Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Debate - BP Digital Enhancement of Models


From the University of Rochester tournament in Fall of 2008. This came out of Steve Llano's vault, thanks to him for finding it.

Motion: This House believes that models in advertising should not be diitally enhanced.

Not sure about the teams, except that Colgate is first government and Vermont is second government.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Discussion - Lower USA Drinking Age to 18


Flashpoint 376 - Drinking Age from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

A discussion of the recent proposal by over 100 university presidents to rethink the drinking age in America, the Amethyst Project. Discussion carried on by Sam Natale, Tom Dionesotes, Allison Hamlin and Alfred Snider. February 2009.

Alfred Snider
Lawrence Debate Union
University of Vermont
debate.uvm.edu

Friday, February 20, 2009

Debate - BP Strikes in Essential Services


Quarterfinal BP round @ Cornell Invitational Debate 2009 from Steve Llano on Vimeo.

Quarterfinal round at Cornell Debate Tournament, February 15 2009

MOTION: THIS HOUSE WOULD BAN STRIKES IN ESSENTIAL SERVICES.

WARREN 231
1 HWS HK OG
16 VERMONT KG CG
8 PENN/WILLIAMS AA OO ADVANCES
9 COLGATE WB CO ADVANCES
JUDGES: LLANO, LANGONE, SHAO

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Public Debate - Gaza Incursion was Justified


Public Debate - Gaza Incursion was Justified from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

This public debate was held 22 January 2009 at the University of Vermont. Sponsored by the Lawrence Debate Union, the debate took place in the WUDC format.

The motion was: This House believes that the Israeli military incursion into the Gaza strip was justified.

Proposition team:
Danielle Goldschneider, senior debate
Taylor Lalemand, senior debater
Joshua Miller, senior debater
Jan Feldman, professor of political science

Opposition team:
Sam Natale, sophomore debater
John Voight, professor of mathematics
Tom Dionesotes, sophomore debater
Allison Hamlin, sophomore debater

A large podcast video is located at:
uvm.edu/~debate/watch/pubdebgazauvm0109.M4V

A medium-sized podcast is at:
uvm.edu/~debate/watch/pubdebgazauvm0109/pubdebgazauvm0109-desktop.m4v

A smaller .mov file is at:
uvm.edu/~debate/watch/pubdebgazauvm0109.MOV

Monday, February 16, 2009

Debate - BP Strikes in Essential Services


Debate - BP Strikes in Essential Services from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

Cornell University Debate Tournament, 15 February 2009.

Quarterfinal debate.

Motion: This House would ban strikes in essential services.

3 VERMONT CN CO ADVANCES
14 VERMONT LA OG
6 CAL STATE SB KM OO ADVANCES
11 ST JOHNS MC CG
JUDGES: ZHANG, STITELER, PIKE

Alfred Snider
Lawrence Debate Union
University of Vermontg
debate.uvm.edu/

Debate - BP Holocaust Denial


Debate - BP Holocaust Denial from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.


Cornell University Debate Tournament 15 February 2009.

Semifinal round.

Motion: This House would criminalize Holocaust denial.

VERMONT CN ADVANCES
CAL STATE SB KM ADVANCES
ST JOHN’S PB
COLGATE SC
JUDGES: FIGGINS, SHAO, LANGONE

Alfred Snider
Lawrence Debate Union
University of Vermont
debate.uvm.edu

Debate - BP USA Obligation on Drug Cartel Violence


Debate - BP USA Obligation on Drug Violence in Mexico from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

Final round of Cornell Debate Tournament, 15 February 2009.

THBT the USA has an obligation to combat drug cartel violence in Mexico.

Teams:
Opening Government - Colgate
Closing Government - California State University San Bernadino [first]
Opening Opposition - Bard
Closing Opposition - Vermont [second]

Alfred Snider
Lawrence Debate Union
University of Vermont
debate.uvm.edu

Google Video (old) and Vimeo (new)


Google Video has announced that it will soon stop accepting new video uploads. This is a sad thing for this website because we have been using Google Video pretty exclusively and it has worked very well. I understand, however, that they will suspend this free offering, so we will have to switch.

After reviewing many video upload services we have decided to go with Vimeo. while not quite as fast in the uploading department and while it does not offer as many full-screen options, it seems to be a good substitute.

Vimeo seems to convert everything into a Flash video so that when it plays it does so smoothly and with high quality even in a lower bandwidth situation.

Let us know if you have any problems with the new Vimeo videos.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Debate - BP Publicly Fund Elections



Thanks to Steve Llano for this.

http://progymna.blogspot.com/2009/02/should-elections-be-publicly-funded.html

Here's a debate from last Friday's scrimmage between The King's College, Manhattan and St. John's University, Queens. The motion is This House would publicly fund all election campaigns.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Watch First Debate in Virtual Reality



Here is the video from the debate on 4 February 2009 held in Second Life, a virtual reality.

The motion: This House would abolish faculty tenure at colleges and universities.

Proposition: From St John's University, Tim & Don
Opposition: From University of Vermont, Tuna & Jacob

The chair was Peter Mesarec of Slovenia.

Thanks to Steve Llano of St. John's University for organizing this event.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Debate - Asian Format - Thailand Migrant Rights


Debate-Asian format - Thailand Migrant Rights from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

Finals between Assumption vs. Thammasat at 175th Anniversary of USA-Thai Relations Debate Tournament. January 2009 Bangkok.

decision is 6-1 for the government.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Debate - Asian Format - American Pop Culture


Thai-American Friendship Debate - American Pop Culture from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

The University of Vermont as proposition team and the Thai Debate All Stars are opposition. This House believes that American Pop Culture does more harm than good. January 2009 in Bangkok.
Vermont: Sam Natale, Allison Hamlin, Lucas Caress
Thailand: LP The Debating Monk, Pat from Thammasat, TJ Senamngern.
Sponsored by the USA Embassy and the Thai Commission on Higher Education.

Comments by USA Ambassador Eric John are below:


Thai-USA Friendship Debate - US Ambasador's Comments from Alfred Snider on Vimeo.

Debate - BP DNA Database


Here's one of the semifinal debates from U.Mass. Amherst this past weekend. The motion was This house would establish a DNA database of all citizens for the purposes of criminal investigation (or something close to that).

here are the teams involved:
OG - St. John's University
OO - Cornell University
CG - University of Vermont
CO - St. John's University

Debate - BP Against Embedding Journalists



This is the final round from the U Mass - Amherst Tournament held last weekend (this debate happened Feb. 1 2009). The motion is: this House would legislate against embedded journalism.

The teams are:
OG - RIT
OO - Cornell
CG - Hobart & William Smith
CO - St. John's University