You are cordially invited to the James Madison University campus to judge the 2007 "James Madison Commemorative Debate and Citizen Forum." This is the fifth annual "Madison Cup Debates," which takes place in conjunction with our university’s annual celebration of James Madison's birthday. In only a short time the “Madison Cup Debates” has become a noteworthy and significant event on the national debate competition scene. This year it will take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2007. Our annual Madison Day Debates continue to grow. This year’s field will include as many as 24 teams, who will be traveling from as far away as California. This year’s participants include: UVA, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Wake Forest, Cornell, William and Mary, Claremont, Richmond, Liberty, George Mason, and of course JMU—to name only a few. The undergraduate student debaters will be competing for the Madison Cup, and $15,000.00 in Scholarship prizes. This year the debate topic is: Resolved "That our nation needs Affirmative Action now more than ever." We hope that you are free to join us on Wed. March 14. We have two rounds of debate on Wed. morning at 8:30AM, and 11:00AM (each should last about 2 hours). The debates are in Taylor Hall (4th Floor—look for our registration table). Parking permits will be arranged for those without permits—just let me know if you need one. Coffee and snacks will be provided. No special "debate" expertise is required or expected of judges. These are "public debates," that is, they are designed to be a real public forum— students and other audience members are encouraged to come and speak their mind at the conclusion of the debates. All that is required of judges is to evaluate the debaters based on the quality of their argumentation. In other words, to select and rank teams based on your perception of their debating skills—not on your personal beliefs—and to offer a brief amount of feedback to the students involved. We will not ask you to announce your decisions, just offer a bit of constructive criticism, positive feedback, and thoughtful commentary on the debate. We will have "jury instructions" for all the jury members on the day of the event. If you would like to join us, or just help us out by serving on a jury at 8:30 am, 11:00 am or both, please let me know ASAP. Based on our conversations with last year’s volunteers, we believe that all the judges who participated really enjoyed themselves. We hope you will too. Sincerely, Pete Bsumek, Dir. of the Madison Cup Debates and the Madison Day Committee. Mike Davis, Dir. of JMU Debate and the Madison Day Committee. PS: We would also love to see you, your friends and family, or even your students at the final round on Wed. evening at 5PM in the Wilson Hall Theater. So if you know anyone who might be interested in the debate, please let him or her know about the event. It might even be a worthwhile extra credit assignment for some of your classes.
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