Recent Posts

The dates of the 2015 National Debate Tournament are April 2 through April 6.

According to these 2 facebook posts, it's the weekend of April 8.  Also, I don't know how big of a concern this would be, but APDA Nationals is traditionally this weekend (~4/20). 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/184680248392191/permalink/236967663163449/?stream_ref=21
https://www.facebook.com/groups/184680248392191/permalink/237092066484342/?stream_ref=2

We are trying to plan for The Lafayette Debates for 2015.  When will the 2015 NDT be?

The 37th ADI will be hosted July 28th-August 10th. Registration is available on our website. Why should one attend the ADI?

1. Excellent jump on the topic. Debaters learn about the new topic best when thoroughly immersed in research, talk, and debates about it. 10 days after the topic is released, you'll be knee deep in the new year.

2. Minimum 10 practice debates on the topic. We have a tournament with 6 debates for everyone and each lab will cycle everyone through at least 4 more practice debates before the tournament starts. Imagine attending the first tournament of the year having already debated more than a tournament's worth of rounds!

3. Topic and debate education tailored to your skillset. Our labs match both your experience level and style of debate. We believe in the big tent of debate, and we teach everything from policy debate to performance. Our faculty have experience competing in and coaching every style at the highest levels. Whatever your flavor, you'll fit in!

4. Wonderful teaching fellows - some of the best debaters in the country every year work as teaching and research assistants during the ADI, and they'll help you grow educationally and competitively.
 
5. Community - The ADI has been a constant in the lives of debaters for 37 years now. Some of the oldest debate friendships for current directors and alums trace back to 2 weeks in Tempe, AZ for the ADI. There's no place else you can spend 2 weeks eating and breathing debate with folks from all over the country. If you enjoy the brief times you get to hang out with debate friends at tournaments, the ADI is that on steroids.

Tempe is a bit hot in August, but it's gorgeous, there's amazing food, and everything is massively air conditioned. So consider attending this year's ADI!

[The deadline for Fellows Applications is Monday April 28th]

The ADI is seeking fellows for the 2014 institute. The position is open to students currently in their second or third year of college debate who will be competing next year and who have a track record of success on the national level. The ADI Fellows serve in a number of capacities at the institute, but essentially are assistants to the lab instructors, though the fellows are also given time for individual research and practice debates with other fellows judged by the faculty.   

Fellows receive a tuition remission for the institute, free housing as well as a stipend of $200. Fellows in previous years have included participants in elimination rounds of CEDA Nationals and the NDT, 1st round recipients, and CEDA and NDT National Champions (most recently, Deven Cooper from Towson, Eric Lanning from Michigan State). At this year's CEDA and NDT tournaments, ADI Fellows were represented across the NDT elims--including quarterfinalists (Eric Lanning), octafinalist (Holley), double octafinalist (Masterson)--as well as the CEDA elims: Double Octafinalists (Holley, Bess, Rumbaugh), and Triple Octafinalists (Lepp). ADI fellowships are an excellent way to get a jump on the topic by working with some of the top debaters and coaches in the country while using the outstanding library facilities at Arizona State University.

Fellows job responsibilities typically include: assisting lab practice speeches and debates during the afternoons, working on individual and joint fellows assignments in the evenings, and producing one individual neg file and one joint aff before attending the institute. Fellows may take on additional pre-institute neg assignments for increased pay.

The dates for the ADI will be July 28-August 10. Interested students should email me with their contact information, debate background, an attached letter of recommendation from a coach addressing their work ethic and teaching ability, and a brief statement explaining why you'd like to be a fellow at the ADI.

The deadline for Fellows Applications is Monday  April 28th. I will announce fellows selections as soon as possible after all applications have been received and reviewed by faculty. If you have any questions about the ADI or the fellows program, email me at asymonds at asu dot edu or call me at 480-338-5624. 

If you want to pursue a Ph.D. or M.A. in communication/rhetoric starting in the Fall of 2014 and you also want to coach debate, we may have an opportunity for you. Our graduate program is strong and growing, and has provided degrees to some notable folks from the debate community, including Dr. Michael Hester, Dr. Stephen Heidt, Joel Lemuel, Abi Williams, and Paul Mabrey, among others. Our team is committed to supporting novice through varsity debate and has a long history of diversity in both argument choice and student and coach representation.

There's still time, but there's not much of it. If you're interested for the Fall, or if you have questions, contact me as soon as possible at joe.bellon@gmail.com.

Dr. Joe Bellon
Director of Debate
Georgia State University

draft of the spring 2014 rankings is now up:
http://www.ndtrankings.org/

please email me errors/issues by Tuesday, april 22, 9pm. : )

jim : )
ndt ranking director
hansonjb@gmail.com

The Chicago Debate League is hiring senior and junior instructors for the 2014 Chicago Debate Summer Institute, July 28 - August 8, for both high school and middle school students.

Senior instructors have a college degree and are paid $2,000 - $2,250.  Junior instructors have a high school diploma and are paid $700 - $800.

Prospective instructors from out of Illinois are encouraged to apply, though housing is responsibility of each instructor. 

More information in the attachments. 

To apply for a senior position, submit a letter stating your qualifications and interest, via email, to:

Les Lynn
Chicago Debate Commission
(e) leslynn@chicagodebateleague.org

[CHICAGO DEBATE COMMISSIONProgram Officer for OperationsJob Description and Application Information]

CHICAGO DEBATE COMMISSION
Program Officer for Operations
Job Description and Application Information

[/color]

The Chicago Debate Commission (CDC) seeks a qualified candidate to join its programming staff, working in a variety of fields central to the CDC’s mission of bringing rigorous and engaging academic debate opportunities to public school students in Chicago.  The CDC facilitates, promotes and manages academic debate programming in 78 public schools in Chicago, and runs the Chicago Debate League, one of the nation’s leading Urban Debate Leagues.  The Program Officer for Operations will work full-time from the CDC’s downtown offices. 

Job Description

The Program Officer for Operations will work with other programming staff members, including the Program Officer for School Support, and will report to the Director of Programming.  The Program Officer for Operations will conduct a variety of academic debate programs, involving all four high school conferences in the Chicago Debate League, and all three conferences in the Chicago Middle School Debate League.  The Program Officer for Operations:   
 
•   Maintains school, coach, judge, student, and all other programming rosters;
•   Updates, revises, and upgrades the Chicago Debate League website
•   Manages and posts all reporting notebooks – e.g., Tournament Reporting Notebook, Professional Development Reporting Notebook, Qualitative Assessment Reporting Notebook
•   Manages tournament registration
•   Assembles and publishes tournament results and Medal Count
•   Maintains and keeps current all email listservs
•   Manages the coach incentive, compensation, and stipend payment systems
•   Manages all programming tracking forms and data systems, including the Qualitative Assessment Project database
•   Manages the tournament hosting process
•   Conducts site visits in advance of tournaments to ensure host site readiness
•   Directs tournament tab rooms on tournament weekends
•   Trains and communicates with tournament operations staff
•   Performs site visits to schools to work with coaches to assist them in building their debate programs
•   Communicates with coaches by email, phone, and text to assist them in building their debate programs
•   Develops and posts coaching and instructional resources to further debate program building throughout the league
•   Conducts selected teacher and coach trainings
•   Develops resources and materials for training and instruction of CDL and CMSDL coaches
•   Develops and executes plans to increase the pool of tournament judges and supports judge recruitment
•   Manages coach and instructor compensation and incentive payments
•   Recruits and supports coach training volunteers
•   Assists in the management of the Chicago Debate Summer Institute;
•   Fulfills other assignments and projects, as issued by the Director of Programming

Qualifications

•   B.A. or higher degree with strong academic record
•   Extensive experience in current high school cross-examination policy debate
•   Exceptional organization and project management skills
•   Demonstrated high level of detail-orientation
•   Effective time management skills and ability to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously
•   Capacity to execute projects to specifications, while also demonstrating initiative, problem-solving skills, and self-direction
•   Passion for the urban debate mission and the educational justice objectives of the Chicago Debate League
•   Ownership of a vehicle and/or willingness to ride public transportation to high schools and other sites
•   Experience in urban education – non-profit, administrative, or classroom – is a plus
•   Willingness to work evenings/weekends where necessary – total working hours will be 40-50, but hours will not always be “9 to 5” 
•   Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills

Additional Information

Compensation commensurate with experience. 

Candidates passing an initial screening will be interviewed by the staff of the Chicago Debate Commission. 

The Chicago Debate Commission is seeking a commitment of at least two years. 

The Program Officer for Operations position may begin June 1. 

The Chicago Debate Commission is an equal opportunity employer.   

Submit your c.v. and a cover letter, via email to:

Les Lynn
Director of Programming
Chicago Debate Commission
(e) leslynn@chicagodebateleague.org

Where is ADA Nats next year?  I'm currently trying to fit it into our calendar.