Georgetown Debate Seminar

Georgetown Debate Seminar Website Has Moved

2011-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

All Seminar business will be run from this site.

Deposit/Logistical Information

2010-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

We apologize for the delay, but we are preparing to host the 2010 NDCA National Championships next weekend and have been a little late finalizing all of the camp details. Here is the most relevant information.

Deposit:

A $600 nonrefundable deposit is required to ensure attendance. Checks should be made payable to Georgetown University. We are working on accepting credit card payments, but that process is a few weeks away. We’d prefer a check.

The deposit should arrive by May 1^st.

Please note the name of the attending student on the check.

Checks can be mailed to:

Jonathan Paul

1021 N. Garfield St. Apt. #727

Arlington, VA 22201

Transportation:

Two major airports serve the DC area. Reagan is a slightly more convenient option that Dulles. BWI is very long cab or train ride and not recommended.

Students can arrive anytime before 5:00 PM on the 19th. There will be an orientation session that night, but no other scheduled events. Students should depart the morning of the 10th.

The camp will be housed at the Mount Vernon Campus located at 2100 Foxhall Road NW.

Note: this is not the main Georgetown Campus. The Mount Vernon campus is about a 15 minute walk from the Georgetown main campus, and offers housing and classrooms better designed to our needs.

Check-in will be at the Somers Residence Hall.

Roommate Requests:

Mutual roommate request will be honored. A form for roommate requests will be sent in early May in addition to other forms that students must sign and bring with them to the workshop.

Dining:

Students will receive a meal card for use in the dining hall. Off-campus meals are not covered by the workshop.

Please contact us at georgetowndebateseminar@gmail.com if you have additional questions.

LOGISTICS

2010-01-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

DATES: June 19th-July 10th, 2010

PRICE: 2875

GRADE LEVELS AND INSTRUCTORS:
Sophomores:
Maggie Berthiaume, Bill Batterman, Max Hantel

Juniors:
Dorothy Hector, Turner, Nick Rogan, John Warden

Seniors:
Seth Gannon, Jonathan Paul, Michael Antonucci

Lab Pairings

2009-12-21T12:53:00.001-08:00

This is subject to some revision. Specifically, younger staff (current undergraduates) may be moved around a little bit, depending on numbers.

Sophomores:
Maggie Berthiaume, Bill Batterman, Max Hantel

Juniors:
Dorothy Hector, Turner, Nick Rogan, John Warden

Seniors:
Seth Gannon, Jonathan Paul, Michael Antonucci

There will several institute-wide lectures (although these will be minimized, as they are not all that interactive.) Sets of electives and speaking sessions will ensure that all students genuinely have access to all the staff.

Apply Early to Georgetown--No Application Fee

2009-12-01T15:45:00.001-08:00

If you would like to apply to the 2010 Georgetown Debate Seminar, we are extending our early application fee waiver to January 1st, 2010. If you apply by January 1st, you will receive notification by January 14th.

Anyone that applies prior to our previous early decision deadline of December 10th will receive an application status update by December 14th. We've already received nearly 20 applications for this summer so act fast to secure your spot at Georgetown!

We plan to expand to 3 labs this summer (seniors, juniors, and sophomores) so we encourage all age groups and experience levels to apply.

Click here to apply now!

Georgetown Debate Seminar 2010: Staff

2009-10-20T02:15:00.001-07:00

Confirmed full staff for the Georgetown Debate Seminar 2010, in alphabetical order. Georgetown will also feature its customary slate of star lecturers. More staff will be added as needed.

Michael Antonucci
Bill Batterman
Maggie Berthiaume
Seth Gannon
Max Hantel
Dorothy Hector
Jonathan Paul
Nick Rogan
John Cameron Turner
John Warden

John Cameron Turner

2009-10-20T02:03:00.001-07:00

John Turner won the Oregon State Tournament as a second year high school debater. As a Dartmouth debater, John was in late elimination rounds of several major tournaments, including the Harvard finals. He was awarded a first round at-large bid recipient to the NDT, reaching the octo-finals there and later the semi-finals of CEDA nationals. As a Dartmouth College coach, John has coached teams to the late elimination rounds of major national tournaments, including the final round of CEDA nationals three times. In addition to coaching 12 teams to qualifying for the NDT, he has coached six first round at-large bid recipients, two NDT double octo-finalists, three NDT octo-finals and two NDT quarter-finalists.

John Turner currently studies Speech Communication as an M.A. candidate and debate coach at the University of Georgia.

Mr. Turner has earned considerable accolades as a teacher for both his patience and his ability to make even the most complex philosophical material both appealing and accessible to all debaters.

Seth Gannon

2009-10-20T01:23:00.000-07:00

Seth Gannon won the 2008 National Debate Tournament, and reached the final round in 2009 as a proud Demon Deacon. His long list of major tournament victories includes the University of Kentucky Round Robin, USC, Fullerton, and West Georgia. Seth has won top ten speaker awards at Kentucky, Harvard, USC, Fullerton, Georgia State, West Georgia, and Texas.

As a high school debater at Woodward Academy, Seth reached the semifinals of the TOC.

Seth is an assistant coach for Mary Washington this season. He lives in the Washington, DC metro area, as a recipient of a coveted William J. Taylor CSIS debate internship through the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Seth has previously taught at both the Michigan and Northwestern Debate Summer Camps.

John K. Warden

2009-10-20T00:11:00.001-07:00

As a senior debater for Northwestern University, John Warden won the Copeland Award. He also reached the elimination rounds of the National Debate Tournament three times. His brilliant debate career culminated in the semifinals of the 2009 National Debate Tournament. Listing his tournament victories and speaker awards would likely induce carpal tunnel syndrome.

John currently lives and works in the DC metro area, as a recipient of a coveted William J. Taylor CSIS debate internship through the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He thus brings a combination of real policy knowledge and an epic debate background to this summer's seminar.

John has taught at the Northwestern Debate Summer Camp for the past several summers; his previous students speak highly to his dedication as a lecturer and instructor in addition to his obvious credentials as a world-class debate intellect.

Maggie Berthiaume

2009-10-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

Maggie Berthiaume is the Director of Policy Debate at Chattahoochee High School (GA). She has coached teams to the elimination rounds of every major national tournament. As a Dartmouth College debater, Maggie reached the semi-finals of CEDA nationals. In addition to her two first round at-large bids to the NDT, Maggie was also a three time NDT elimination round participant reaching the double octo-finals, then the octo-finals, and finally the quarterfinals.

Maggie is a current board member of the National Debate Coaches' Association, where she's been integral to advancing the organization's mission of improving both the quality and quantity of debate. She's widely reputed for her exceptional civility as well as her genuine devotion to pedagogy.

Georgetown Debate Seminar 2010: Staff

2009-10-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Georgetown Debate Seminar 2010

2009-08-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

We will hold another Seminar in 2010. Please check this space for announcements regarding dates, times, and new staff.

2009 Reviews

2009-08-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Reviews from students, coaches and parents are in.

The 2009 Georgetown Debate Seminar set a new standard of excellence for summer debate instruction - thanks primarily to the genuinely exceptional efforts of its select student participants.

Georgetown's arguments and teaching methods were quickly modeled by other debate workshops. Student reactions demonstrate why.

Every student stated that they would recommend the Georgetown Debate Seminar to their friends - in an anonymous survey.

Also, a variety of testimonials reveal the depth and intensity of student satisfaction with the GDS experience:

"Georgetown was the best possible choice I could have made for camp this summer. The student to teacher ratio allowed an extraordinary amount of personal interaction with some of the best coaches in the country. My debate skills dramatically increased over the course of the two weeks due to the great advice from our lab leaders. I would suggest to anyone planning to go to camp to put Georgetown number one on their list."

- William Stokes, Baltimore City College, MD

"The Georgetown Debate Seminar will prove to be definitive in the hopeful success I will have my senior year. The campus, lab leaders and learning environment were instrumental in helping me develop new skills and understandings even after two summers of institute. Yes, I improved dramatically at other camps; but I could identify my improvements immediately while at the GDS. I would recommend it for any debater hoping to be nationally competitive."

- Will Thibeau, Glenbrook South High School, IL

"This was easily the best debate camp experience I have ever had. The combination of resources and talent exceeded my expectations by immeasurable amounts.

I really appreciate the individual help you gave me with speaking and affirmative constructives. What you have taught me will go a long way towards making me a better debater. I look forward to working with you again in the near future."

- Daniel Bernick, Henry Sibley High School, MD

"The lectures we had substantially altered my orientation to certain arguments or styles. The combination of lectures from debate and policy experts (ie Josh Branson and Lindsay Harrison) is something that no other camp in the country offers. We got a look at what people do after they finish debate, and this is an important thing that most people don't think about until they go to their last tournament. Finally - every person who wanted extensive personal attention got it. The dedication by every staff member to effective educaiton was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed the camp, not to mention the beauty of the campus."

- Zane Waxman, Brophy College Prepatory, AZ

"Being new to policy debate, I had initial fears of being in a lab with some of the top debaters in the country. Those fears were stupid, because everyone, particularly the lab leaders, was friendly and incredibly helpful. I feel like I have learned a lot in the past three weeks, and that my experience at Georgetown has been extremely beneficial to my growth in understanding and taking part in policy debate. "

- Madhu Ramankutty, Potomac High School, VA

"It was certainly a different camp experience than my previous years and I was grateful for that. The strength of the lab was outstanding and contributed to my favorite part of camp: the discussions. Although I've been in talented labs with great lab leaders before, for whatever reason I felt that discussions this summer benefited my understanding of debate better than in previous years. The lectures that spawned the discussions were just as helpful - the impact and evidence comparison lectures were my particular favorites. . I also was grateful for the camera, which allowed me to go back, spot my inefficiences, and begin correcting them. Thanks again for allowing me to attend and for helping me in debate as much as you did."

- Campbell Haynes, Montgomery Bell Academy, TN

"I had a fantastic experience at Georgetown, and especially the overall teaching method that stressed the big picture and developing skills that can be applied regardless of the debate argument. I liked the fast-paced intensity that came with covering four weeks of material in half the time, as well as the eleven practice debates for skills development (that was more rounds than the four-week institute I attended last year provided). Using cameras to record us was a fantastic idea, and something I'm going to try to do during the debate season."

- Chloe Chen, Palo Alto High School, CA

"Thanks for setting up the Twitter. Thanks for the post that you did not use the D Metro on the day of the crash. Please continue the morning and night roll call posts - they provide peace of mind for parents."

- Maya Hanna, Tamar Kaplan's mom

"David had a fabulous experience at your camp. He learned a lot, made great friends, and was inspired. Thank you!"

- Barbara Gold, David Herman's mom

Full Practice Round

2009-07-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Additional Rebuttal Videos Available

2009-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

More rebuttal redos are available, including a "blooper" reel.

New Files Available

2009-07-07T15:32:00.001-07:00

Wave two is now available. There will be an additional wave after edits by senior staff.

Pictures available

2009-07-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

Photo album for the workshop is available here.

Secret Kvaal Lecture :)

2009-06-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

James Kvaal, Senior Director at the White House National Economic Council, dropped by to talk about both poverty policy and provide some more insight into the political process. We elected not to record this lecture, as his position in the Obama administration might have limited his candor. A good time was had by all!

Intrinsicness Lecture by NJR

2009-06-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

Free Evidence

2009-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Cards for free.

http://georgetowndebateseminar.wikispaces.com/

Courts Guest Lecture by Lindsay Harrison

2009-06-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Demo Debate & Evidence Comparison Lecture

2009-06-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Evidence Comparison lecture is available at this link.

The much anticipated Demo Debate can also now be watched. (Lucy/Nick vs Danny/Layne)

2ac Lecture

2009-06-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Wave 1 Affirmatives

2009-06-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

We are finishing up our affirmative wave today. Here are the affs that we will produce:

Digital Divide/Broadband Aff: Layne Kirshon

Grants to increase broadband access in poor communities.

Multiple advantage areas.

Legal Services Aff Area: Vinay Sridharan, Thomas X, Chloe Chen

This affirmative group is currently producing two distinct affirmatives relating to restrictions placed on funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

One area will lift the restriction on attorney’s receiving federal funding from filing and arguing class action lawsuits. This affirmative has a large poverty advantage, an economy advantage centered on the housing sector, and a free speech advantage.

The second area lifts all restrictions placed on the Legal Service’s Corporations use of non-federal funds. The advantages are free speech, public-private cooperation (multiple scenarios), poverty, and economy.

Immigration Aff Area: Kaavya Ramesh, William Stokes, Rachel Katzoff

We are expanding on the pre-institute affirmative in addition to writing a somewhat critical version that draws on Derrida and Levinas.

The other immigration affirmative relates to the provision of health services in immigrant detention centers. The advantages include human rights credibility, US-Mexico relations, among others.

Needle Exchange Funding: McKenzie Klein, Madhu Ramankutty: Lifts the federal ban on funding needle exchange programs. AIDs, Human Rights credibility/Soft Power

Veterans: David Manella, Mindy Huynh

School Lunch: Damiyr Davis, Jess Mitchell

Abortion Funding/Hyde Amendment: Ashish Mittal, Danny Bernick, David Herman

Efficiency Drill Videos

2009-06-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

See videos from our efficiency drills on Youtube.

1NC/1NR Lecture

2009-06-20T18:12:00.001-07:00

Guest K Lectures, Part 2

2009-06-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

K Guest Lectures--Part 1

2009-06-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Practice Ballots

2009-06-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

Antonucci practice commentary is here.

Correction re: Card

2009-06-19T11:25:00.001-07:00

Do not read the South China Morning Post evidence in the pre-institute file. It's dubious at best.

A replacement card will follow. Thanks to David Marks for pointing this out; holding our camp evidence to a high level of scrutiny should be one of the benefits of an open system.

This apparently has a rich and storied history.

What is the most precious resource in debate?

2009-06-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

CX Drills

2009-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Videos from the CX drill this afternoon are up on youtube.

Rebuttal Redos

2009-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

See your rebuttal redos on youtube.

Campbell/Kaavya vs Danny/Layne

2009-06-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

Video of the first practice debate between Campbell/Kaavya and Danny/Layne is up!

Theory & 50 State Fiat

2009-06-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Impact Comparison

2009-06-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Topicality

2009-06-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Kaavya Ramesh 2NC

2009-06-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Campbell Haynes 2AC

2009-06-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Campbell Haynes from MBA delivers a 2AC against the 'for persons in poverty' violation against the veterans aff.

T File Available

2009-06-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

Our initial T file is available via the google group.

It contains a number of pictures from books, which makes it unsuitable for blog upload. If you're curious, though, I have posted it via YouSendIt. I think it's a good start to the summer conversation across all institutes!

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=UmNKSlIzcVhsamRMWEE9PQ

I have also opened up comments for the public at large; I hopefully won't come to regret this.

Mailing Address and Contact Numbers

2009-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

We're looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Mailing Address:

STUDENT NAME
C/O Jonathan Paul
Director of Debate
Georgetown University
316 Leavey Center
Washington, DC 20057

CONTACT NUMBERS:

Institute Office Number:
202-687-4079

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:
Residential Coordinator for Debate
224-522-0167

Seminar Logistics FAQ

2009-04-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

I will be putting all of the information regarding the administration of the Seminar on this front page. I will update it regularly over the coming days.

If you have questions, please email them to *all* of the following addresses:
antonucci23@gmail.com
georgetowndebateseminar@gmail.com
jpaul717@gmail.com

Please do *not* direct inquiries through Facebook or cross-x.com. Such inquiries do not folderize well, and thus tend to get lost in the shuffle.

TRAVEL DATES

WHEN DO WE ARRIVE AND DEPART?

For the 3-week session, arrive on 6/12 and depart on 7/1.
For the 2-week session, arrive on 6/18 and depart on 7/1.

There will be a meeting in the evening, but it is not crucial. Choose the time of day for your travels according to your convenience and optimal pricing. Extremely early morning arrivals are suboptimal but acceptable if you find they're necessary.

Further information is available under the Dates and Pricing link, but clarification seemed necessary.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Q: Is there a deposit? When is it due?
A: We must receive a $500 deposit by May 5th, 2009.

Q: Is this deposit refundable?
A: No.

Q: When is full tuition due?
A: June 1st, 2009.

Q: Can I just pay at registration?
A: No. You must pay in full by June 1st, 2009.

Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Not at this time. Please pay by check.

Q: To whom should I make the check payable?
A: Georgetown University.
(While you are welcome to indicate that the check is for debate seminar tuition, our program is a component of Georgetown, and they handle our finances.)

Q: To what address should I send the check?
A: Please address the envelope to

Jonathan Paul
Director of Debate
Georgetown University
424 Leavey Center
Washington, DC 20057

Q: I would like to know if you have received my check. How might I make this determination?
A: You are welcome to email georgetowndebateseminar@gmail.com. If you are especially concerned, we can make a note to call or email you when we have received your payment.

ARRIVAL

Q: How do I get to Georgetown if I am flying?
A: Two major airports are reasonably close to Georgetown: Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Given your luggage, we would recommend taking a taxi to Georgetown.

Q: How do I get to Georgetown on the train?
A: Debaters along the Northeast Corridor may wish to consider taking an Amtrak train. The Acela Express may be a lower-cost alternative to air travel.

Taking a cab from Washington Union Station to Georgetown should be easy.

Q: Should I take the Metro subway to Georgetown?
A: Absolutely not.

Although the Metro does service Reagan Airport and Union Station, we do not recommend taking the subway. You'll probably have too much luggage. More importantly, Georgetown is not on the Metro system. You would have to walk from Rosslyn or Foggy Bottom, which would mean a very long hike with luggage in summer heat.

Q: Where should I direct my taxicab?
A: Direct your taxi driver to the front gate of Georgetown University, at the intersection of 37th and O Streets Northwest. Please emphasize Northwest.

Q: What if I have trouble finding my way?
A: This seems unlikely. If you do encounter difficulties, however, you will have the personal cell phone numbers of at least two staff members, including Mr. Antonucci. You will receive this in the information packet that we will mail to you. (I'm reluctant to post this to a website for obvious reasons.)

Q: I'm driving. How do I get there, and how should I proceed upon our arrival?
A: Google or your GPS should be able to direct you successfully. Please account for rush hour traffic. We will be happy to provide you with more specific directions if you let us know your point of origin and planned time of arrival.

Parking directly next to the dorm may be challenging. We recommend dropping your student off at the front gate. If you'd like to eat a meal or tour the campus with your child, on-street parking should be plentiful. I've always found on-street parking in the residential area just north of campus, by the hospital, plentiful.

If you are visiting, we'd love to meet with you as well!

Q: How will I know that my child has arrived safely?
A: As each student arrives, a staff member will announce their arrival via our Twitter account. We will also make sure that each student calls his or her guardian upon their arrival.

DEPARTURE

Q: How will I leave?
A: We will supervise your depature. This means that we will make sure that you get in a cab with sufficient time to make your flight.

Q: May I stay past the end of the institute?
A: No. We have a fixed arrangement with the Office of Residence Life. In the event of an exceptional, unforeseen circumstance, we will gladly escort you to a safe and clean local hotel.

Q: How do I know that my child arrived successfully at the airport or train station?
We will strongly remind Seminar students to call home upon their arrival at the airport or train station.

DORM LIFE

Q: Where will I stay?
A: Harbin Hall.

You can find the location on this mini-map. Please check out the larger map as well.

Q: Is bedding provided?
A: No. You must bring your own sheets, pillows, and towels. This point bears emphasis because, while Georgetown is near an excellent shopping district, there is not an inexpensive general store such as Target close to campus.

Q: Is the dorm air conditioned?
A: Yes.

Q: Are there laundry machines in the dorm?
A: Yes.

Q: Will I have a roommate?
A: Yes. All students will be housed in doubles.

Q: Can I choose my roommate?
A: Yes. We will honor all mutual requests. If you do not have a preference, your roommate will be assigned randomly.

Q: Should I bring identification?
A: Yes. Please bring state-sanctioned identification, such as a driver's license, state-issued non-driver ID, or a passport.

DORM RULES

Q: Can I bring my own car?
A: No. For safety reasons, we cannot allow this.

You wouldn't need it, and parking would be an ongoing hassle. The campus is very compact.

Q: What happens if I smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, use illegal substances, or assault another student?
A: You will be expelled from camp immediately and your parents or guardians will be notified within the hour, regardless of the hour. We will expect you to depart the premises within 24 hours at your own expense.

These penalties may seem harsh, but they are a precondition to our existence. There is no warning or exceptions to these rules. If you commit a crime, you cannot be here.

Q: What procedures govern daily checks on my whereabouts?
A: We will conduct a morning roll call in the classroom. We will also conduct a room check at midnight.

After each successful check, we will post to the Twitter account for parents or guardians who may wish to reassure themselves.

Q: What if I miss room check or roll call?
We will call you. If you do not answer, we will look for you. If we cannot find you promptly, we must call campus security and your parents.

Q: Can I leave campus?
You may leave campus during your free time within prescribed boundaries.

We will publish a map with these boundaries shortly.

RELIGIOUS ISSUES

Q: Will I have time for religious observances on Saturday and Sunday?
A: Yes. We will build time into the schedule. If you prefer to perform religious observances on another day or at another time, please let us know in advance so that we can accommodate your preferences.

Q: Are there adequate facilities for these observances on campus?
A: Yes. A complete list can be found here.

I will be calling the Campus Ministry shortly to make sure that services will be available during the summer. If they are not, I will post a list of nearby churches and facilities. Please let me know if you have any difficulties finding an appropriate outlet for your religious preferences during your stay here.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Logistics and Camp Adminstration

2009-03-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I will be putting all of the information regarding the administration of the camp on this front page. I will update it regularly over the coming days.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Q: Is there a deposit? When is it due?
A: We must receive a $500 deposit by May 5th, 2009.

Q: Is this deposit refundable?
A: No.

Q: When is full tuition due?
A: June 1st, 2009.

Q: Can I just pay at registration?
A: No. You must pay in full by June 1st, 2009.

Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Not at this time. Please pay by check.

Q: To whom should I make the check payable?
A: Georgetown University.
(While you are welcome to indicate that the check is for debate camp tuition, our program is a component of Georgetown, and they handle our finances.)

Q: To what address should I send the check?
A: Please address the envelope to

Jonathan Paul
Director of Debate
424 Leavey Center
Washington, DC 20057

Q: I would like to know if you have received my check. How might I make this determination?
A: You are welcome to email georgetowndebateseminar@gmail.com. If you are especially concerned, we can make a note to call or email you when we have received your payment.

The Georgetown Debate Seminar: Why Georgetown?

2009-03-02T09:10:00.001-08:00

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Georgetown Debate Seminar.

We're delighted to revive the tradition of the Georgetown Debate Institute this summer. Hundreds of students and instructors fondly recall their intense summers along the banks of the Potomac. Georgetown's commitment to pedagogy and proximity to the intellectual and cultural resources of the capital created a unique environment that shaped a generation of policy debaters. The opportunity to revisit that legacy both excites and humbles us.

Times, of course, have changed. A large number of colleges and universities adopted Georgetown's blueprint, creating debate workshops of their own. To merit your consideration this summer, our instruction and curriculum must not only succeed, but excel. We're confident that it will.

Here's why.

1. SUPERLATIVE TEACHING

Attending the Georgetown Debate Seminar guarantees you three weeks of individualized attention from Jonathan Paul, Josh Branson, and Michael Antonucci. As we will run one 24 student lab, every student will have equal access to an unrivalled teaching staff.

2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

DC is the real center of national policymaking. This does not mean that we will take you on some soulcrushingly awkward tour of monuments and civic institutions.

Instead, we will incorporate lectures from experts in campaign politics, law and policymaking. Our guest lecturers will all combine genuine expertise with a real background in competitive debate. You will not be subjected to hours of background discussion. Your lecturers will know what debate is. They will know that you want to win. They will help you accomplish this goal, while genuinely enriching your debate experience.

Our current slate of lecturers includes James Kvaal. Their genuine and deep understanding of policy and legal dynamics, informed by their debate training, will help guide your own argument development past the trite and superficial.

We anticipate adding other high-profile lecturers, drawing especially from Georgetown faculty and alumni/ae; please subscribe to this blog for continuing updates.

3. COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

You probably want to get in - perhaps as your top choice, perhaps as one option among many.

We definitely want you to get in.

We will devote an afternoon and evening to the discussion of this mutual interest. We will offer counseling on essay writing, a sense of Georgetown's ideal student profile, and direct advice from a University admissions representative.

[NOTE: Seminar attendance will not influence Georgetown admissions decisions, and it is not a prerequisite to recruitment by Georgetown debate. We offer this session purely for the purposes of information and advice.]

4. INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM

Our faculty's worked at over five different camps. We know what works and what fails.

We hope to synthesize these elements and introduce a few innovations to create a formula for competitive excellence.

Please peruse a full list of our curricular innovations, as well as a (rough draft) day by day schedule for the Institute.

We're already very proud of the institution that we're assembling. We hope you share our enthusiasm and elect to join us this summer.

Zanezor Waxman

2009-02-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

Zane Waxman, a junior from Brophy College Preparatory, is a man of many names and many talents. He's proved himself a hardy desert warrior, winning virtually every local Arizona tournament, including the prestigious Arizona State University competition.

He's achieved notable success on the national circuit as well, reaching the octafinals of Long Beach and Alta, doubles of the University of Southern California, and the triple octafinal round of the Berkeley tournament. He's complemented his strong team performance with strong individual showings as well. His eloquence netted him 2cd speaker at Arizona State, 6th at USC, 9th at Long Beach and 15th at Ted Belch's Golden Desert tournament.

Campbell Haynes

2009-02-25T02:57:00.000-08:00

Campbell Haynes will bring a keen intellect, an impressive debate resume and a hearty devotion to his fine institution's "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete" motto.

As a junior, Mr. Haynes has reached the doubles of Wake Forest, St Mark's, and Blake. He competed in the octafinal round at both Michigan and the prestigious Lexington, Massachusetts tournament. He distinguished himself as an individual speaker at Wake Forest, Lexington, and Michigan.

We look forward to his attendance at Georgetown this summer, and hopefully in future years as well.

David Manella

2009-02-25T02:34:00.000-08:00

Mr. Manella, a rising senior from Pine Crest, Florida, represents some of the best rising talent from the up-and-coming Sunshine circuit.

As a junior, David's made an impressive name for himself in the Southeast and beyond, reaching the quarterfinals of Wake Forest, semifinals of the Florida Blue Key, and double octafinals of Harvard. He netted ninth speaker at the huge field at Wake Forest University.

We eagerly anticipate David's attendance at Georgetown this summer!

Arnav Kejriwal

2009-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Mr. Kejriwal will represent the Greenhill School in DC this summer. He is poised to continue and extend Greenhill's remarkable tradition of competitive excellence. As a junior, Arnav has already won Grapevine; reached the semifinals of the University of Texas at Austin and Golden Desert in Reno, octafinals of the Glenbrooks and Blake; and qualified for elimination rounds at Emory and St. Mark's.

We're very gratified that he'll be joining our select group!

Georgetown Debate Seminar: Why Georgetown?

2009-01-23T19:21:00.001-08:00

Kaavya Ramesh

2009-01-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

We're delighted to welcome one of Chattahoochee's rapidly rising stars to DC this summer. Ms. Ramesh's combination of tactical acumen and diligent scholarship have propelled her into the elimination rounds of Greenhill, Michigan, the Glenbrooks, and Ohio Valley.

Her numerous individual speaking honors include 17th at MBA and 14th at the University of Michigan. We look forward to her attendance, and hope she continues her association with Georgetown Debate in future years!

Layne Kirshon

2009-01-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

Layne Kirshon has already reached astounding competitive heights, distinguishing himself as a frontrunner in a highly competitive junior class with a sterling resume and a unique style.

He's won Greenhill, reached the semis of New Trier, and competed in the quarterfinals of Michigan, the University of Texas and Montgomery Bell Academy. He's also earned top speaker honors at the University of Texas and New Trier tournaments, and placed among the top 15 speakers at Michigan, St. Mark's, MBA, Grapevine and the Glenbrooks.

We're delighted that Layne will be joining us at Georgetown this summer!

Will Thibeau

2009-01-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

William Thibeau has distinguished himself as one of the nation's top rising seniors. As a junior debater for Glenbrook South, he has accumulated a record of achievements that already surpasses that of most of his senior colleagues.

William and his partner, Richard Day, won the University of Michigan and Dowling tournaments. GBS TD reached the finals of New Trier, the semifinals of MBA and Blake and the quarterfinals of St. Mark's. His panoply of speaker awards include 1st at Dowling, 3rd at MBA, 8th at New Trier and 9th at Michigan.

We're extremely excited to accept William Thibeau as the first confirmed participant in the 2009 Georgetown Debate Seminar.

Attending Students

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Vinay Sridharan - GBN, IL
Chloe Chen - Palo Alto, CA
Daniel Bernick - Henry Sibley High School, MN
Tamar Kaplan - Highland Park, MN
Andrew Markoff - Bronx High School of Science, NY
Ben Chang - Edgemont High School, NY
Mindy Huynh - Lowell High School, CA
Richard Day - Glenbrook South, IL
Rachel Katzoff - Head Royce School, CA
Toby Jacob - Littleton High School, CO
Will Thibeau - Glenbrook South, IL
Layne Kirshon - Kinkaid, TX
Kaavya Ramesh - Chattahoochee, GA
Arnav Kejriwal - Greenhill, TX
Campbell Haynes - Montgomery Bell Academy, TN
David Manella - Pine Crest, FL
Zanezor Waxman - Brophy Prepatory, AZ

IMPORTANT NOTE: Biographies are totally optional, as is inclusion in this listing.

Nicholas Rogan

2009-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

As a debater for the Greenhill School, Nicholas Rogan won Harvard and the 2008 Tournament of Champions. Following a year of both global travel and excellent debate coaching for his alma mater, he began his studies at Harvard University this fall.

He has started a brilliant debate career at Harvard. As a freshman, he has already participated in elimination rounds at both Georgia State University and Kentucky. His prodigious work efforts have contributed directly to the success of his senior teammates.

Nick is a returning staff member. Last year, he was universally well-reviewed by students. His pre-institute work visibly shaped the direction and development of the poverty topic. We look forward to seeing Nick continue to grow and excel as a teacher as well as a debater.

Admissions and Age / Experience Level

2008-12-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

We will take the most qualified 24 applicants. Applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis.

The Georgetown Debate Seminar is designed for rising seniors and juniors with at least one full year of open/varsity experience in policy cross-examination debate.

While many of our expected students will be very experienced national circuit debaters, please do not let this intimidate you! Having led over half a dozen labs, I assure you that labs benefit from broad diversity in debate region, styles, and life experience.

Many of our students will attend another institute in addition to the GDS, but this is neither a prerequisite nor an expectation.

If you are attending another camp with conflicting dates, please tell us in advance so we can attempt to accommodate you.

Please click here to apply.

Curricular Innovations

2008-12-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

We don't just view our brochure as a promotional tool. We view it as a concrete promise to potential clients - namely, you. If you attend, you'll receive the following, in addition to the quality guest lectures and daily high quality instruction:

1. PRACTICE

When you arrive, you'll receive at least two hundred pages of fully briefed original topic research. This starter set will not supplant your research efforts, but will enable us to begin practice debates immediately. Your first debate will occur within 72 hours of your arrival.

You will participate in at least ten full, critiqued debates before you depart.
You will receive a minimum of one page of written feedback on each of these debates.

Every practice round will be recorded and made electronically available to interested debates and coaches.

2. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Each debater will participate in a minimum of six one-hour skill sessions.

These sessions will include rebuttal redos, and "speech editing," in which we record a speech, transcribe it, then work one on one on the transcript in order to construct a power speech.

Each conventional redo will be recorded and made electronically available to interested debaters and coaches.

3. TRANSPARENCY AND COLLABORATION

Too often, debate institutes are a black box. Coaches and debaters see what goes in - they see what comes out - but the rest of the process is utterly opaque. As a coach, I've had no experience more frustrating than this conversation:

"Jojo, I don't think you should have gone for seven issues in the 2NR."
"But Debate Guru said it would be sweet this summer."
"I'm deeply skeptical of that claim."
"You weren't there! She said so!"

We don't want that. It seems at least faintly absurd to ask you for a substantial investment without letting you in on the internals.

In that spirit, our day by day schedule will be posted for your inspection PRIOR to the institute's beginning, so that students and coaches can provide us feedback before the learn train leaves the station.

You'll receive electronic records of all practice and rebuttal sessions.

You'll receive a record of every lecture.

A wiki will detail argument development as it occurs.

At the end of the session, each coach will receive a single page detailing their student's progress throughout the institute.

If you have criticisms or your own suggestions, tell us - we will consider them and respond promptly to your requests. At Georgetown, you are not a money tree. You are a stakeholder.

4. RESEARCH

You will do it. We will do it. We do not view our skills emphasis as a tradeoff with hard work. Over the course of the institute, we hope to develop two affirmatives and complementary case negatives, several generic disadvantage positions, two broadly applicable counterplans and one high quality critical position.

We don't intend to produce a comprehensive brief set for the entire year. That model's obsolete. However, we intend to produce enough good evidence that a debater could win a season opener employing our evidence set.

Michael Antonucci

2008-12-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

Mr. Antonucci is the Associate Director of Debate at Georgetown University.

As a high school coach, Mr. Antonucci has coached top speakers at the Glenbrooks and the Barkeley Forum, tournament winners at Greenhill, Georgetown Day, and Omaha Westside, finalists at Harvard and St. Mark's, two of the top ten teams at the 2005 NFL Nationals, and late elim participants and top ten speakers at virtually every major national competition.

As a Northwestern coach, he helped to propel teams to two first round at large bids, quarterfinals of the National Debate Tournament, and late elimination rounds of the prestigious Harvard, Kentucky, Berkeley, Georgia State, USC and Wake Forest tournaments.

He has previously taught exceptionally well-reviewed lab groups and classes at Northwestern University, the Dartmouth Debate Institute, the New York's IMPACT Coalition's Institute and Training Initiative, and the University of Iowa.

Mr. Antonucci's pedagogical success stems, in large part, from teaching simultaneously rigorous and innovative research techniques that propel debate scholars of all experience levels and intellectual proclivities to excellence. His pedagogy has benefited debaters within a wide array of theoretical frameworks, from realism to hypotesting to schizoanalysis.

Mr. Antonucci is also a published poet and former small-press magazine editor.

Josh Branson

2008-12-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

Josh Branson is the ultimate competitor.

As a debater for Northwestern, he won the Copeland award, the National Debate Tournament, and top speaker. As a lab leader, he's universally hailed as one of the most concise and effective communicators.

Mr. Branson is completing his 2nd year at the Harvard Law School, and will be a summer associate at O'Melveny & Myers.

He will join us this summer as a guest instructor on weekends.

Jonathan Paul

2008-12-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Paul has reliably engineered excellence everywhere he's taught.

Jonathan is a former Northwestern debater and 2002 NDT Champion.

As a debate coach at Greenhill, he coached TOC champions in 2006 and 2008, leading his students to victory at every major invitational along the way.

In his two years as an assistant coach at Northwestern and UC-Berkeley, he coached the 2003 and 2004 Copeland Award winners, the 2003 NDT Champions, and the 2004 NDT Top Speaker.

As the director of debate at Georgetown, Mr. Paul has already coached teams to the elimination rounds at Kentucky and Wake Forest.

Staff

2008-12-17T15:33:00.001-08:00

FULL TIME LAB LEABERS:

Jonathan Paul
Michael Antonucci
Lucy Zhu
Nicholas Rogan

WEEKEND GUEST INSTRUCTOR:

Josh Branson

GUEST LECTURES:

Jessica Yeats
Lindsay Harrison
Daniel Nexon
James Kvaal

Dates and Pricing

2008-12-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

Dates: June 12th - July 1st

The full cost will be $2850 for three weeks. This fee will cover tuition, as well as room and board in the dormitories at Georgetown University.

A two week session will run from June 18th to July 1st. This session will cost $2000. Please click for additional details.

NOTE: We are no longer taking applications to the two-week session. The two-week session has been filled, and we are not making a waitlist for this special session.

If you are interested in attending as a commuter, please contact us about discounts. They will be available, especially at group rates.

If you are arriving for the 3-week session, arrive on 6/12 and depart on 7/1.

If you are arriving for the 2-week session, arrive on 6/18 and depart on 7/1.

The Georgetown Debate Seminar: Why Georgetown?

2008-12-17T12:58:00.000-08:00