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Re: CEDA Points: The Root of All Evil

A very few debaters might get "held down" by our system, but at least we
have a novice-JV system to get "held down" into.

One problem with NDT might be a lack of sufficient novice-JV opportunities,
so this problem would obviously never come up.

I agree that students get held back at times and I predicted just such an
event as your described at SDSU (has already happened by the way at other
tournaments). However, I am proud that CEDA is a place for debaters of all
experience levels.

The UNI entries were illustrative this year, although they might be a
unique example. 80+ varsity teams, less than 10 JV teams, and 1 novice
team. This tells me that the tournament is only for people who have gained
considerable experience in HS, and not for new people.

This is important to me because at Vermont I do not get any experienced
debaters, have no scholarships, and it is the most expensive public
university in America. Therefore, my goal is to take RAW NOVICES and within
four years make them into TOP VARSITY DEBATERS. It is a rough job, but we
do it because it is within the students and it is within me to bring that
out in them. This last weekend at Emporia we cleared two teams, none with
HS experience and our team in semis consisted of a 5th semester debater and
a 3rd semester debater. I assure you it is not because I am an awesome
coach, but because it is within them to become awesome debaters.

However, without a novice and a JV level in which to develop them, they
would have quit after their second varsity tournament.

CEDA points are also not the root of all evil, though there are some problems.

To me the real evil is in not recognizing that students everywhere and at
any experience level can learn to debate well and benefit from it. It is
not for the elite or the previously experienced.

Prof. Jewell has prompted these comments, but I am in no way indicating
that he does not care about novices or disagrees with me unless he says so.
I respect his program and his efforts and would simply say I hope he is
happy in NDT but that we would be anxious to welcome him back to CEDA or
share him with NDT.

Our real commitment should be to our students and the debate process itself.

Alfred C. Snider AKA Tuna
Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics
University of Vermont
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