21 day debate journey from Vermont to Missouri to Serbia to Slovenia and back to Vermont, January, 2003
| Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten |
PART SIX: BELGRADE SEMINAR & TRIP TO SLOVENIA
JANUARY 13, 2003
DEBATE SEMINAR IN BELGRADE
Today was to be a day of debate instruction. John Meany
and I had agreed to hold a seminar for those staying over an extra day from
the tournament as well as any Serbian debaters who wanted to attend. The focus
would be on university debaters.
I had breakfast with John and Bojana and we talked
about the events of the tournament. We were soon joined by Sonja who was to
take us over to the office of the Yugoslav University Debate Network, located
in the tallest building in Belgrade on the 16th floor. John and I
had coordinated with Mila what we would do. The students would be divided into
inexperienced and then experienced students, and then we would alternate back
and forth so that two complete instruction programs were going on at a time.
Sonja took us the two blocks over to the offices. The
elevators were crowded (some were broken) during the morning rush hour, but
we got up to the offices and had a tour. Although the space specifically allocated
to the debate network was merely one small office, they are located in a cluster
of other groups with shared access to computers (lots of them), meeting rooms,
audio visual equipment, and other features.
I took this opportunity to try and check my email,
but with over 1000 new messages I was only able to look for news of my fatherÕs
health, email renditions of phone messages, and one or two other messages I
was curious about. The students were arriving and it was time to begin.
My
first session was with beginning debaters. I talked about basic format considerations
for both British and American parliamentary debate formats. We went through
British four team format step by step and talked about what speakers should
do and how. Special attention was given to the obligations of the second proposition
team, expected to lead the debate in a new direction while at the same time
remaining faithful to the position of the first proposition team. They soaked
up the information like sponges. They quickly began asking fairly advanced questions,
some of which I answered and some of which I delayed for coverage later. After
that I discussed basic public speaking techniques. This seems to be the most
popular thing I regularly discuss with debaters, perhaps because it is the most
animated or because I often model incorrect delivery techniques in ways that
amuse the audience. Again, they asked many excellent questions, especially at
the end when I opened the floor to any questions they had.
It was time for lunch. I met up with John, who was
just finishing his session, and we walked back to the hotel for our meal. I
checked for messages because I was expecting contact with my old friend Sima
Avramovic, professor at the faculty of law I had worked with in 1997. He and
I had grown close during that visit and in our later efforts in joint application
for US State Department grants. As well, I had worked with another professor,
Obrad Stanojevic. I hoped to see both of them before leaving the next day. But,
there were no messages. John and I met with Bojana and we had lunch together.
IDEA Executive Director Noel Selegzi was also there, basking in what had been
a very successful tournament and event. We talked through lunch and then John
and I headed back to the skyscraper and the afternoon seminars.
In the afternoon I would have the experienced debaters,
then there would be an open question and answer session, and then there would
be some practice debates. Brian and Jen from Vermont as well as Jenny and Brenda-n
from Claremont would hear the practice debates.
I was to cover three subjects this afternoon: argument
capture (the turn, as we say in America), issue comparison and weighing, and
delivery for advanced debaters. I thought we would cover them in that order
so that we could end on a lighter note. I started with the three main methods
of argument capture, and the group seemed very focused and critically engaged.
Once again, the questions were excellent. I continued and talked about issue
comparison and weighing and indicated six ways that a debate could indicate
that their issues were bigger and more important. It was interesting the way
they reacted to a lot of this. I was telling them how to win a debate, not necessarily
how to make decisions in their own lives or for real policies. These debate
techniques are opportunistic by their very nature, allowing the debater to take
advantage of specific situations. It was necessary to pause during the discussion
of comparison and weighing to clarify the different between these ideas as debate
techniques and these ideas as guidelines for real decision. It is a simple maxim:
in debate, we use the best argument for the side we are assigned; in life we
choose our side based on the best arguments. Those who fear debate as a school
for demagogues need only fear it if this maxim is forgotten. I try and repeat
it often.
| John answers questions | Students listen |
We had just begun our question and answer period when
the classroom we were using was needed for another program, so we adjourned
to join those in the other classroom where John had just begun his question
and answer period. John and I make an interested combination at such an event.
After 30 years together our ideas bounce off of each other and flow into each
other in manner that I find quite delightful and that our audiences often enjoy.
And so it was this time, whether following on after another has spoken, or offering
disagreements that turn out to be agreements. Soon the questions had diminished
and it was time for the practice debates to begin.
Sonja informed me that Sima would try to meet me at
the hotel at 6 PM, so I quickly walked with John back to the Hotel Excelsior.
Sima was, indeed, waiting for me in the lobby as I arrived at 6 PM. We embraced
and made our way to the restaurant to converse and share our recent histories.
| Author with Politika reporter and Sima Avramovic | Sonja translates during
the interview |
Sima Avramovic had greeted me in 1998 at the faculty
of law as we worked together to train debaters and stage a public debate about
censorship and freedom of the press. I had lectured on several debate related
topics at the faculty of law to large and enthusiastic crowds. He and our colleague
Obrad Stanojevic had traveled to Novi Sad for an all-Yugoslavian law school
conference where I had observed, learned a lot, and made important contacts.
Sima had entertained me at his home and outside in his orchard, where we had
prepared and shared hearty country fare and good conversation, including his
assistant, Mishko, who was now quite successful as a scholar and law professor.
We had continued to work in later years on getting a grant from the US State
Department that we failed to receive (because the faculty of law had received
a larger grant from State, and could only receive one at a time, I learned now),
and we had carried on a constant and important email correspondence during the
NATO bombing of Serbia. It was so good to see him again. His report on the progress
that had been made in law instruction in Serbia was gladdening. I also learned
of his happiness at being a grandfather and that his orchard was better than
ever. His work with the rhetoric program at the faculty of law and the student
group, Forum Romanum, was also continuing and improving. He had hoped for more
and more rapid changes in higher education, but clear progress was being made
and he seemed gratified about that. We discussed possibilities for future cooperation
and visits.
Sima had called our colleague Obrad Stanojevic and
he was able to join us for a brief time. It was wonderful to see him, and I
teased them both about how five years had left them looking the same and had
left me older and greyer. They were polite enough to disagree, but it is nevertheless
true. Bojana joined us and we all shared a New YearÕs traditionally drink, called
brandy tea, but simply warmed schleibovitze. I liked it, but tried not to drink
too much because it was orthodox New YearÕs Eve and I wanted to be awake to
see the fireworks.
Our visit drew to a close as both had family engagements
for the evening. I was invited along but said that I needed to stay near my
students and conserve my strength for my morning departure for Slovenia the
next day. We said good-bye with the knowledge that we would be together and
work together again.
The reporter from the publication Politika was there.
I remember her because she had interviewed me in 1998 after our public debate
on censorship. We recognized each other. She interviewed me extensively and
fortunately Sonja was there to be my translator, and she did an excellent job.
I wish that more of the questions had been about debate, but often you have
to try and work it in around some of the other issues raised by the media in
such interviews.
| Debaters prepare for a night out | Fireworks at orthodox New Year celebration
as seen from my hotel window |
After the interview I sensed a slight unease in the
restaurant staff, and realized that they were waiting to serve us dinner, and
that many of them would be able to go home after we ate. John had pushed off
for the Hyatt, so I urged those still there, like Bojana, Noel, Sonja, Brian,
Jen, Brenda-n, Jenny, Dragan, and others to begin our meal in the interests
of the staff.
We had an excellent and jolly meal. Noel had many interesting
stories to tell, and the young people began planning their evening experiences.
I assumed that I would carry on at the hotel and then go to sleep after the
pyrotechnics. The reporter for Politika decided that she would accompany the
debaters on their evening festivities and make it a part of her story. Of course,
I never saw it as I left early the next day.
Bojana and I made plans for our trip to the train station
the next day for our train journey from Belgrade to Slovenia. I had another
drink or two and continued our most interesting discussion, but son it was near
midnight so I excused myself and went to my room.
I watched the BBC World news briefly, and then it was
midnight. I watched the fireworks from my window and managed to snap a few fairly
mediocre photos of the display, and then slipped into sleep, knowing that my
stay here in Belgrade was ending the next morning.
JANUARY 14, 2003
TRAVEL TO SLOVENIA
I
awakened and packed. This was a mild challenge given that I had more things
than I arrived with and also because I had been here in Belgrade for a while.
My dirty laundry had made it clear that I have been gone for two weeks. I had
done some wash in the tub earlier, but it had taken a few days for it to dry.
However, this morning it was finally all dry and I could pack it away.
I headed downstairs for breakfast. Bojana was already
there, as were Arif and his partner from Kazakhstan. I had the usual and some
hot tea as Bojana called a taxi. The taxi arrived and we were on our way to
the train station.
The train station was not far, and I remember it from
1997 because that is where we had met the bus to go to Jabuka for the ten-day
debate camp. We purchased tickets and made our way to the small snack shop and
had a beverage while we waited. I snapped some train station photos while we
waited. We boarded a fairly modern train and found a cabin that was unoccupied.
The train did not seem that crowded and we pulled out of the station.
| Belgrade train station | Our train is ready |
We rolled by the city of Belgrade and out into the
countryside. Bojana and I were enjoying sharing ideas and impressions, and as
we stopped to pick up more passengers I had an idea of how to keep our cabin
to ourselves. I feel a little guilty about this, but I must confess what I did.
Whenever we would stop and more passengers would get on I would start speaking
loudly to Bojana (but in a friendly way) and gesticulating wildly, with the
thought that no one wants to get into a cabin where a loud conversation is going
on. At each stop it seemed to work, and we could not help but laugh. We decided
to test our theory, so at the next stop we just sat quietly, and sure enough
five Roma people piled into our cabin and must have made three mobile phone
calls within ten minutes. They seemed very friendly and one woman had a beautiful
embroidered coat. They exited within two stops and we returned to our companion
deterrent speaking patterns, and for the rest of the trip we had our cabin to
ourselves. Of course, this could also be due to the fact that there were very
few additional passengers after we crossed into Croatia.
| Croatian border | Working on the journal during the train trip |
We crossed into Croatia and the immigration officials
checked us out. It was interesting to note that they used flashlights to look
under the seats to make sure that no one was hiding there.
We continued on our way and kept up a running conversation
about organizing local debate clubs, fund raising, and the future of IDEA and
debate in many nations in the post-Soros funding era.
Bojana walked down to the restaurant car while I watched
our stuff, and she returned with two huge sandwiches. I shared the old adage
about never eating anything bigger than your head, but I plowed into my sandwich
anyway. It was fresh and delicious, with delightful bread.
With every mile we traveled north there were changes
that were obvious to me. The income level seemed to be rising, as the houses
were in better repair, the roads looker better kept, there were more and newer
cars, fewer outdoor toilets, etc.
By the time we approached Zagreb things began looking
more and more like Western Europe, with subtle changes in architecture and urban
development. The day wore on and soon the sun was setting. We crossed the border
into Slovenia and again had an immigration check, this time a bit more thorough.
Now we were into Slovenia, and I was to discover an
incredibly beautiful and friendly country, in many ways much like Vermont Š
beautiful mountains, forests, lakes, and lovely small towns. I just say, however,
that for the next few days of this diary I will do my best to give proper place
names and names of the kind people I met, but since they use a number of characters
not found in my current alphabet set, my spelling will be approximate at best.
Slovenian, as Serbo-Croatian, uses the letter J as we in English would use the
letter Y. Also, many words and place names have no vowels (by our normal rules).
I often teased Bojana that they had words (including her last name -- Skrt)
with no vowels at all. I teased her about her claim that the letter R could
be a vowel. She finally silenced me, however, when she pointed out that since
I can say these words, such as Trst (for the coastal Italian city of Trieste),
that proved that R could operate as a vowel. She had me on that argument.
We exited our friendly train at the first stop, Brezice,
where Mitjia Turk, who coached the English language debate team at Gymnazija
Novo Mesto, our first stop, met us. He drove us through the snow-covered countryside,
stopping so I could snap a photo of a beautiful castle located on a lake. We
proceeded on to Novo Mesto, and small but extremely beautiful riverside town,
dominated by the pharmaceutical firm Krka (R as a vowel, I guess). It was lovely
in the night, and I looked forward to seeing it in the sunlight.
We stopped at a small hotel and checked in. My room
was beautiful, modern, stylish, and impressive. After a brief refresher, Bojana
and I met in the restaurant for dinner. I learned about the conflict raging
in Slovenia between two brands of beer -- Lashko and Union. I decided to try
Union this night, and found it tasty and a bit sweet. I asked Bojana to help
me select something from the menu that reflected Slovenia traditions. She suggested
the fresh game meat (this evening it was venison) along with a sort of baked
pastry called Strukjli. I was an instant fan of it. After dinner and a single
beer it was off to bed, because the real work in Slovenia would begin the next
day.