FRTM - Debate status

Friends,

Well the debate is shaping up nicely.  I had a meeting with Simply Speaking last night and they are excited to be a part of this event.  Due to their main coordinator being out of town for a week, they are approximately one week behind where we are.  On Thursday Ray will announce the result of the club's choices for our debate team, they are asking for volunteers this week.  If you're not in the pool of debaters and have not yet voted, please reply to the voting email I sent out previously casting your choices for our representatives.

As we are winding down on this aspect of the process, we need to start thinking about topics.  Our club will supply six topics and SSTM will do the same.  The members of both clubs will then be given the opportunity to choose the topic that should be debated from 12 compiled by both clubs.  After the speakers and topic is chosen, we will flip a coin to determine the side the club is on.

At this point I ask the club membership to submit potential debate topics.  Keep in mind two factors when considering topics. 

(1) the topic must be big or balanced enough to have facts available to effectively build an argument for either side.  For example, debating whether iPads should belong in universities may be too small and not enough information available to build an effective argument.

(2) the topic should not have been in the public domain so long that both sides have been completely explored and it's nothing more than getting the data from a website and the most persuasive speakers win.  An example here is euthanasia where Ray and I found a web site that completely documented both sides of the argument.  This has been argued countless times over many decades.

If you wish to submit some suggestions, please send them to me (Dirk@xxxxxxxxxxxx) before Wednesday, July 21, 2010.

Thanks and have a great meeting this week.  I'm in Kansas and won't be in attendance.

Dirk