2008 Woodie Awards
State's top debaters flock to CMU Saturday
By: Mike Wayland
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Central Michigan University students plan to take on rival colleges in a very different competition this weekend.
CMU is hosting the 2007 Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League fall tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday in Moore Hall.
Admission is free, and colleges including Eastern Michigan University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University will participate.
"We are trying to get nationally qualified," said Anne Marie Hartman, a Baroda senior. "It will be a very good tournament and we're excited about it."
About 45 students will participate, including six or seven from CMU, said Ed Hinck, speech communication and dramatic arts professor and director and coach of forensics.
Hartman said there usually are two different types of debate - a Lincoln Douglas debate with individual competitors and a parliamentary debate, which can be on anything from a cartoon to a quote with two-person teams.
The Lincoln Douglas debate will not take place Saturday because of lack of participants.
Hinck predicts every CMU student who has entered Saturday's tournament will win and qualify for the national five-day tournament in April.
"We're having a great year," he said.
Hartman said at least one person has usually placed at each tournament.
Because CMU is hosting this year's tournament, they cannot win the team-sweepstakes award - which is given to the overall first-place team.
"It's kind of tacky to win your own tournament," Hartman said.
EMU is the Central's biggest debate rival, Hartman said.
"They've been champions for the past 10 to 15 years," she said. "It all comes down to them and us in the state championship."
CMU only has beat EMU once in the past 15 years in the state championship.
To prepare for the tournament, the debaters have had practice sessions in front of their coaches, done background research and practiced with each other, Hartman said.
The tournament will take roughly 12 hours and will take place in various classrooms on Moore Hall's first and second floors.
Since CMU cannot get first place, many novice debaters will participate in the tournament, gaining experience and a chance to qualify for the state championships.
news@cm-life.com
CMU is hosting the 2007 Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League fall tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday in Moore Hall.
Admission is free, and colleges including Eastern Michigan University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University will participate.
"We are trying to get nationally qualified," said Anne Marie Hartman, a Baroda senior. "It will be a very good tournament and we're excited about it."
About 45 students will participate, including six or seven from CMU, said Ed Hinck, speech communication and dramatic arts professor and director and coach of forensics.
Hartman said there usually are two different types of debate - a Lincoln Douglas debate with individual competitors and a parliamentary debate, which can be on anything from a cartoon to a quote with two-person teams.
The Lincoln Douglas debate will not take place Saturday because of lack of participants.
Hinck predicts every CMU student who has entered Saturday's tournament will win and qualify for the national five-day tournament in April.
"We're having a great year," he said.
Hartman said at least one person has usually placed at each tournament.
Because CMU is hosting this year's tournament, they cannot win the team-sweepstakes award - which is given to the overall first-place team.
"It's kind of tacky to win your own tournament," Hartman said.
EMU is the Central's biggest debate rival, Hartman said.
"They've been champions for the past 10 to 15 years," she said. "It all comes down to them and us in the state championship."
CMU only has beat EMU once in the past 15 years in the state championship.
To prepare for the tournament, the debaters have had practice sessions in front of their coaches, done background research and practiced with each other, Hartman said.
The tournament will take roughly 12 hours and will take place in various classrooms on Moore Hall's first and second floors.
Since CMU cannot get first place, many novice debaters will participate in the tournament, gaining experience and a chance to qualify for the state championships.
news@cm-life.com
