tuna's message as realistic, the answer is to apply for the tour,
>and make a difference. If anyone has any questions about the process, or would
>like the perspective of someone that recently went through it, I would be happy
>to help in any way. I hope that the strong reaction we have witnessed to Tuna's
>message can dispel the myths about the selection process, and enable qualified,
>bright, and interested debaters to apply.
>
>BTW, would someone please repost this to the CEDA-L.
>--
>Anand Rao
>University of Pittsburgh
>(412) 624-5959
>axrst@vms.cis.pitt.edu
>
Allan D. Louden, Dir of Debate
Wake Forest University
Box 7347, Reynolda Station
Winston-Salem, NC  27109
Office: (910) 759-5408
FAX:  (910) 759-4691
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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