Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Brett Bricker and Nate Johnson were still debating at 11 p.m. after a long day of three debates starting at 8 a.m. Energy drinks and coffee kept their minds sharp. But being at tournament finals motivated them to concentrate on the debate. They were about to win the title at the annual Harvard University debate tournament.
“All of us were pretty tired,” Johnson said, “but it was really exhilarating.”
Bricker, Wichita senior, and Johnson, Manhattan senior, placed first at the Harvard Intercollegiate Debate Tournament last weekend, becoming the first team in KU debate history to win the title. Bricker was named top individual debater at the tournament.
Two other KU teams participated in the tournament. Christopher Stone, Derby sophomore, and Mark Wilkins, Topeka freshman, placed 21st in the tournament. Sean Kennedy, Leawood sophomore, and Dylan Quigley, Wichita junior, placed 24th.
Scott Harris, KU debate coach, said the tournament was the most difficult debate tournament during the year. Eighty teams participated in it from across the country, including Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. In the tournament finals, Bricker and Johnson defeated a Northwestern University team that was one of the best in the country, Johnson said.
This year, the debate topic was whether the United States should eliminate agricultural subsidies. Bricker and Johnson focused on biofuel subsidies to present their arguments.
Bricker said debates required a large amount of knowledge about the topic as well as good oral arguments. He said he usually spent about eight hours per day researching to prepare for debate tournaments.
“Both Nate and I work pretty hard at doing research and practicing speeches and debates,” Bricker said. “It ends up being like a full-time job.”
Managing schoolwork and debate was not easy, Bricker said, but debating had been his passion since high school.
“It’s really intellectually stimulating and I like the competitions,” Bricker said.
Johnson said he enjoyed persuading other people in addition to attending competitions. He said participating in debates taught him to look at issues from broad perspectives.
“I’m probably less opinionated than most people might assume,” Johnson said.
Bricker and Johnson are preparing for the Wake Forest Tournament this weekend. Bricker said it would be one of the semester’s biggest tournaments, with 160 teams gathering from all over the country.
— — Edited by Mary Sorrick
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