Spring Break
New addition to debate squad doesn't disappoint
Jennifer Bhargava
Issue date: 10/24/05 Section: News
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"It's absolutely amazing," said Linda Collier, debate coach and director. "We're the envy of the district."
Last September, at the Wichita State University tournament, Amy Foster, senior, and Gretchen Rix, sophomore, won second place as a team. Both debaters also won first and second place individually, in that order. During the Emporia State University (ESU) tournament in mid-October, they won fourth place.
However, Malcolm Gordon, senior, and Andy Culp, senior, brought home first place as a team, with Gordon winning top speaker.
Shining among the winners is a new division to the debate team: novice. The section is specifically for students who have no policy debate experience prior to this year. It was created on behalf of several Midwestern universities in hopes of reviving debate and making it more accessible on campuses.
Despite their new arrival to the squad, the novice debaters are already on fire.
In their first tournament at Missouri State University, the novice teams won second through fifth place. UMKC debaters took the top six novice speaker awards.
Recently at the ESU tournament, eight of the top 10 novice speakers awards went to UMKC debaters. Vasudeva Ramaswamy, junior, and Sharan Srinivas, senior, won first place as a team. Chris Seedyk, freshman, and Dean Dennehy, junior, took third place.
"We've built quite a reputation for ourselves in just these two tournaments," said Ramaswamy. "We've been referred to as the 'novice machine.'"
Although the debate squad makes winning look easy, many novice debaters admit the process is difficult.
"I did a little debate in India but had no idea how structured it is [in the United States]," said Ramaswamy. "It is a lot more intensive than India and more based on theory."
Ramaswamy believes the complexity increased during his second tournament at Emporia State University.
"[Sharan and I] had to fight our way through each level and it was extra intensive," said Ramaswamy. "I think it was because other schools knew our strategies already."
In order to overcome their transition into the debating world, coaches and varsity debaters helped prepare the novice teams.
"We did novice workshops for approximately five hours per week and we then did two full practice debates a week which each lasted about two hours," said Bryce Dietrich, assistant debate coach. "We created files or research for them to use so they wouldn't have to start from scratch. However, many of our novices are now taking on their own research assignments so hopefully they will be able to use their own research at the next tournament."
Many novice debaters are studying the topic on their own using sources such as newspapers, magazines, journals and the Internet. They also receive help from the Miller Nichols library staff.
Despite the strenuous work, the novice debaters are quickly learning the tricks of the trade.
"Debating was very hard at first," said Seedyk. "By the next tournament I felt a lot better, because I got the hang of it and I figured I was there for a good time."
Dietrich is proud of the novice debaters' effort and victories.
"The novice teams are consistently going above and beyond the call of duty," said Dietrich. "They have achieved more than I could have imagined at the beginning of the season, and I see potential in each of them to have very successful debate careers at UMKC. There is still a lot of work to do, but we have gotten off to a great start."
Foster, a varsity debater, also enjoys the addition to the debate squad and is impressed with their success.
"I think that having the novices is great," said Foster. "They're energetic, want to learn, and make a great contribution to the team."
Debaters and coaches agree all sections represent the spirit and hard work the UMKC debate team offers.
"The students themselves have been tremendously dedicated," said Collier. "It's been fabulous chemistry. I love it!"
jbhargava@unews.com
