4
News
WedNEsdAy, J anuary 2?, 2002
ThE ClAckAMAS P rint
Speech and debate takes on the world, places 204th
(Right) (From left to right) Samantha Griffin,
Brian Everest, assistant director of forensics,
Kelly Brennan, director of forensics, and Kelly
Baker-Hughes visited Toronto, Canada, Dec.
27-Jan.4, for Clackamas' first shot at the World
Speech and Debate Tournament. (Below) The
speech and debate team as a whole. The
remainder of the team stayed behind and
supported their teammates while they were
away.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF KELLY BRENNAN
SALENA DE LA CRUZ
Opinion Editor
During Christmas vacation, two
members of Clackamas’ speech and
debate team were combating harsh
weather conditions and even harsher
debaters while visiting Toronto,
Canada, for the World Debate Tour
nament held Dec. 27-Jan. 4. Kerri
Baker-Hughes and Samantha Griffin
were the members of the team cho
sen to represent Clackamas.
While they were in Toronto, tem
peratures plummeted to a mere nega
tive seven degrees.
“It was quite amusing. We had
everything we could possibly have
on, like scarves and hats,” said Kerri
Baker-Hughes, debater.
Clackamas had never attended the
World Debate Competition before.
“This is the first year we attended
the Worlds. We’ve been invited to
attend before, but for one reason or
another, whether it was economics or
schedules, we weren’t able to go,” said
Kelly Brennan, director of forensics.
Due to the support of various per
sons and departments they were able
to raise enough funds to send debat
ers to represent Clackamas this year.
Jane Rickenbaugh, Kay Slusarenko,
nament. In a tournament with over
2,000 teams, Clackamas placed 204111.
“We’re happy to say Sam and Kerri
were 204th throughout the world,”
and Dr. Earl P. “Joe” Johnson were
sources of large support, and they
wish to thank them.
“This year, however, through (their)
support, we were able to go,” said
Brennan.
Clackamas competed against the 87
countries that were in attendance, in
cluding Israel, Australia and the Neth
erlands.
According to Brennan, there are
2,742 parliamentary debate teams in the
world and 6,000parliamentary debat
ers.
Based on how the team did through
out the year and the results of the
World Debate Tournament, teams re
ceive a world ranking. Clackamas re
ceived a positive ranking at the tour
tournament. Among their mem
bers Were professionals ranging
from professors to attorneys.
Baker-Hughes and Griffin were up
against people who had a more
experience in debating.
“Now, what you have to bear
in mind about the world competi
tion is it’s unlike any competition
in the United States, where you
have to be an undergraduate and you
only get four years of eligibility. At
the World Competition, we have at
torneys, teachers and lawyers,” said
Brennan.
Brennan continued explaining this
situation in comparison with the
Olympics and professional sports.
“Going to the World Competition like
said Brennan.
New York University Law
School ranked number one at the
Sam and Kerri was like going against
professional sports athletes in the
Olympics,” said Brennan.
"It's a high level
of commitment on
their part,"
Kelly Brennan
Director Of Forensics
Clackamas was also competing
against people with different ethnic
backgrounds. “It’s amazing, the level
they compete at there. They repre
sent their nation and country and they
take that very honorably,” said Baker-
Hughes.
Clackamas was the only two-year
college represented at the World Com
petition. Being the only one may have
been to their advantage.
“That did so much for us just in itself
because they looked at usdifferently. I
think they expected us to do worse or
be at a different level than them,” said
Baker-Hughes.
The nine-day-long tournament
meant that everyone involved had to
give up time with families and friends
during the holidays to be at this tour
nament
“It’s a high level of commitment on
their part. You can’t really explain it”
said Brennan.
“Nor could you duplicate it,” added
Brian Everest assistant director of fo
rensics.
Clackamas’ speech and debate
team is continuing on its road to suc
cess of the last seven years, and the
World Competition was no different.
It received a new sense of respect
and achievement for being the first
speech and debate team at Clackamas
to take on the world.
COUM/i CAfl
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