Robbinsdale Armstrong and Cooper Debate Team invites you to our debate information night.  You can attend either our May 27th at 6:30 PM meeting held in the Armstrong High School cafeteria or May 28th at 6:30 PM in Room 242 at Robbinsdale Cooper High School.

So why join debate?

Getting involved in high school is important to feeling connected to your new school and making new friends. You should consider joining the team because you are an exceptional student and debate will help you get the very most out of your high school experience. No other activity will impact you like debate. Consider these facts:

• Very few high schools in America have a debate team, yet more than 65% of Harvard’s class of 2009 identified debate as their primary extracurricular activity in high school. A Wall Street Journal report specifically highlighted a “consistent trend” in college admission. State and national debate award winners have a 22% to 30% higher acceptance rate at top tier colleges and being captain of the debate team “improved an applicant’s chances by more than 60% compared with the rest of the pool.” No other sport or activity had this kind of statistical impact.

• Debate teaches you how to learn – a skill that is essential in today’s world. As President Bill Brody of Johns Hopkins put it, being really good at "learning how to learn," is an enormous asset in an era of rapid change and innovation, when new jobs will be phased in and old ones phased out faster than ever.

• Joining the debate team puts you in the company of many leaders and entertainers. Along with Presidents Nixon, Johnson, and Clinton, half of all United States Senators were debaters. Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Bruce Springsteen and John Wayne were also debaters.

But most importantly debate is fun.  Hope you can join us.

And everyone who is currently on the team is more than welcome to come as well.

DJ

In it's first year of awarding a scholarship the Minnesota Debate Teachers Association (MDTA) has awarded Junior Chyenne Thibodo with a scholarship to attend a debate camp this summer.  The MDTA took applications for the Scholarship from Mid-March to Mid-April for the $1500.00 scholarship.  Those who applied were evaluated on responses to the student application and coaches recommendation.

This gift from the MDTA does more than just give one student at Cooper the opportunity to attend an exclusive summer debate camp, but gives the entire team important insight to the current trends of the national and local circuits that can be shared with everyone.  This gives our team an opportunity to attend a camp that our team would typically happen.  And for this Chy, our captain, to be able to gain experience that she can use to help lead the team for next year is simply invaluable.

Thank you to the MDTA and it's donor for this wonderful opportunity.

 Student congress is on March 6th at Eastview High School.  We will be leaving at 10:00 AM from school and returning at 6:30 PM.  The students attending are:

• Chyenne
• Amith

Good luck.

Here are the tournament details for the NFL National Qualifing Tournament

Where: Eagan High School
Friday: Leave Cooper at 9:56 AM.  First round is at 1:30 PM.  Return around 9:30 PM
Saturday: Leave Cooper at 7:30 AM.  Return around 4:30 PM

LD Debaters

• Chyenne
• Tony
• Sydney
• Amith

PF

• Joe and Ian

Here are the details for the state tournament.  We will leave on Friday around 12:30 PM.  Let me know what works in that time frame in terms of class/lunch.  First round is at 3:30 PM.  Judges meeting is at 2:45 PM and registration is at 2:15.

So let me know what everyone is thinking for time.  I supposed to be working until noon but I'm trying to get done closer to 10:00.  Let me know and we can talk more tomorrow about it.

Five.  That is the number of years in a row Robbinsdale Cooper Debate has qualified for the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) State Tournament.  Congratulations to juniors Chyenne Thibodo and Amith Ravindar for qualifying for the state tournament.  This is the second year in a row that Cooper has qualified the maximum number of students to the state tournament.  In five years Cooper has qualified 7 students to the state tournament.  In the previous four years Robbinsdale Cooper Debate has won the state tournament, taken second place and lost in the semi-final round 2 times.

The fifth straight appearance to the state tournament marks the 6th longest active streak of consecutive years a school has qualified students to the state tournament.

The state tournament will be held on the campus of the University of Minnesota on January 23rd and 24th.  The MSHSL State Debate Tournament is the oldest tournament hosted by the MSHSL entering its 108th year.

Here are the details for the Section 4AA Tournament.  I will update as I know more information (judges, format, etc.).

The tournament will be held on January 12th and 13th at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School.  First round each day should start around 3:00 PM.  We will be leaving Cooper either at the start of (or during) 7th hour.

Those attending:

- Chyenne (Participant)
- Amith (Participant)
- Tony (Alternate)
- Sydney (Observer)

The tournament is open to anyone and everyone who wishes to watch rounds.  So if you are interested in watching any rounds please let me know and we can talk about that.

Tournament Format:

Currently it appears as though there will be only 9 people entered in LD.  We are looking at having a round robin.  8 rounds, 1 bye per person.

Qualification Process:

Top 6 students from each section qualifies for the MSHSL State Tournament

Judges:

Prax, Zach Apple Valley Monday
Fisher, John Mounds View Monday
Hogan, Tim Apple Valley Monday

Bailey, Jess Hopkins Monday

Hering, Todd Eastview Tuesday
Brown, Jon Forest Lake Tuesday
Tarsney, Christian University of Minnesota Tuesday
Aby, Meredith Bloomington Jefferson Tuesday
Vieira, Liz Lakeville North & South Tuesday

Bryan, Amanda Apple Valley Awaiting Reply
Koshiol, Kari Benilde St. Margarets Awaiting Reply

Section 4AA LD Schools:

- Robbinsdale Cooper
- St. Paul Academy
- St. Thomas Academy
- Henry Sibley *
- Mahtomedi
- Saint Paul Highland Park
- South Saint Paul High School *

* Policy students entered into the LD division

Here are the details for the Blake Tournament this weekend.

Leave Cooper - Friday at 9:30 AM (can anyone tell me if we have an hour break around this time?)
Return Cooper - Saturday at 5:30 PM

The schedule for this weekend is pretty straight forward.  We will travel to the Hyatt Regency hotel directly in the morning.  Registration must be completed for the tournament by 11:00 AM.  So this should give us enough time to register and find our rooms.

Round 1 is scheduled for 12:00 PM (noon) with rounds occurring at Noon, 2:00, 4:30 and 7:00 PM.  All rounds are flighted and there is 0 chance of round 4 on Friday starting at 7:00 PM.

Two rounds on Saturday morning starting at 8:00 and 10:30 AM.  Triple Octo's at 1:00 PM, and double Octo's at 2:30 PM.  We will then head back with those who are eliminated from the tournament.

[Update - 12/6/2008]

Congrats to Tom Bainey and Joe Kleckner for reaching degree of Excellence (150 Points) this weekend.  (Marek is 3 points away!)

[End Update]

Wanted to pass a congratulations to a few people for moving degrees this weekend.

Chyenne Thibodo reached the degree Superior Distinction (750 Points) this weekend.

Scott Ragan reached the degree of Excellence (150 Points) this weekend.

As a team we have now reached a degree strength of 101 degrees which is good for 13th place amongst Southern MN District (last year Southern MN was the largest NFL district based on new degrees).

Congrats to everyone on the team for this accomplishment.

Here are the Novice State Tournament details.

Friday - Leaving at 1:50 PM.  Excused from class at 1:45 PM
Friday - Returning at about 9:30 PM

Saturday - Leaving at 7:00 AM.  That is when the bus is leaving.
Saturday - Returning at around 4:30 PM

Could be later depending on how we do.  Final round isn't scheduled until something like 6:30 PM.  Do better - bigger trophy - stay later.