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

Re: basketball analogies and divisions



On Mon, 16 Oct 1995, Steven Hunt wrote:

> The Myth of the Level Playing Field
> 
> There is no level playing field in debate. There never has been and never 
> will be. Fair divisions are almost impossible, maybe impossible to 
> create, and are another separating mechanism in forensics, a field 
> already far too divided.
> 
> Why is there no level playing field? Think about it folks. What does it 
> take to have a great excellent debate program?
> 
> lst and foremost talented, bright, dedicated, motivated, hard working 
> students. American University 2 years ago with basically two of these 
> sorts of students did extremely well in CEDA. However, you usually need 
> more. It helps a whole lot to have 6-l6 good students so you can have 3-8 
> teams change partners share research burdens help one another with 
> strategies etc. 
> 
> 2nd talented bright hard working directors, teachers, coaches. It helps
> to have teachers who know what they are doing and can teach argumentation 
> and debate theory and strategy and tactics and help in practice rounds.
> It helps to have a philosophic defense for the program. It helps to have 
> somebody getting pr for the program. It helps to have a good administrator.
> It helps to have a motivator and coordinator.It helps to have someone 
> trying to have long range plans for the program and recruiting for the 
> program.
> 
> There are lots of other factors too I have just started on the list. It 
> isn't Lexis Nexis only that separates programs or size of budget or size 
> of school or number of scholarships It is dozens of key factors.
> 
> There is no level playing field. Never has been never will be. Now HOW DO 
> WE MAKE OUR ACTIVITY AS FAIR AND DECENT AS WE CAN GIVEN THIS?????
> 
> Steve Hunt 
> 
	There is at least one thing that can be done to level the playing 
field:  have all of those bright, motivated, talented students do ALL 
their own work.  That alone would make me feel more comfortable going 
into a round.

	Another option would be to divide into conferences--such as the 
"Big 8" and "Heart of America".  Don't be alarmed if you haven't heard of 
the second; it's a conference of small colleges.  But you run into travel 
costs, housing arrangements, etc., that the smaller institutions are not 
often able to handle.  Smaller schools with the ability to muster only 
8-10 people at best and a small budget for forensics might be forced to 
give up entirely.

	This is all just a spur of the moment response--please give me 
some feedback on your opinion/experience.  I think there ARE at least 
some ways we can balance the scales and prevent elitism.

Lisa Kincaid
Central Methodist College
Follow-Ups: References:
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
Return to main CEDA-L Archive Page