UAA Seawolf Debate Team to compete against Irish debate champions
by Kathleen McCoy |
Debate to address whether Anti-American sentiment is justified
Members of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Seawolf Debate Team are preparing
their arguments for the upcoming visit of their Irish counterparts who will visit
the United States as part of the 2007 Irish Tour of America. A public debate, featuring
the motion "Anti-American sentiment is justified," will take place on Thursday, March
29 at 7:30 p.m. in UAA's Fine Arts Building, room 150.
During their tour of America, three Irish debaters - Ciaran Denny, Ross Kelly and
David Quinn - will visit five universities in Colorado, Alaska, California, Illinois
and Florida. The Irish Tour of America, founded in 1980, is a cooperative venture
between the Irish Times and the National Parliamentary Debate Association. While
in Alaska, the Irish team will go up against UAA's debating dynamos Michael Rose,
Tom Lassen and Chris Kolerok.
Michael Rose, a core member of the Seawolf Speech & Debate Team, is a junior majoring
in political science. He has represented UAA in numerous international competitions
in Europe, North America and Asia, and was part of the top team at the 2005 inaugural
U.S. Universities Debating Championships.
Tom Lassen, along with his debating partner Chris Kolerok, ranked in the top five
teams in the world when he reached the semifinal round of the 2007 World Universities
Debating Championships. Lassen, a philosophy major, prevailed over 320 teams from
around the world to end the tournament as top team in North America.
Chris Kolerok is a senior economics major, and the other half of the team to advance
to the semifinal round at the 2007 World Universities Debating Championships. Kolerok
was also a member of the first UAA team to win an international tournament when he
and partner Rose-Helens-Hart took top honors at the Rotterdam Open in 2005.
Members of the UAA student body, faculty, staff and the larger community are invited
to attend this public debate. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information contact Steve Johnson at 786-4391 or steve.johnson@uaa.alaska.edu,
or visit http://forensic.uaa.alaska.edu/ .