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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2001)
. Ben Garvey for the Emerald Debate team members Alan Tauber and Heidi Ford, both political science majors, won the National Tournament of Excellence award. Debaters emerge victorious ■ A University Forensics team won a national debate tourney at Whitman College By Lisa Toth Oregon Daily Emerald The clock was ticking and Uni versity students Alan Tauber and Heidi Ford only had 25 minutes to prepare for a critical debate that would last about 40 minutes. Before the showdown began, the team and other members of the University’s Forensics Program buried themselves in files and ad vocacy pieces they would use to strengthen their argument. Once the stopwatch ran out 40 minutes later, Tauber, a senior po litical science major, and Ford, a junior political science major, emerged as the nation’s top parlia mentary debate team. Tauber and Ford took home the national championship at the first National Parliamentary Tournament of Ex cellence, April 27 to 29, which was hosted by Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. The duo defeated some of the best debate teams in the nation, in cluding their competitor in the fi nal round, the team from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Tauber and Ford had to make it through six preliminary rounds and five elim ination rounds. During their final elimination round, Tauber and Ford argued against jury nullification, which means the jury has the authority to repeal laws it sees as unjust.Going into the competi tion, Tauber said he and Ford had high expectations. They were ranked sixth in the nation when they entered the tournament, but they had been ranked in the top 10 all year. Only the top 48 teams in the country were invited to at tend the tournament. The University Forensics Pro gram, which is 125 years old, be longs to the National Parliamen tary Debate Association, and this school year it has participated in intercollegiate parliamentary de bates nationwide. Professor David Frank, director of the Honors College, said he’s proud of the winning team be cause they represent a “long tradi tion of intercollegiate debating ex cellence” at the University. Frank said Michael Nguyen, a sophomore computer science ma jor, and Damon Martichuski, a sophomore international studies major who also qualified for the tournament, finished the year in 32nd place. Frank, who also serves as the director of forensics education, said the team’s “well honed” debating skills, natural talent, experience and hard work make them “clearly the best team in the country.” Ford said she and Tauber have a great partnership, and she could not have won the tournament without him. “It was the last tournament that Alan and I had to debate together,” Ford said. “We’ve had more sue cesses together than with any oth er partners. It was a wonderful way to go out of our debating sea son.” Director of Intercollegiate Forensics Rick Peacor, along with assistant coaches Nick Lougee and Pete Mohn, are all former de baters. Ford said they were an in tegral part of the team’s success not only because they were a “great cheering section,” but be cause they brought their experi ence as debaters and judges to the winning team. Ford said her future goals at the University include working in forensics as a coach on a collegiate level and attending law school. Tauber, who has been debating for eight years — including four at the University — serves as a clerk at the Lane County Courthouse. He said his experience helped the team become more familiar with the legal system, which strength ened their debating tactics. After graduation, Tauber is headed for law school. Ford, who has been on the Uni versity’s debate team for three years, added that debating helps participants feel more comfortable speaking in public and improves research skills in topics ranging from U.S. foreign policy to cam paign finance reform. “You feel informed about what you are going to debate. 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