Forensics: Debaters played 'devil's advocate'
Continued from page 1
the military. This debate marked the
end of the season for the University
team, although several debates are
planned for the off-season.
“The great thing about debate is
the ability to think through things,”
said Aaron Donaldson, the University
team’s assistant coach.
Donaldson said the debate
did not necessarily reflect the views
of the participants but instead
created a “devil’s advocate” for
public discussion.
Despite boos, hisses and shouts of
“shame,” the team from University
College Dublin cited moral and histor
ical grounds in its defense of the Bush
administration’s pre-emptive stance
on military action.
“In the history of the world, no lib
eral democratic nation has ever in
vaded another liberal democratic na
tion,” UCD’s Ross McGuire said.
University juniors Jason Lear and
Brad Krupicka debated that pre-emp
tion has caused the world to become
less stable and Iraq to become a quag
mire that has hurt its citizens more
than helped them. They also pointed
to the 100,000 Iraqi civilian casualties
they said have come from military
action so far.
Following the debate, both teams
fielded questions from the audience,
town-hall style, regarding their
respective positions.
McGuire said debate in Ireland is a
national pastime and is significantly
different from U.S.-style debate.
“American structure focuses more
on structure and clinical logic,”
McGuire said. He said this style also
places more emphasis on analysis
and is intended to convince an expert
the debater has control of the subject.
“Debate in Ireland is more centered
on convincing the layperson,”
McGuire said, adding that Ireland’s
style is slower and more rhetorical.
Irish National Debate Champion
Frank Kennedy agreed.
“We’re much more used to debat
ing from the crowd,” he said. “This
originates from Wednesday night
town-hall meetings.” He added that
everyone is entitled to a point and
anyone is allowed to ask a question.
Kennedy said debate in Ireland
has a long history. He said most
Irish colleges have societies where
people discuss and debate issues in
weekly public forums. The oldest
debate society in Ireland began at
Trinity College in Dublin 235 years
ago; University College Dublin’s
society is 150 years old.
“Every single chief justice of the
Supreme Court (in Ireland) and four
of eight prime ministers debated with
UCD,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy and McGuire have
traveled to colleges around the
United States, including the
National Parliamentary Debate
Association’s national tournament
at Texas Tech University on March
17-20. In past debates, the pair
have debated with the Rev. Jesse
Jackson, Norm Chomsky, Colorado
Gov. Bill Owens and Mary
Robinson, former high commission
er for Human Rights in the
United Nations.
Debate at the University began in
1876 with the creation of the Universi
ty Forensics Program. The team pio
neered a style of debate commonly
used in competitions called “Policy
Debate,” University assistant coach
Donaldson said, adding that the
team’s heyday was in the early 1900s.
“They used to be so popular they
could charge admission to help pay
for football uniforms,” he said.
sheldontraver@dailyemerald. com
Law: Pro bono hours totalled more than 10,600
Continued from page 1
In all, University law students last
year contributed more than 10,600
volunteer hours to nonprofit and
government agencies that help the
poor. University students volun
teered their time at various legal-aid
programs, domestic-violence clin
ics, public defenders’ offices, vic
tims’ service programs, youth-of
fender projects, community
mediation programs, district attor
neys’ offices and many others. The
hours contributed at law-clerk
wages amount to nearly $130,000 of
free legal help.
Dunlap worked on two large proj
ects during her time with Regan’s firm.
“She does a ton of things day to
day and has made it possible for me
to take on so many cases and liti
gate them,” Regan said.
The first project was in response
to the Interference with Agricultur
al Operations law, which affects
people who protest by tree sitting or
blocking access roads.
“The law is used to oppress free
speech,” Dunlap said. “It has been
found unconstitutional in one coun
ty and is up for appeal right now. ”
Dunlap researched the law for the
indigent activists who were arrested
under it and could not have afford
ed the legal help needed to fight
their arrests.
Dunlap also devoted much of her
time to working with prisoners who
were arrested and convicted with
extraordinary sentences. One case
was that of Jeffrey Luers, arrested
for setting fire to sport utility vehi
cles in the area.
“He was sentenced to 22 years for
setting fire to SUVs because of the
political speech wrapped up in the
activity,” Dunlap said. “He was
punished within the system for
political speech.”
As well as working on the two
projects, Dunlap helped Regan create
the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
“She was instrumental in getting
it off the ground,” Regan said.
The center will serve as a referral
service and a brief bank, a collection
of briefs and research on various civil
rights issues, to help people who
would otherwise be unable to afford
legal help.
“It is in response to the (USA) PA
TRIOT Act and the changes in civil
liberties we have seen in the last
few years,” Dunlap said. “It is dedi
cated to performing services and
giving information to mainly ac
tivists without money but that use
free speech.”
The center is currently assisting
in finding protesters of the Biscuit
Fire who have been found guilty un
der the Interference with Agricultur
al Operations law.
“We have referred and matched
approximately 25 clients with attor
neys so far,” Dunlap said.
After graduation Dunlap will be
come an associate at Regan’s firm,
where she will continue to work on
environmental litigation, criminal
defense and civil liberties cases.
abolsinger@dailyemerald. com
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LOCAL 503
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Stronger Together
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Contact Senator Bill Morrisette by email at sen.billmorrisette.state.or.us to thank him for supporting
the Affordable Health Care bill package (SB 501 - SB 505 and SB 329) in the State Senate.
University employees are holding the line for health care benefits.
Visit the SEIU Affordable Health Care table at the EMU Lobby today, March 30 at 10 a.m. - 3 p.m,