Debaters Looking To Repeat

Four Harvard seniors are looking to repeat victory down under as they compete at the Fourteenth Annual Debate World Championship in Australia next month.

The representatives will divide themselves into two squads and will face off against college students from across the English-speaking world.

"I think we have the potential to do well," said Ajit V. Pai '94, who has been a member the team for more than three years. "Our main goal is to break [the elimination cut]."

Pai, along with Ross J. Levine '94, Brian D. Galle '94, and Thomas S. Hixson '94, was chosen this fall to represent the University at the internationalcompetition, which will be held during the firstweek of January at the University of Melbourne.

Competitors will be given quotations on acurrent topic and must support or refute them. Oneof last year's semi-final winners, Jane S. Park'94 predicted that topics will range from the warin Bosnia to the GATT treaty.

This year's team has benefited from thecoaching of two of last year's surprise winnersnow at Harvard Law School, David Friedman '93 andYellow Breen '93, as well as Park.

"We weren't expecting to do so well," said Parkof last year's surprise victory. "We practiced alot and were naturally funny people. That justgoes to show that anyone can do it."

Park is optimistic about this year's debaters:"I think we have a good group," she said.

And since last year's upset, "they [theinternational tournament committee] like Americansa lot more than before," Pai said.

Yet British and Australian teams have the upperhand this time because competitors will have todebate "Scottish style" rather than "NorthAmerican style."

The debaters say they're training with this inmind. The Scottish style is more "free-wheelingand rhetorical," according to Galle. "It dependsless on facts and more on speaking itself."

The Speech and Parliamentary Debate Societymembers said they are excited about the squads.

"It's not just for us; it's for the school.It's kind of nice for Harvard to win the Worlds,"said society President Adam D. Cohen '94.

The Society will pay one half to two thirds ofthe expenses for the representatives, all of whombelong to the group, Galle said

Competitors will be given quotations on acurrent topic and must support or refute them. Oneof last year's semi-final winners, Jane S. Park'94 predicted that topics will range from the warin Bosnia to the GATT treaty.

This year's team has benefited from thecoaching of two of last year's surprise winnersnow at Harvard Law School, David Friedman '93 andYellow Breen '93, as well as Park.

"We weren't expecting to do so well," said Parkof last year's surprise victory. "We practiced alot and were naturally funny people. That justgoes to show that anyone can do it."

Park is optimistic about this year's debaters:"I think we have a good group," she said.

And since last year's upset, "they [theinternational tournament committee] like Americansa lot more than before," Pai said.

Yet British and Australian teams have the upperhand this time because competitors will have todebate "Scottish style" rather than "NorthAmerican style."

The debaters say they're training with this inmind. The Scottish style is more "free-wheelingand rhetorical," according to Galle. "It dependsless on facts and more on speaking itself."

The Speech and Parliamentary Debate Societymembers said they are excited about the squads.

"It's not just for us; it's for the school.It's kind of nice for Harvard to win the Worlds,"said society President Adam D. Cohen '94.

The Society will pay one half to two thirds ofthe expenses for the representatives, all of whombelong to the group, Galle said