Director: Alfred Snider
Faculty: Debbie Newman • Rhydian Morgan • Steve Llano • Jackie Massey • Bojana Skrt
Sarah Green • David Register • Justin Green • J. Scott Wunn
Alfred Snider, University of Vermont
Alfred C. Snider is the Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics at the University of Vermont. He has degrees from Brown University, Emerson College, and the University of Kansas. He teaches courses in debate, argumentation, persuasion and rhetorical analysis. He is the Director of the World Debate Institute and the Lawrence Debate Union.
Dr. Snider has spent the last thirty-six years promoting debate and critical communication as an alternative to violence and conflict as well as a method for achieving real democracy and a true civil society. He has done formal debate training in twenty-two countries and has trained debaters from over thirty-five nations at the World Debate Institute’s sessions in the USA, Korea and Slovenia. He has directed the debate program at international conferences in Turkey, Estonia and Slovenia attended by scholars from over thirty-five nations.
Dr. Snider has received every major award given to debate educators in the USA, including the Pelham Coach of the Year award, the Don Brownlee Service to Debate award, the Ziegelmueller Debate Coaching award, the Slappey Diversity in Debate award, the Douglas Dedication to Debate award and the Jacobsohn Service to Debate award. His work in promoting debate has also brought him awards from Emory University, the University of Utah, Cornell University, Binghamton University, the University of South Carolina as well as from the National Forensic League and the Cross Examination Debate Association. In the last six years he has been very active in WUDC/BP format debate activities, and has five times been the training director at the International Debate Academy held in Europe.
Dr. Snider had published five books on debating in the last five years and during his career has edited or written over fifty volumes about debating and for debaters. He is the host of the television program Flashpoint that has over three hundred and sixty episodes and deals with political and social issues. He maintains one of the world’s busiest debate websites, Debate Central (http://debate.uvm.edu), and is the editor of Global Debate (http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com ). He has pioneered using the Internet and new media for debating.
Dr. Snider has served as President of the USA’s Cross Examination Debate Association and for the last six years has been the Director of Operations for the National Forensic League’s national high school speech and debate championship, attended by over five thousand people and lasting one week. He has directed dozens of debate tournaments in different parts of the world. He has served as a consultant to the Open Society Institute, the New York Urban Debate League, the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the History Channel, the Associated Leaders of Urban Debate, the International Debate Education Association, the National Public Policy Forum, Singapore Ministry of Education, Slovenia Institute of Education and DEBATE-Kansas City.
As a debater for Brown University Dr. Snider was third at the National Debate Tournament and second at the National Tournament of Champions, both in 1972.
Debbie Newman, United Kingdom
Debbie Newman has been a debater since high school where she reached the final of the world schools debating championships for England. At university she went on to become the President of the Cambridge Union and was the England & Wales National Debating Champion. After graduation, Debbie went to work for the English-Speaking Union where she eventually became the Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate. She is a qualified teacher and education consultant and is the current coach of the England Schools Debate Team, which won the world championship in 2008. She has taught and judged debate around the globe and this is her fourth year at the World Debate Institute.
Rhydian Morgan, United Kingdom
Rhydian is one of the most well known international debate trainers. A student of and graduate in a number of disciplines ranging from Modern Languages and Philosophy to Law, Rhydian has been involved with competitive debating for several years as a speaker, judge and coach. He enjoyed some success both domestically and internationally whilst a student as a speaker, and has since judged at the highest level across Europe, as CA or Grand Final Judge of many prestigious tournaments. As a coach, he runs a successful business, teaching critical and lateral thinking skills, and principles of debate, in schools and universities all over Europe, and he is able to draw on his professional training as both an actor and a lawyer to bring a new dimension to his instruction of public speaking and presentation skills. He is currently devoting much of his time to supporting the Welsh Debating Federation and the domestic schools debating set-up, and lobbying to have Critical Thinking included as a core part of the national curriculum.
Steve Llano, St. John’s University, NY
Now Director of Debate at St. John’s University in New York City. Named the 2007-08 Debate Director of the Year in the Northeast USA. Has coached at a number of prestigious programs, including winning national championships. Extensive experience with university students as well as with international students. Now focuses on WUDC parliamentary debate style. Also an award-winning judge and critic. Has long been a top rated faculty member at the World Debate Institute. Expertise in applying classical rhetorical theory and philosophy to debate situations as well as applying multicultural perspectives.
Jackie Massey, University of Oklahoma
Has qualified teams to elimination rounds at CEDA Nationals and the NDT at every school he has coached at. Has brought Oklahoma from a brand new program to one of the most competitive in just four years. His team was CEDA National Champion in 2007. Specialties include breaking down resolutions to reveal underlying grounds for argument, creation of new frameworks for debate decision-making, getting conservative judges to vote for radical strategies, making debate relevant to a multicultural world and gaining advantages over top teams through innovation.
Bojana Skrt, Z.I.P., Slovenia
Bojana Skrt is the Director of the national debate program of Slovenia and has been involved in international debating for many years, and is a member of the World Schools Council. Her team has three times won the WSDC world title for debating in English as a foreign language. She has directed debate training workshops on three continents. She has organized and hosted countless debating tournaments and has trained generations of debate teachers and coaches. She is in her fifth year at the World Debate Institute.
Sarah Green, Kansas State University
Reached the elimination rounds at CEDA Nationals and the NDT as a debater for Vermont. Coached the University of Rochester the year they won the national championship in the NDT Sweepstakes. Directed the District of Columbia Urban Debate League during its formation and led it to strength and security. Now a coach at Kansas State University.
David Register, University of Vermont.
Several time qualifier for the NDT, Judging Award in Las Vegas in 2007, directed Vermont to Northeast Program of the Year in 2007. Special emphasis on critical policy arguments.
Justin Green, Kansas State University
One of America's top debate coaches with an expert focus on strategic clash and adaptation. Reached quarterfinals at the NDT, his squad is always in the hunt for CEDA national sweepstakes championships, finishing #6 in 2008.
J. Scott Wunn, National Forensic League, Executive Director
J. Scott Wunn has been the Executive Director of the National Forensic League since 2003. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Graceland University in 1993 and his Master's Degree in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999. He began his career with the National Forensic League as a forensics coach and classroom instructor in 1993. During his 10 year coaching career, Mr. Wunn's students experienced great success including several national finalists and the 2002 national championship in humorous interpretation. Mr. Wunn is a diamond coach and a member of the Key Coach Society of the Barkley Forum for High Schools. During his current tenure as the Executive Director of the League, Mr. Wunn is most proud of the advancements the NFL has made in coach education programs, community related program development, alumni engagement, and communication and cooperation among the leadership of the League.
Last modified December 02 2008 04:13 PM
