Wisconsin Forensics Daily

WDCA Calendar 2008

We have updated the calendar a second time based on updated information.

9/13 Workshop and Fall Business Meeting at Brookfield East

9/19-9/20 Marquette; Milwaukee Debate League

9/26-9/27 Nicolet (Friday Festival, Saturday Tournament)

10/3-10/4 Merrill; Brookfield East (replaces Rufus King)

10/10-10/11 Hortonville; James Madison Memorial, New Trier (IL)

10/17-10/18 LaCrosse Central; Mukwonago

10/24-10/25 South Milwaukee; MDL

10/31-11/1 Teacher’s Convention; Iowa Caucus (IA)

11/7-11/8 Waupaca; West Bend (replaces Brookfield Central)

11/14-11/15 Waukesha South

11/21-11/22 Fritsche (Friday only); Slinger (Saturday only); MDL; Glenbrooks (IL)

12/5-12/6 Sheboygan North; Bradley Speech (IL)

12/12-12/13 WSDT (Location TBD)

Tags: wdca

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Thursday Thing to Read: WDCA 2008 Schedule

With several tournaments having the distinct possibility of moving and the schedule conflicts that have existed over the last season, Wisconsin Forensics Daily is interested in taking the lead in a discussion about the 2008 Debate Season Schedule in hopes of resolving any potential conflicts before they arise. In case some of you haven’t heard, the Appleton East Challenge potentially will not exist next season. We are also returning to a year where there are more weekends in September than we have had in the past. Hopefully with this work we can develop a 2008 schedule that works with Milwaukee Debate League, develops three large tournament before the state tournament, and avoids regionally conflicted tournaments. (And since that I’ve been reviewing the standing rules, I know that this was supposed to be resolved by today).

What follows below is a list of next year’s dates. I’ve listed the possibilities of tournaments on a particular date as well. I’ve tried to note what is going on with the National Circuit where appropriate:
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Thursday Thing to Read: Running for the NFL Council

When I attended my first NFL National Tournament in 2001, I had the epiphany to become a teacher. I witnessed firsthand what forensics – and in a greater sense, education – could do for young people. After eleven years of coaching and a number of surreal successes, my greatest thrills still come from guiding students who work the hardest just to muster up enough strength to overcome a fear of speaking.
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Thursday Thing to Read: State Tournament Trivia

It has been a long, long time since we actually had a proper Thursday Thing to Read. (And even longer since it has been written by me). While many teams will be finishing up their preparation this week for the state tournament tomorrow, we at Wisconsin Forensics Daily want to encourage teams to take a step back from the impending high-stakes competition and to relax before the storm.

To facilitate that relaxation in a positive way, we are providing some State Tournament Trivia. There are no exclusions on who can participate in this trivia game. The rules are the same as last weekend. Send results through the WFD forum and I am the sole arbiter of points. Hopefully more teams will participate than last weekend. (If you were curious, no one participated last weekend, and so I didn’t even post the results).

One last reminder: Bring your laptops to the tournament! Or if you’re a parent, stay close to your computer and away from the snow! We will be providing live updates from South Milwaukee. (South Milwaukee has an open wireless network and has allowed WFD to post round-by-round updates in the previous years that the State Tournament has been held there.)

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West Bend East’s Doris Sexton Retiring After 32 Years of Coaching

Wisconsin is losing one of its longest tenured coaches next season and one of the most active contributors to the state’s forensic community. After 32 years as the head coach of West Bend East High School’s debate and forensics programs and after providing countless hours of service to the broader community, Doris Sexton is hanging up her timers and textbooks and sailing off into retirement.

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Thursday Thing to Read: What is Judges Preference

During awards ceremonies of forensic tournaments throughout the season, places in final rounds are often announced as being determined by judge’s preference. This announcement is usually followed by a series of boos or ooh or some other misunderstanding that attributes judge’s preference as something nefarious. In today’s Thursday Thing to Read I explain why Judges Preference is nothing to fear.

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Thursday Thing to Read: Parliamentary Debate

Today’s Thursday Thing comes from Michelle Tellock. Tellock formerly of Hortonville, is a current senior at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She is the president of the school’s Woodrow Wilson Debate Council, which she will be representing at the World Universities Debating Championships in Vancouver later this month. In the following article, she discusses parliamentary debate – a form of interscholastic debate unique to the college level – and her involvement in college debate.

We’ve mentioned Parliamentary debate once before. There are now three active Parliamentary debate programs in Wisconsin: Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, and Carthage College. Joining them next semester will be the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Because of all of this, WFD felt that it would be best to have an article relating to parliamentary debate. And so we have Michelle’s article:

Parliamentary and Proud: The Value of “Other” Forms of Debate

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Thursday Thing to Read: A Reminder

WDCA Awards Nominations are due to Past-President Jessie Hager by November 15. This means that students interested in the WDCA Scholarship awards or coaches interested in nominating their colleagues should submit the required forms to Jessie by the date mentioned above.

And since we’ve been talking about WDCA History. Let’s take a look at the coaches and students that have won each of the respective awards since they have been established. What’s listed below is correct. The only thing we are missing are scholarships.

Next week, we return with our regularly scheduled Thursday Thing to Read with a piece by James Madison Memorial coach, Tim Scheffler, on why procedural arguments are good for debate. Tim has a unique perspective on this issue, because he is an attorney.

Scholarship forms can be found here: (LINK)
Coaching Nomination forms can be found here: (LINK)

Updated 10/30/06
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Thursday Thing to Read: Politics Disadvantages

One of the main staples of modern policy debates are politics disadvantages.  Many judges often see these arguments as unrelated, poorly researched arguments.  Others love them.  But what are politics disadvantages?  How can debaters make them?  And are they good for debate?  Sheboygan North's recent graduate and current assistant coach, Jon Voss, takes on these issues in today's Thursday Thing to Read.

The Political Swamp: Washington’s impact on Policy Debate

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Thursday Thing to Read: Against Good Judges

The first Thursday Thing to Read is written by Nicolet Debate Coach Jason Chapman.  Often times we assume that more experienced judges are better for debate because they are used to how a debate works.  Jason's article questions whether or not our preconcieved notions of debate from good judges really advances debate.  It's pretty interesting.  Read on, in:

Why Good Judges Are Bad

by Jason Chapman 

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