World Schools Debate Championships – Interest Form

During the Victory Briefs Institute, John Meany, Director of the USA’s World Schools Debate Championships team (www.uswsdc.org), spoke briefly to our students about the opportunities that exist for competitive debating outside of the United States. For many years Team USA was very-much limited to a small group of students who happened to know someone involved with the WSDC. This team usually consisted of 5 kids from the entire US, who would participate in only 1 tournament per year. Since Meany has become the director a few years back, he has worked to expand these international debating opportunities. He explained his hope to create a larger and vibrant “world-debating circuit” for US high school debaters.

In the past few years, debaters from the United States have participated in WSDC tournaments in South Korea, New Zealand, Qatar, England, Greece and South Africa.

Below you will find a form to find out how you can participate in the World Schools Debate Championships.
Read more →

VBI2011: Students of the Day — Ambika Dubey and Jack Wilson

Each day, I profile two students at the Victory Briefs Institute so you, dear reader, can learn about the debaters from across the country who have joined us here at UCLA. (You’ll have to forgive my omission yesterday, as it came during the leadup to my birthday!)

Name: Ambika Dubey
School: Monta Vista High School (California)
Class: 2014
Coaches: Shirley Keller-Firestone
NFL Degree: Merit

VBI2001-S1 Lab: Sasha Arijanto/Daniel Lumpee/Paras Kumar

How did you first get involved in debate?

I went to my first debate meeting because I was required to choose between going to a tournament or three other less appealing options as an assignment for a class I took in freshman year. Obviously, after that one tournament, I never left debate!

What is your proudest achievement in debate thus far?

My proudest achievement in debate is incredibly modest. I take the most pride in the fact that I have only been to three tournaments in my fifteen years of life and yet, I managed to go 3-2 at my first varsity tournament.

What are your hobbies beyond debate?

Beyond debate, I enjoy dancing (I have been dancing for as long as my memory goes), singing, acting, speech-ing (as in, the “speech” part of “speech and debate”), reading, and writing. In addit.

What are your main goals for VBI?

Throughout my time here at VBI, I would like to improve in circuit debate as I have had no real experience with this style. In addition, one of my main goals for VBI was (and still is) to make friends with the amazing people from all over the US.

What is your favorite thing about camp?

To be utterly truthful, my favorite part of camp is not the lectures, not the modules, not even the practice rounds. My favorite part of VBI is the time in between all these- the time when we flourish as human beings and grow in ways we never could have imagined; My favorite part of VBI is the time spent with those who help us stand up when we fall. My favorite part of VBI is the time spent with friends.

Name: Jack Wilson
School: Ridge High School (New Jersey)
Class: 2014
Coaches: David Yastremski and Lynne Coyne
NFL Degree: Excellence

VBI2001-S1 Lab: Ben Holguin/Daniel Imas

How did you first get involved in debate?

I first got involved in debate after hearing the announcement of debate tryouts. I attended the information meeting and was hooked.

What is your proudest achievement in debate thus far?

My proudest debate achievement is breaking and having success at tournaments such as Harvard, Lexington, Princeton, Newark, and States.

What are your hobbies beyond debate?

My hobbies beyond debate include history, skiing, waterskiing, hockey, enjoying time with friends, and reading.

What are your main goals for VBI?

My main goals for VBI include becoming a well-rounded debater, becoming more philosophically competent, and, of course, have fun!

What is your favorite thing about camp?

My favorite thing about camp is reading the philosophy and making new friends from various areas of the country.

What Is Your First Tournament of the Season?

Where will you and your team compete first this season?

VBI2011: Practice Round 6

The pairings for the sixth practice round are available online. The divisions are named for three of our past camp leaders: Oscar Shine, Tommy Clancy, and Neil Conrad. (The Conrad Division will begin its practice rounds later.)

All pairings can be found on the Victory Briefs Wiki.

VBI2011: Modules 11

Students have two sets of modules this morning. The options for the second set include “Advanced Negating” with Chris Theis, “Answeing Theory” with Michelle Deloison-Baum, “Argument Interaction” with Karlyn Gorski, “Aristotelian Naturalism” with Marshall Thompson, “Crystallizing Messy Rounds” with Diana Li, “Debating Permissibility” with Daniel Imas, “Discourse Shapes Reality” with Oliver Gappmayer, and “Queer Theory and Identity Politics” with Jon Cruz and Ryan Hamilton.

All module postings can be found on the Victory Briefs Wiki.