Saturday, March 5, 2011

Debaters in Paradise

Debaters in Paradise
NU Eagles Third at Pan Pacific Championship

 
Kirkland, WA. February 25, 2011

Congratulations to Calvin Horne and Elizabeth Moberg for placing third in novice division at the Pan Pacific Championship Debates hosted by Hawaii Pacific University on Feb 19 – 20.

56 students from 11 colleges and universities representing three countries gathered on the HPU campus on the leeward side of the Hawaiian Island of Oahu for five pre-elimination rounds of debate and two final rounds.


In addition to HPU, the University of Hawaii and several Hawaiian community colleges, mainland schools represented included New York University, Lavern University (LA, California), McNeese State University (Louisiana), Seattle University and Linfield College (Oregon).
Internationals institutions: the University of Seoul (Korea), University of New Brunswick, Canada and York University Osgoode Law School (Toronto, Canada).

Motions for the debates were announced fifteen minutes before each round and included such issues as privatizing space exploration, banning caffeinated malt beverages, video-taping police officers, the European Union eliminating the Euro and revolution in the Middle East.

About World Style debate.

In order to get the best price for air travel the Northwest University group arrived late Tuesday night. Five two-person teams were lead by Coach Gary Gillespie and Assistant Coach Morgan Chinn. Judges included Sandra Chinn and Jessie Fast.

The Eagle debate team hosted a debate and impromptu speech event at the Miramar Hotel on Wednesday night.

The Miramar is one block from Waikiki Beach and provided the meeting room without charge. The neat and well-run hotel gave the Northwest University group a fantastic price for top floor, view rooms, free parking and one complimentary breakfast. Thanks for the help from our travel agent Terry Uemura at the Hawaii General Store for once again giving us over the top service and cost saving tips.

On Thursday the group traveled by two vans to visit the newly renovated Pearl Harbor Memorial about 30 minutes from the hotel. We then drove to the North Shore for lunch at the surfing town of  Haleiwa. After a lunch of garlic shrimp from concession trailers, we enjoyed a hike to Waimea Falls where students swam in the pool at the base of the falls.
Friday was reserved for a hike to the Makapu’u Light House at the southern end of Oahu and for snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. That evening we joined with other debate teams for a luau and Polynesian music and dance show at Germaine’s Luau.

Novice and open team debated together for six rounds, then the top scoring novice teams were honored at the awards ceremony on Sunday early evening. The team of Horne and Moberg received an award for ranking as the third highest novice team, with Seattle University second and York University first among novice teams.

Professor Gary Gillespie and assistant NU coach Morgan Chinn were selected to join the judging panels for both the semi final and final rounds.  The team of Josh Martin and Ryan Mansel from Lavern University won first place. 
At the farewell group dinner at Tiki's Grill on Waikiki, members of the Northwest team each shared their best memories of the trip:
  • Getting soaked in a Waikiki rain storm Saturday night
  • Nik Borisov selected to drum dance in front of 400 people at Germaine’s Luau
  • View at the top of the Makapu’u Light house hike
  • Swimming, boogie boarding and surfing
  • Spying turtles, whales and exotic fish while scuba diving and snorkeling
  • Winning a debate award
  • Most of all, gaining deeper friendships with one another.
The team returned to a freezing Seattle on Monday night.

Thanks to HPU Director of Debate Professor Rose Helens-Hart for making the Pan Pacific Championships possible.  Our students appreciated the challenge of facing off against top debaters form institutions around the world in what proved to be an exhilarating intellectual exchange in the laid back, aloha setting of Hawaii.
We’ll be back to paradise next year.
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Report on Harvard University at Northwest University Feb. 2011

Report on Chinese National Debate Team at NU Feb 2011


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