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Seawolf Debate Team excels at U.S. Universities Debating Championships By: Staff Apr 22, 2008 ANCHORAGE, AK – The Seawolf Debate Team showed its depth this past weekend at the U.S. Universities Debating Championships (USUDC). Hosted by Portland State University, the tournament drew over 60 teams from universities from Vermont to Hawaii. Over the course of the weekend, UAA students engaged their peers on a number of controversial topics such as whether the International Olympic Committee should award future Olympic Games only to nations which are democratic and respect human rights, whether the government should legalize polygamy and whether the U.S. should ban homeschooling.
The team traveled an unusually young squad to this tournament; of the 10 students who spoke for the Seawolves, eight were in their first year of competition. The strength of the Seawolves bench became evident when the team of Michelle Hart (Freshman, English & Political Science) and Amie Stanley (Freshman, Political Science & Human Resources) took top honors in the novice division. This USUDC was Stanley and Hart’s first intercollegiate competition; they were the top team at the Cabin Fever Debates, UAA’s intramural debating tournament. So far, they’ve taken first place in every tournament they’ve entered.
In the main event, hard work and dedication paid off for the Seawolves. James Stinson (Junior, History) and Michaela Hernandez (Freshman, Philosophy) advanced to the quarterfinal round, placing them among the nation's top 16 teams. Meanwhile, the team of Ben Ferguson (Junior, Philosophy) and Severin Randall (Junior, Philosophy) was edged out in the semifinal round, placing them in the top eight teams. Randall was also recognized as the 8th best speaker out of the over 120 students entered in the debating competition. Nicholas Byrne (Junior, English) advanced to the final round of Public Speaking.
This tournament concluded the Seawolves competitive season but they are eager to start preparing for next year's World Universities Debating Championships in Cork, Ireland. For more information on the Seawolf Debate Team, please contact Steve Johnson (786-4391) or Shawn Briscoe (786-4354). You may also visit the team's Web site at www.uaa.alaska.edu/seawolfdebate/.
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