Debate Society to Quarterfinals at National Championship; Third in Northeast Sweepstakes

St. John’s Debate Society emerged from a field of 132 teams ranging from California to South Africa to the United Kingdom to become one of the top 16 teams at the U.S. University National Championship Tournament held on the campus of the University of Vermont in Burlington during the first weekend of April.

The team of Alia Bellwood and Korey Pace cleared to Octofinals as the 29th seed in the tournament overall, then advanced to Quarterfinals after debating the motion "This House would ban the export of seal products."

The Debate Society was also represented by Zia Durrani, Michael F. Scott, Andrew Culy, Shreshth Jain, Timothy Barr and Mohammad Qasim.

The Debate Society also clenched the third place spot in the Northeastern U.S. Debate Sweepstakes for the second year in a row.

Any student or faculty member who would like to know more about the Debate Society is welcome to contact the Director of Debate, Steve Llano at llanos@stjohns.edu or 718-990-5606.

Motions Debated
Rd 1: This House would support an Israeli strike on Iran.
Rd 2: This House would let community standards have a determining factor in public school textbook adoptions.
Rd 3: This House believes that all people have the absolute right to know the biological identity of their parents.
Rd 4: This House would suspend elections in Afghanistan indefinitely.
Rd 5: This House would repeal the vaccination requirement for public school entry. Rd 6: This House would put all development aid into the hands of women.

Octos: This House would impose a worldwide ban on imported seal products.
Quarters: This House would abandon stimulus packages in favor of balanced budgets.
Semis: This House believes the United States should actively undermine the International Criminal Court.
Finals: This House would outlaw the personal ownership of handguns.

Northeastern University Debate Sweepstakes Rankings for 2008-9:
1. The University of Vermont
2. Cornell University
3. St John's University
4. Colgate University
5. Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Coverage of U.S. University Nationals by Eva Solberger of Seven Days Magazine (a Burlington VT weekly newspaper) can be viewed here.

Center for Media & Democracy's extended video of the finals can be found here.

CBS local news report can be viewed here.