TU Speech and Debate team judges high school competition
Towson students share knowledge with 164 Baltimore Urban Debate League participants
Brian Stelter
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About 10 Towson students participated as judges in the tournament at Northwestern High School, listening to students argue for and against topics, determining the victor for each of the three debate rounds.
A total of`82 teams, each comprised of two high school students, competed at the BUDL tournament. Participants debated the United States' involvement with the International Law of the Sea treaty. According to the Unitarian Universalist Association, the treaty, which was signed in 1982, "affirms that the resources of the sea belong to all people and embodies negotiated arrangements for sharing and controlling these resources."
Three rounds were held, lasting an hour and a half each. An awards ceremony concluded the day's events.
BUDL administrative assistant Diana Kerns registered debaters and judges in the morning and helped organize the awards ceremony at the end of the event.
"This is one of the more active things that the Towson Speech and Debate team does as community service," she said.
The Towson University Foundation administers much of the grant that supports the league.
The Baltimore Urban Debate League works to "enrich the academic experience of students from Baltimore City's public high schools through participation in team policy debate," according to its mission statement. Twenty schools are affiliated with the league. Debate tournaments take place every month during the school year.
For sophomore law and American civilizations major Shawnita Diggs, judging wasn't just a typical community outreach project.
"I debated in this league in high school. It's my way of giving back to it, since I got so much out of it," Diggs said.
She identified several examples of opportunities she received as a result of her high school debating days.
"I debated on the radio, I debated in front of city hall, I debated in front of Congress," she said. "I got to travel to another country to debate."
In addition to judging, Towson students were involved with other facets of the event.
"We have students who are coaching teams in the area," Towson adjunct faculty member Chris Baron said.
These assistant coaches help teams research topics, construct arguments and prepare for debates.
Saturday's competition marked senior mass communication major Jessica Parker's first time as a judge. Originally attending the event for an extra credit assignment, Parker participated in judge training in the morning and unofficially judged a debate in the second round.
"I had a lot of fun today actually," Parker said.
Her judging did not count, but it was an opportunity to put the concepts from her Advocacy and Argument course into practice, she said.
Towson's Speech and Debate team is comprised of about 30 members. It is a co-curricular program, meaning that it is both a club and a class. Participants receive credit each semester while they compete in tournaments and assist with community service efforts.
The team functions as one organization, but the debate and speech components travel and compete separately.
The debate team ranked third out of 40 participating groups at their first competition of the season, held the weekend of Sept. 26 at Kings College in Wilks Barre, Penn. Individual members of the team were successful, as well; Diggs placed third out of 80 speakers at the event.
Two-person teams of students debate a 'national resolution,' presenting evidence for their side. They compete in policy debate -- "the toughest form of debate," Baron said.
The speech team's first competition took place Saturday and Sunday at George Mason University. The team competes in many events, including impromptu speaking, dramatic interpretation, prose interpretation and persuasive speaking. The group will host the TU Classic Wellness Tournament on Oct. 18 and 19.
Junior economics and computer science major Sergejs Saksonovs discussed the experiences he has had while participating on the Speech and Debate team, pointing to a trip to Krakow, Poland last year.
"We get to go to intercollegiate competitions, in the United States and internationally. I think it's a window to many opportunities," he said.
Students interested in learning more about the Speech and Debate team can stop by Media Center room 205 or visit the team's Web site at http://www.towson.edu/speechanddebate/.
