Spring 2007: Cabin Fever Debates continue with rounds on longevity bonus and Barack Obama

Intramural debating tournament brings forth talented debaters

 

Last week's introductory session of the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Debates, UAA's intramural debating tournament, kicked off with debates over the spanking of children and the appropriateness of military officers publicly criticizing their superiors. 

An estimated crowd of more than 80 curious observers and participants showed up to enjoy an evening of public debate and spirited discussion.  The UAA students involved in the competition did an outstanding job testing the motions before a panel of judges that featured members of UAA's own Seawolf Debate Team.  Delivering their arguments and rebuttals with passion and flair, it was hard to believe that most of the students involved in the competition had never participated in a formal academic debate.

The third and fourth preliminary rounds are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the Student Union Den.  The motion for the 6:30 p.m. debate that evening is "The longevity bonus should be reinstated for Alaska's seniors."

Teams selected to compete in the third round are:
Opening Proposition: (The Italians) Breanna Golez & Tiffany Knight
Opening Opposition: (What?) Merry DePalatis & Kate WilliamsClosing Proposition: (Platinum Vexation) Peter Finn & Severin Randall
Closing Opposition: (Regulators) Joe Foxley & Ryan McKee

The debate scheduled for 8:00 p.m. will feature the motion "Barack Obama would be the best choice for the Democratic presidential candidate."

Teams selected to compete in the fourth round are:
Opening Proposition: (The A Team) Amanda Harman & Meriah Sutherland
Opening Opposition: (M.S.) Sarah Park & Maywen Tungul
Closing Proposition: (The Veracious Vanguard) Bennett Lapham & Anna Koch
Closing Opposition: (Almost Persuaded) Kaitlin Johnson & David Pine

The final preliminary round will be held February 27; the top ranked teams will participate in the final round on March 6.  Each member of the champion team will receive a $1,000 award and the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Universities Debating Championships in Los Angeles from March 30 to April 1.  The first round begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union Den. The second round will also be held in the Den and will commence at 8:00 p.m.

Members of the UAA student body, faculty, staff and the larger community are invited to attend these public debates; all events are free and open to the public. The Seawolf Debate Team, the Alaska Debating Society, the College of Arts and Sciences, CAFÉ, and the Office of the Chancellor sponsors the Cabin Fever Debates.  

For more information, please visit http://cabinfeverdebates.uaa.alaska.edu or contact Steve Johnson (786-4391) or Andrew Gardner (786-4354).