Additional arguments in favor of making LD count towards novice retention....
1 - LD experience is not necessary to fill the novice ranks - perhaps different recruiting tactics can be necessary. Argumentation classes, word of mouth, facebook groups, signs, showing up at the Black Student Alliance and College Republicans meetings, and publicized campus wide "try-outs" where the winner receives "a spot on the Kansas State Debate team where all of there travelling costs are taken care of" have all produced solid numbers. This method utilized at Vermont, Georgetown, North Texas and now Kansas State leads me to believe LD'ers are not necessary to fill up the novice division. But some directors do not recruit heavily or view it as a concern. I am actually more interested in hearing what others have done that works or fails than debating this rule, so any backchannels of successful tactics are appreciated. 2 - We in Kansas with novice debaters (JCCC, KCKCC, KSU, Emporia, to some extent UMKC) are at a severe novice recruiting competitive disadvantage. There are not novice eligible debaters with LD experience. All of the debaters in Kansas compete in policy debate in the Fall and LD in the Spring. The correlation between novice nationals champions who have LD experience, especialy Nationally Travelling LD experience, might provide cause for concern. 3 - JV is for intermediate debaters...The purpose for novice is to teach a skill to a group of people who have not encountered it...An LD debater from Dallas or the LA area or Chicago or New York is far more likely to be prepared to go JV in college than a debater with policy experience from many rural areas across the country. The biggest difference for KSU between novice and JV: do they engage in a style of debate that involves comparisons on many levels? For KSU debaters this means FLOWING and LINE BY LINE debating - for others there are different techniques, but those who have been asked to explore ARGUMENT are usually better off than those who have merely asked to give poetic speeches to community members. The difference between LD and policy experience is so negligible for the majority of the country that we should err towards protecting those who can gain the most from the activity our most inexperienced. _______________________________________________ CEDA-L mailing list [email protected] http://www.ndtceda.com/mailman/listinfo/ceda-l
