Camp Starts!

Phew, we're still getting started but the first days of camp have been a whirlwind. Registration and the first night are under our belts and things are just about to get interesting.

Steve and Mike gave fantastic topic lectures this morning. Post if you have any questions for them. And I gave a lecture on how to research this afternoon.

At registration I took pictures of everyone. I'll post a few as a sampling of the picture fantasticness to come!

Security Deposit

At registration you will need to have a separate check for the deposit of $50. You will receive this money back when you turn in your key at the end of camp.

Sarah

Don't forget to bring the rec consent form!

Office Phone Number

The Camp office starting June 26th will move to Dodds Hall, the phone number there is 513-529-2957.

Sarah

The Rec Center

Hi all,

We just finished an agreement from the recreation center on campus to allow ya'll to use their facilities at a discount. The price is $5 a day, which is better than the normal $8.

However, if you want to use the facilities you must complete this waiver form which must be signed by your parents. I am creating a link to this document on the sidebar to the left.

Here's a link to the Rec center's mainpage www.muohio.edu/recsports

See you soon,
Sarah

Mail During the Institute

If you want to receive mail during the institute, you should have your family and friends address it in this fashion.

Your name
C/O The Miami Debate Institute
160 Bachelor Hall
Oxford, OH 45056

More later.
Sarah

What to bring

Summer Clothes (t-shirt and shorts are pretty standard)

At least one light jacket or sweater for cool evenings

Athletic Clothes and Tennis Shoes (optional, for sports and other planned activities)

There are laundry facilities in the dorm, and we will have detergent available for a nominal fee in the camp office.

Toiletries (Deodorant, Shampoo, Conditioner, SOAP, etc)

A shower caddy (if you can't carry all of your shower things at once)

A watch

Shower shoes (optional)

Sheets, a light blanket (All rooms will have AC) and a pillow

Towels (at least 1)

An Alarm Clock (or if your cell phone has an alarm this will work)

Bookbag/backpack

A notebook for lectures and lab notes

The Office will have all typical debate supplies available from Office Max (or the cheapest we can find) prices. We will not mark them up, so you can plan on buying them when you get here.

But if you want to bring your own, here is a list of things you might need:
Pens (black ink)
Scissors
Tape
Regular white typing paper
Paper for flowing
Folders or expanding folders
A tub (if you want to bring paper evidence back with you)

If you bring your computer it is important to make sure you bring an Ethernet cord and/or your wireless card. The campus generally has wireless available in all locations, but sometimes it is good to have a cord to plug in if the signal is weak in a certain location.

Unlike other camps the meals at Miami are very good. Miami has a top ranked meal service and you will not get bored or disgusted by the food, there will always be vegetarian and vegan options available.

Spending money is up to your discretion, some nights you may want to order pizza or subs or Chinese to the dorms or walk uptown for other food, but you will not need a large amount of money. Printing and copying in the library will also cost a small fee.

Dodds Hall!

Pictured is beautiful Dodds Hall, home of the Miami Debate Institute 2006.











All students will be housed in this residence hall this summer. The dorm features many amenities including:

Air Conditioning
All rooms will have a refrigerator
Large Recreation and Lounge Areas with a Foosball Table
Adjacent Volleyball and Basketball Courts

We're looking foward to making Dodds Hall our home away from home, we hope you are too.

Sarah

Smashing TOC Success for Miami Workshop Grads

The first year of Miami workshop graduates achieved outstanding success at the 2006 Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky this past weekend.

Abe Corrigan (Glenbrook South, IL) reached the final round of the tournament. He and his partner were also the third seed in the preliminary rounds.

Will Sears (Lexington, MA) and the team of Eli Jacobs and Alec Wright (Centerville, OH) reached the quarter-finals.

Sam Caporal (Lexington, MA) was the 8ths peaker and Eli Jacobs was 10th.

At least two of the five juniors that reached the octa-finals will be attending this summer - Eli Jacobs and Ovais Inamullah (Chattahoochee, GA).

Other Miami grads who qualified for the TOC included: James Joseph (St. Augustine), Stefan Jiang (Chattahoochee), and Kurt Woolford (Wichita East, KS).

Brett Wallace reaches Semi-Finals at Texas!

Brett Wallace of George Washington University reached the Semi-finals of the Texas tournament, and also won the 7th speaker award. Over 130 teams competed at that tournament this past weekend.

Brett is one of our new workshop faculty members, and we congratulate him on his success!

We've Got Tara Tate!

More great faculty hiring news:

Tara Tate, the super successful Director of Debate from Glenbrook South High School has agreed to work on our 5-week workshop staff. She will be teaching the Miami Sophomore Scholars lab from July 15 to July 29.


Tara is certainly one of the most accomplished debate coaches in the nation.

Tara has coached the 2005 NCFL National Champion, the 2003 Top Speaker at the TOC, the second speaker at the 2005 NFL Nationals and the second place team at the 2002 NFL Nationals tournament.

Her 2005-06 teams have consistently reached the late elimination rounds of major national tournaments.

In previous years Tara's teams have won many of the major high school national circuit tournaments, including the Glenbrooks, Montgomery Bell Academy, Georgetown Day, New Trier, East Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Senior Round Robin, Maine East, and Valley.

She has previously taught at several summer workshops including North Texas and Michigan.

No matter what Miami Scholars lab you are in, you will work individually with Tara.

MBA Coaches Hired for Faculty

We are very pleased to announce that Michael Risen and Alan Coverstone of Montgomery Bell Academy have agreed to teach on our faculty this summer. They will both be teaching on the 5-week staff.

Michael and Alan are two of the nation's most outstanding coaches. Not only have their debaters excelled in high school but they also have gone on to great success in college debate.

Is it your goal to qualify for the TOC? Well, they qualified FIVE, not one, but FIVE teams last year. So they could probably help you with that.

Is it your goal to reach NFL Nationals? Well, last year two of their teams CLOSED OUT the final round of the NFL Nationals tournament. That's the first time that feat has occurred in the 75 years of the tournament.

Simply put, MBA has achieved an unparalleled degree of success in recent years.







Their teams have also recently won the following tournaments: Wake Forest, the Glenbrooks, Georgia, Ohio Valley and Northwestern.


Come to the Miami Scholars program and you will receive individual instruction from Michael and Alan, regardless of what lab you are in.

We welcome them to the Miami Faculty!

2006 Faculty Update

Please see the link to the left regarding the 2006 Faculty Update. You'll find long descriptions of the 2006 faculty both for the 3-week Red Hawk and the 5-week Miami Scholars programs.

Steve Mancuso

Apply to 2006 Workshop NOW!

We have started taking applications for next summer's Miami Debate Institutes. There is NO application fee this year for either program.

The Red Hawk is our 3-week workshop, which runs from June 25 to July 15, 2006.

The Miami Scholars is our 5-week workshop, which runs from June 25 to July 29, 2006.

To apply for either of the two programs simply click on the link in the left-hand column called "Apply Now for Summer 2006." It will just take you a few minutes and you'll be completely registered.

We are expecting application levels to be very high this year. To be sure to reserve your place, apply as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, write to: debate@muohio.edu

We look forward to viewing your application.

Steve Mancuso

Miami in the Motor City

Several Miami teams competed at the Wayne State tournament in Detroit, Michigan a couple of weeks ago. The Wayne State tournament is the premier first-semester District Five tournament, attracting teams from all across the Midwest and beyond.

Miami's team of Ilya Galperin and Aaron Vinson achieved a 6-2 record cleared for the second time this year. Ilya was named the Second Speaker at the tournament. Two other teams from Miami attended - "The Mikes" - Mike Jensen and Michael Richardson went 3-5, and Lydia Elkins and Julie Wickenheiser were 4-4 in the JV division.

Here is our photojournal:

Director of Forensics, Ben Voth with Aaron Vinson.

Michael Richardson apparently giving Ilya a close shave.

A wide-awake Aaron and Ilya.

Mike Richardson prepping.

Lydia at lunch.

Ilya and Aaron, who went 6-2.

We think Michael was dressed like this for Halloween, although we're not completely sure.

Ilya Galperin, second speaker.

The coaching staff cuts it loose at a "loud Mexican restaurant". That's "Disco" Ben Voth and assistant coach Erika Thomas.

Harvard

Mike Maffie and Kevin Wieck represented Miami at the Harvard University tournament. And while our competitive success was not what we would have liked, we did have a wonderful time. Afterall, the Harvard folks know how to throw a great tournament, and it was Halloween weekend. (see the pictures below of debaters wearing costumes.)

We were joined that weekend by one of our recruits, Chris Barnett, a debater from St. John's Jesuit in Toledo.

Kevin and Chris before the tournament.

Mike Maffie working before the tournament.

Driving in to the tournament on day one, this the famous and beautiful Charles River.

Here is picture of part of Harvard Square.

Starting the halloween theme - Will Repko (Michigan State) as Speed Racer.

Two goulish fellows from Texas.

Casey "Peter Pan" Harrigan (Michigan State) and Matt "Hook" Bostick (Missouri State).

Michael Rasta Klinger, Harvard.

The Devil made Sarah Holbrook do this.

A rougher version of the Easter Bunny, David Strauss, former NDT Champion.

Mike Hester scarily representing the Bird Flu.

Scenic Harvard Yard.

Kevin and Mike debating.

More Harvard Yard.

The world-famous Widenor Library.

The Harvard tournament is well-known for Sherry Hall's outdoor home-cooked lunches. Here's the set up on day two.

Two of our workshop grads from Lexington High School, Will Sears and Sam Caporal, showed up to watch some rounds. Here's Sam.

Sherry serving up some good cooking.

More costumes:



Here are our most gracious hosts for the weekend, Sherry Hall and Dallas Perkins, at the final awards banquet.

Kentucky and Loyola

On October 7 through 9 we competed at the University of Kentucky tournament, which had over 100 teams, including virtually every good team in the nation.

We had four teams compete that weekend, including Ilya and Aaron; Mike and Mike; Stephen Soloman and Jon Gair; and Mike and Kevin. We don't have any pictures right now from that weekend, but we did have some significant accomplishments.

Mike and Kevin cleared as one of the top 32 teams and debated Berkeley in the Double-Octas. We lost a close elimination round debate to the very team that eventually won the tournament.

Two weekends later we took two teams to the Loyola tournament in Chicago.

Mike Richardson and Mike Jensen went 4-2 in the prelims. Jon Gair and Aaron Vinson also went 4-2 in prelims. The Mikes won two elimination rounds before losing in the semi-finals. Jon and Aaron lost in the quarterfinals.

Aaron Vinson did win Top Speaker at the tournament.

Here is our photojournal:

Here we are outside the van before leaving on the trip.

We hit a huge traffic jam just outside of downtown Chicago which caused a three-hour delay.

Ever resourceful, the debaters passed the time being schooled in Monopoly by Mike Richardson.

Here are Aaron and Jon as we ate dinner at White Castle on Thursday night.

Here is some pre-tournament preparation in the beautiful Cass Hotel.

Here we are working in the lobby before the tournament started.

A dinner photo - at original Uno's pizza - famous for inventing deep-dish pizza in Chicago.

During the tournament we were able to work on the wireless network at Loyola. Here, Head Debate Coach, Steve Mancuso cuts a few cards (and maybe also checking out a few college football scores).

Aaron Vinson and his Top Speaker Award.

Jon and Aaron prepping for their Elimination Round.

The Mikes prepping for their Elimination Round.

Finally, the famous Sears Tower, not so impressive up close...