Precious Metals for Eagle DebatersBronze, Silver Awards Go to Northwest University
Nine colleges and universities – including Boise State University, Pacific University and Linfield College -- brought 64 top students to match wit and speaking skill for the first competition of 2006. Chambers and Botterbusch were the top seeded team going into finals with a 4 to 1 winning record. They defeated Lower Columbia College in the bronze or quarterfinalist round and advanced to the silver or semi final round – where they lost to Mt Hood College – bringing home one of two silver awards. The topic for the final round was “This house would speak softly and carry a big stick.” Chambers and Botterbusch affirmed the resolution and argued in favor of UN action to stop atrocities in the Sudan. Team captain Jordan Goddard and Casey DiGennaro won one of four bronze awards, opposing Boise State on the topic: Unions have outlived their usefulness. Topics were announced twenty minutes before each round and included such issues as the nuclear crisis in Iran, the Alito nomination, compulsory community service for high school students and the Wal-Mart Corporation. Casey Di Gennaro, 22, senior music major from Sitka, Alaska, was recognized as the third best over all debater out of 64 and received one of five Ramon Padilla Awards – named in honor of an outstanding competitor in years past known for his speaking excellence and outgoing personality. The best overall award combines win-loss record, speaker points and judge’s preference points in all divisions. In addition to wins and losses, debaters are ranked for speaking ability and the top five best speakers are recognized with awards. DiGennaro received a wood gavel for ranking as the third best speaker. Nathan Chambers also received a gavel for ranking as the fourth best speaker. In addition, Kevin Botterbusch ranked as the seventh best speaker, Mark Abbott was the eighth best speaker and Jordan Goddard ranked as the ninth best speaker. The next debate will be televised on January 30 for broadcast on KGOV – the Kirkland cable television station. The debate will also be streamed on the Kirkland City web page for the whole world to watch. Jordan Goddard and Gideon Copple will challenge Casey DiGennaro and Kortney Thoma on the topic: Washington State should pursue alternative forms of energy. The Northwest team is looking forward to traveling across the Atlantic for an international competition in the heart of Europe during spring break. The Eagles will take their debating skills to Prague, Czech Republic and the International Forensics Association tournament and hope to win back their first place title won when the IFA tournament was held in Vancouver, Canada in 2002. |