Candidate Statements

Candidate statements for the 2010-2011 elections are below. You can scroll down to see them, or use the following links to jump to particular statements:

President


Ashley Woods


Hello, APDA! If you don't know me, my name is Ashley Woods. I'm a junior at Northeastern, and I've been debating longer than I care to admit. For the last 3 years, I've made APDA my focus, and I've come to care about the people and the organization deeply. That's why, after a lot of reflection, I have decided to serve the league as President, if you'll have me.

As I see it, there are three main reasons to vote for me. Firstly, and most importantly, I have proven myself a reliable and enthusiastic participant in the business of APDA. Not only have I accomplished the tasks I have been given quickly and thoroughly, I have actively sought out opportunities to contribute. For example, when I noticed that rounds were not getting recorded, even as a novice, I started taking my computer and camera to tournaments and recording outrounds. When they weren't getting consent, I sought the debaters out myself and proposed a solution to make getting approval easier. When the consented videos weren't going online, I got a password to parlidebate and began uploading and maintaining the site myself. When tournaments I was attending didn't get a good draw, I emailed everyone I could think of to help them attract more teams and judges. As a novice mentor, I took the concerns that were raised on the survey we took last year, such as novices wanting to learn how to flow better, and implemented a plan to help them learn by posting dino flows of important rounds. I've never shied away from a difficult or intensive task; in fact, I volunteer for them.

Secondly, you should vote for me because of the values and viewpoints that I uniquely represent. I come from a small school with no budget and no administrative support. When I have served as President and Treasurer of my team over the past couple years, I have encountered many of the issues that I don’t believe many of the more established schools on the circuit have had to face. We’ve been lucky enough to be located in APDA Boston, where it is easy to make friends and connect with the circuit, but it could easily be very different, and we find ourselves in a constant struggle to stay alive. As such, I believe I can uniquely bridge the divide that seems to exist between large, centrally located teams and smaller, newer or more remote teams. I've made a lot of friends at these schools, and I feel qualified to represent their interests as President. I hope they agree, but at the very least I pledge to make a constant and enthusiastic effort to bring them into the fold. Furthermore, while I am "northern", I have never understood and neither do I agree with the North-South divide. The problems that face the North, South and West may require different approaches, but our priorities are all the same: facilitating good, quality competition. I promise that I will always listen to the concerns of teams from all regions of APDA and attempt to make the board's practices and schedule as balanced as possible.

Through my experience as an EOF, I believe I can also bring an important perspective on equity issues to my leadership. APDA's gender and race record is appalling, particularly in terms of leadership, and I believe that it is the role of the board to focus on and combat these problems. As the first female President of APDA, I hope I can apply my background and experience for the benefit of the league.

Thirdly and finally, I have a vision for APDA and the role of the board that I hope you will agree is the best solution to our problems and direction for the league. Generally speaking, I believe the board's function is to set the schedule and standards for the circuit in a fair and balanced way and to provide resources and support to help the league develop. This means that it is not enough to sit back and avoid making things worse; neither is it preferable that we constantly propose by-law amendments and reinvent the wheel. What I propose is that the President takes the lead in investigating those problems that do exist and ensuring that our solutions get carried out in an efficient manner. If elected, I pledge to break the tradition of apathy that seems to characterize APDA and particularly the board once elections are over. Even if you don't agree with one or two of the ideas that I have, you can trust that I will implement the best ones, regardless of who actually proposed them. This may mean looking back through the forums to find old ideas that never quite made it to the implementation stage, but I promise to leave no stone unturned.

I've avoided enumerating my specific proposals regarding expansion, equity, tournament quality and resource management in detail because, while I believe in them, they aren't what I would like you to vote on at this election. Know, though, that I believe the current system of having things "available" if new teams or novices ask has been insufficient. We need to be contacting schools to get them involved, working with them to make sure they stay, providing resources to help the whole league improve, and being pro-active about making the league a fairer and more open place. For example, everyone benefits from well-judged, well-run tournaments, but the board currently does nothing to ensure that they can happen. I don't think this means we need to be restrictive in any way with regards to these tournaments, but a helping hand should be offered, not asked for.

At the end of the day, the President should be more than the person running the APDA meetings. I want to be President because I want to go above and beyond what the bylaws require of us and really make this circuit as great a place as possible. I would be honored by your support.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for me, I would love the chance to chat with you in person or via email. Please contact me at ashl3ywoods@gmail.com or call me at 702-219-3637.

Ashley Woods


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Alex Loomis


I'm Alex Loomis, and I would like your vote for APDA President. I served this past year as APDA Vice President for Operations, and before that as a novice mentor. I have served as Harvard's Vice President for Outreach, Training and Recruitment, and now Tournament Director.

I believe the board should be as non-interfering as possible. To that end, I am glad that APDA has started proposing best practice amendments rather than bylaw amendments (as nonbinding measures are almost always preferable to binding ones). League efforts should be focused not on trying to find a million new things to do but rather on how to do what we already do better. I think this is especially true for the board: it exists to hear people's ideas and find good ways to enforce the policies that the body votes on, not to constantly put so many new ideas to the body that we begin to lose sight of enacting existent policies.

My view of the office of the President is similarly non-interventionist. Admittedly, the buck stops with the President: s/he needs to ensure that all the other members of the board are doing their jobs and keep up with various events in the league. As such, I think the President should play a role in giving new ideas as to how to improve the EOF, novice mentor, and expansion coordinator programs. However, an interventionist President is not preferable. The President's job is to be an effective leader of the board, and that means s/he should be focusing only on ensuring that the board does what it's supposed to do, not dream up new ways for the board to grow more powerful.

In terms of the league's primary priority, we need to revitalize debate in marginal schools. Though I personally would love to see APDA expand to every school in the Northeast imaginable, there are structural reasons why many schools that are not involved do not compete: they may have draconian extracurricular policies, be too far away to compete, have too small a student body, etc. I'm not opposed to extending a helping hand to these schools (we definitely should), but I do think APDA has ignored marginal schools closer to home. Plenty of schools that have been on the circuit for years are dwindling in size: these are teams that do not face structural problems: they just have a burgeoning class of novices and very few varsity. The league should be doing more to reach out to these schools, by mandating that novice mentors' mandatory hybrid pro-am be with them, or by getting ECs to put them in contact with dinos who can run tab or be their coaches. As President, I would try to focus the board more on these kinds of efforts.

This point feeds into my general philosophy about the APDA board. The board exists to facilitate debate between groups of people who enjoy debating. That's all it should aim to do. Extending debate to other schools and ensuring that tournaments are run effectively is a major part of this, but ultimately it is the board's primary job (and thus the President's) to solve major problems that arise in the least restrictive way possible. There will always be people in the league who will propose great new policies for the league to debate; it's the board's job to get those things done once these ideas have been approved. The ideal President is one who is respected and liked by the circuit who can do what the league asks of him/her. I believe I can succeed in this role, so I ask for your vote.

alexanderloomis@gmail.com
--
Alex Loomis
(978) 460-1891
loomis@fas.harvard.edu

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Omar Qureshi


I am Omar Qureshi from Johns Hopkins, and I am running for the President of the American Parliamentary Debate Association.

The single most important responsibility of the Board is to facilitate fair debate. To that end, one must look for a candidate that has not only behaved fairly, but also for a candidate who appears to be fairest. I believe that I am the right person for the job on both accounts.

The Board is at its best when it does not impose itself on debate. It should exist only to ensure fairness and to help expansion. To that end, I do not believe in proposing policy for the sake of proposing policy. I will make sure that I am as non-interventionist as possible. It is important that the Board help tournaments with organization and oversight. I have actively spoken with schools prior to their tournaments to help them with the nuts and bolts associated with gathering judges and help in the tab room. When tournaments go off without a hitch, the league is better off and intervention is not needed.

We are what the public envisions debate to be. Competitors must be eloquent, intelligent, and accessible. In this regard, all other debate leagues in this country have failed. They are either actively uninteresting or prohibitively fast. These leagues are designed to be exclusive. Neither the public nor those unfamiliar with competitive debate have the ability to approach rounds held in these other leagues. As a result, there has been a crunch in administrators' enthusiasm to continue to support debate. In fact, at many universities, there are no debate programs.

APDA has the ability to avoid these problems.

Debate is enriching for competitors and observers alike. As a league, we need to open up. Every weekend we have riveting discussions on all sorts of issues. I strongly believe that on some of our most prestigious weekends, we open up final rounds to the public. I think we should actively advertise these debates and invite administrators from local universities as well as the media to come and watch. They will observe intelligent discussions conducted by America's finest young minds.

By doing this at only a couple of tournaments a year we can generate a major buzz. Every university wants to be known for having an excellent debate program, but they need some guidance. Showcasing our best competitors at final rounds of our best tournaments is the best way to start.

As a sophomore, I served as an expansion coordinator. I expanded and helped facilitate the expansion of the following schools: The University of Maryland Baltimore County, Catholic University of America, Goucher University, Lehigh University, Goucher University, Georgetown University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

I have a commitment to the league and a vision for the future. Most importantly, I believe that the Board should actively focus to be unrestrictive. We must tear down walls making it difficult for individuals to compete, and we must make sure that fairness is never in question. This is my vision of debate. And it is what I will bring to you as the President of APDA.

Omar Qureshi
Johns Hopkins
omarqureshi@jhu.edu
417.489.1461

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Alex Rosenberg


APDA,

I'm Alex Rosenberg, I'm a junior from William & Mary, and I'm running for APDA President. I currently serve on the Executive Board as Member at Large, and I hope to continue serving the league. I'm the clear choice for the Presidency because of what I've done for the league in the past, as well as what I will contribute in the future.

During my campaign last year for Member at Large I promised two things. First, I promised to get more videos recorded. Second, I volunteered to oversee tournament quality.

Past Promises:

I did not fully uphold my promise to record more videos. I was diligent in getting videos recorded at Swarthmore Nationals. Nicky Bell (a WM teammate) and I brought a camera to Swarthmore and filmed rounds – with consent – from octos all the way through to finals. What you see on Parlidebate.com for finals is Nicky's edit. I was successful early on because I felt personally accountable for videos. However, when the board met over the summer to divide responsibilities for Members at Large, we made ourselves collectively responsible for videos. This was a mistake. Being held collectively responsible gave no one the incentive to follow through, and got us to where we are now. I would return to the earlier method of assigning an individual to the task.

I also promised to take the lead on Tournament Quality Oversight. In this I succeeded. I took on this role form the beginning of the year. Initially, there was a lot of work involved in reminding schools to post their invites and submit tab observer requests. As the year progressed, oversight was no longer necessary. You didn't hear about it, because it wasn't a problem. But, we still lack commitment to promptly nominating tab observers. Often, schools who knew they qualified for a tab observer waited until one or two days before their tournament to submit candidates. This should be done much further in advance. As President, I'll be diligent in this regard.

Going Forward:

As a Member at Large, I learned that the issues on which campaigns focus in March turn out to matter very little come September. Officially, the President's duties are few: conducting meetings and appointing committee members. The real measure of a President is his/her ability to keep the rest of the board focused on their tasks, act with integrity, and to respect the entire league.

With respect to the first, I am definitely the most qualified candidate. As a Member-at-Large, I have been constantly involved with the collective decisions of the board. I've always been the first or second to respond when we vote, as well as the first to urge others to vote so that we can accomplish our business quickly. Moreover, I'm often the first to suggest that the board remind tournaments to submit tab observer candidates, solicit meeting agenda items, or post important updates. I will continue to do this as President.

With respect to last two, a clear, tangible example inheres in the way I've formulated a recent best practice proposal. I don't mean to debate the merits of the proposal here, but rather its manner. You can read the discussion on the former elsewhere on the forum, but it would have created a best practice asking hosts to only charge reg equal to cost to schools with funding below a certain threshold. This proposal was unwise because of the way it calculated the funding threshold. The arbitrary threshold punished schools that didn't deserve it, while rewarding some who didn't need reg breaks. After conferring with the representatives who voted against the measure, I retooled it so that it would not harm them. I think this proves an excellent example of two things. First, I was willing to propose this measure to help out underfunded schools even if it meant it would hurt schools like my own. Second, I am committed to consensus. I listened to the other side and heard them out on their concerns respectfully. It is that skill, an appreciation for others, which suits me uniquely to lead the board and the league.

I urge you to consider the character of the candidates first, and their specific proposals later. What will matter most is not what we discuss at elections, but who you entrust to handle what the league does not now foresee.

Thank you,

Alex Rosenberg
College of William & Mary
ajrosenberg@email.wm.edu


Kate Falkenstien


Hi APDA,

I'm Kate Falkenstien, and I'm running for President of APDA. I am asking for your vote for two over-arching reasons: I promise to be effective and I promise to be fair.

I see the APDA board as a fairly limited institution. I would generally focus on doing a really good job at the most important tasks than setting lots of lofty goals that rarely come true after elections. In my opinion, the APDA board has a few obligations: it should provide a high-quality proposed schedule, choose tab observers, respond to emails and questions promptly, supervise the novice mentor and expansion programs, and tape outrounds (since I think taping is often a collective action problem when it's left to the rest of the league). These aren't difficult tasks, but they are tasks that require commitment, and I think that I have shown my willingness to work hard on APDA issues as expansion coordinator. As expansion coordinator, I have interacted with dozens of schools and helped them register and prepare for their first tournaments. As promised in my campaign statement last year, I also compiled a list of resources at the beginning of the school year and emailed them out to all schools to make sure that struggling schools who aren't officially “expansion schools” are informed about the people and websites available to help them without singling them out. I would give you the same drive and commitment as president that I have as expansion coordinator, and I think that the ability to get tedious, everyday tasks done promptly and well has a real impact on the league.

Secondly, I promise to be as fair as possible. Obviously, everyone has biases and everyone has a team of their own. However, I think it is particularly dangerous if so many of our board members come from the Boston and DC communities, because I think the clusters of APDA schools in those cities create social groups who make up a meaningful portion of the APDA board and who have similar interests (tournaments in their city, tab observers from their social circles, etc). I bring a different perspective as a member of a team in the less-socially-unified middle of APDA, and I think that experience is important to my ability to be fair and not feel bias towards any one set of tournaments, competitors, or dinos. Essentially, I will always do my best to mitigate whatever biases I do have, but I believe that my social and geographic position on APDA limits the intensity of my bias. I aim to be friendly and approachable towards people from all schools and all regions, and I think that I would serve as a welcoming and fair leader for APDA.

Thanks for your time and consideration. Feel free to email or call if you have any questions,

Kate Falkenstien
Yale '12
kate.falkenstien@yale.edu
785-218-2624

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Vice President of Operations


Andrew Connery



Hey APDA,

My name is Andrew Connery, and if we haven't met, I'm a sophomore at Yale, and I'm running for Vice president of Operations.

I'm running for APDA board for a couple of reasons. First, efficiency. I currently serve as my team's treasurer and the Expansion Director for New Haven's Urban Debate League. In my leadership capacity in these organizations, I've had substantial experience in dealing with the bureaucracy of school administrations and getting people interested in debate. I've also become very familiar with keeping accurate and useful records of information on things such as team finances and new schools for the Urban Debate League. I feel confident that these skills would transfer well to the position of VP Ops. If elected, I promise to keep accurate records of APDA meetings and post them within 48 hours of the relevant tournament. Likewise, I promise to update the OTY trackers no more than 48 hours after the tournament results are posted in the forum.

Second, dedication. Debate is, and always will be, my first priority. I spend basically every weekend debating and I plan to continue to do so over the next two years. Because I attend a tournament on almost every weekend I'm able, I feel I would be accessible to both teams that are just beginning and teams that have been on the circuit for years. To me, being on board is about more than just fulfilling the tasks required by the bylaws. Accordingly, I would go out of my way to be a leader to the greatest extent possible by listening to suggestions, random thoughts, and criticism from anyone on APDA.

I consider myself friendly and approachable, and feel confident that I would be a competent, active, and approachable VP Ops. If you have any questions, or just want to chat, I'd be happy to hear from you by email, gchat, or phone.

I'm excited about the upcoming year, and I would appreciate the opportunity to give back to the league by serving as the next Vice President of Operations.

Thanks,
Andrew

andconnery@gmail.com
(405) 415-5688



Alison Kennedy



Hello APDA,

My name is Alison Kennedy, and I'm a sophomore from Boston University. It is a pleasure to announce my candidacy for Vice President of Operations.

I've dedicated myself to the league for the past two years, debating at practically every tournament since my novice year. As an active debater, I understand how the league is affected by the Board's actions. I plan to keep up with my duties so that the league runs as smoothly as possible.

As the Vice President of Operations, these duties include updating the OTY standings, notifying the body of upcoming meetings, collecting agenda items, keeping minutes of APDA meetings, and buying the OTY trophies. I know I am capable of handling these duties for a few reasons. First, I make APDA my first priority. I'll come to every APDA meeting and take detailed minutes. I will ensure that the body is informed of these meetings and has an opportunity to post agenda items. Second, I am organized and efficient. As the Treasurer of my team, I handle great deal of financial paperwork and transactions, so I perform all duties diligently. I will update the OTY results carefully within 48 hours of tournaments, reminding tournament directors when they fail to post results. I will handle the trophies for Nationals well in advance.

In addition to these duties, I think I will be a good overall member of the APDA Board. I think it's important for the Board to be approachable, both at tournaments and throughout the week. I have developed many relationships with teams and individual debaters across all regions of APDA, and I will continue to be an accessible person on the league. I will also actively reach out to the body, particularly to newer schools that are trying to break out on the league. I will be a fair representative of APDA's interests during scheduling, and a neutral arbiter of any conflicts that arise. I will help facilitate collaborative efforts for goals like expansion, equity, financial accessibility, dino outreach, and novice retention. I will be open with my ideas for how we can improve our league, and open to your concerns about how the Board is handling its responsibilities.

Ultimately, I care a great deal about this league. I believe that I am a competent leader, and I hope you will give me the chance to serve your interests on the APDA Board. Please contact me at alisonvictoria114@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Best,
Alison Kennedy



Vice President of Finance


Nick Cugini


Hey APDA,

My name is Nick Cugini, and I'm a sophomore at Yale running for VP Finance. I've decided to run for APDA board because APDA has been a huge part of my college experience; as a sophomore, BU will be my 43rd tournament that I've debated or judged at. I've traveled as far north as Lewiston, Maine, as far south as Williamsburg, Virginia, and as far...well, just far...to Gaborone, Botswana.

The main job of VP Finance is to handle the league's money and keep up with expenses and dues. I'm a reliable and dedicated person, and I promise to respond to all communication immediately, cut checks in a timely manner and work to manage and expand the league's financial flexibility to the best of my ability. I have had extensive experience with managing money; last year I managed the budget for Yale's annual high school charity tournament (the Osterweis tournament), and successfully cut our costs while maintaining a quality tournament experience. In addition, I served as President of my high school debate team for two years, which included numerous financial responsibilities in both short-term solvency and long term flexibility.

Beyond the duties of VP Finance specifically, I think I will make a good board candidate in general. The APDA board should serve as a conduit for developing internal development and international credibility. I currently serve as Membership Director on the YDA board, where my main responsibility is novice training and retention. I promise to serve as an approachable and helpful resource to new schools and members on the circuit in order to better integrate them into our community. In addition, I think it's very important to have someone who is elected to the APDA board who is able to interface successfully with the international debating community. Over the past year, I've attended numerous international tournaments, including Worlds, where I have formed connections and friendships with many debaters and adjudicators who can help APDA continue its rise to prominence on the circuit.

On a personal level, I promise to continue my high rate of tournament attendance, to improving overall tournament quality, and to deal with other issues that arise throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Thanks for your time,
Nick Cugini
nicholas.cugini@yale.edu



Coulter King


Hello APDA,

My name is Coulter King and I'm running for Vice President for Finance. For those of you I haven't met, I am a sophomore at Harvard and I have served as APDA's Webmaster since the beginning of this year. APDA has been a huge part of my college experience and will be for the next two years, so it would be an honor to be able to play a more substantial role in the administration of the league.

The primary duties of Vice President for Finance include collecting dues, paying for OTY awards, reimbursing tab observers, and otherwise facilitating and tracking the financial transactions of the board. Tasks like these are not terribly complicated, and require simple organization and dedication. As Vice President of Operations for the Harvard team for the previous two semesters, I managed tournament registration, payment, and travel every week in addition to other duties, and I will have attended nearly 40 tournaments total by the end of this year. I have been similarly diligent in moderating the forum, maintaining the website, and responding to individual requests, often within minutes. Given this demonstrated commitment, you can trust me to carry out these duties efficiently and in a timely manner.

Additionally, I see room for the Vice President for Finance to benefit the APDA community to a greater extent. I would create an annual report for APDA, Inc. along the lines of what Matt Katz proposed last year, making APDA's practices consistent with those of other 501(c)(3) organizations. This document would include financial data and projections as a bare minimum, and ideally would consist of additional league information, such as updates from novice mentors, expansion news, and results, enabling APDA to market itself more effectively and apply for outside grants. Having applied for grants successfully for the Harvard team, I am familiar with this process and know how to write convincing proposals. Further, I would work with the expansion coordinators to build on the existing guide to budgeting for new APDA teams, adding detailed explanations of how to negotiate with school administrations, maintain precise financial records, obtain corporate sponsorships, and so forth. Guiding schools on how to manage their finances and find new sources of revenue benefits not only those teams, but also the rest of the league.

Beyond the responsibilities associated specifically with the position, the Vice President for Finance participates in APDA board decisions. I consider myself to be an evenhanded and neutral individual, and I will make every effort to be responsive to concerns and to promote the interests of the league as a whole. In addition to checking my e-mail on an all too regular basis, I will attend most tournaments again next year and I promise not to miss an APDA meeting except for severe illness or a family crisis. I will be active on the circuit for the next two years, so I will be accountable for my actions and I have every incentive to act responsibly.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at coulterpking@gmail.com or phone at (646) 675-3227.

Thanks,

Coulter King


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Member at Large


Cary Glynn


Hello APDA,

I am Cary Glynn from Johns Hopkins and I am running for Member at Large. I want to tell you a little about myself, and what I would like to do if given the opportunity to serve APDA.

I am currently a sophomore and debate almost every weekend. At Hopkins, I am a Vice President of our team, so I understand the logistics that go into making a debate team function well. I planned and coordinated our fall tournament, which many of you hopefully enjoyed. I have done a lot of work with novices and look forward to continuing next year on my own team and APDA in general.

Expansion is important. This should be accomplished in multiple ways. First, I think expansion to new schools has been excellent. Having talked to many expansion coordinators, I know that school funding is a significant problem. To combat this, I would get in direct contact with the administrations of schools to show them the importance of APDA. Often, it is difficult for individuals to start teams because administrations do not understand how beneficial APDA is. I think we can do a better job communicating this. I’d also, as I have this year, make sure to be welcoming and helpful to new teams. I think a lot of expansion teams are easily discouraged because they do not know anyone on league.

Second, I think novice retention can be addressed by APDA at large. Just as it is difficult to keep new teams on the circuit, it is difficult to retain novices. Novice workshops are helpful, and I think it is beneficial for judges to take time to advise novices. Third, while I don’t have the space to weigh in on the causes, I think APDA needs to have a continuing conversation about the involvement of women. APDA is a great opportunity and it is disappointing that is not equally divided. I’m glad to see more people discussing and paying attention to this issue.

I have a few specific promises: to go every APDA meeting, to communicate effectively with all members of APDA, to field any complaints with respect and consideration, to fulfill all of my duties, and to assist the President and Vice Presidents in their duties. I think the best policies come not from the board but from APDA generally. It is the duty of the board to effectively implement them.

APDA has already given me a lot, and I would love the opportunity to give back a little, as your Member at Large. I respectfully ask for your vote.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Cary Glynn
cglynn1@jhu.edu


Alex Zhao


Hello, I'm Alex Zhao, a junior at the University of Chicago, and I'm running for Member-at-Large. I just want to briefly outline why I think I'm best qualified and why you should vote for me.

I'm very committed to APDA, especially for somebody from the west. I've been to tournaments literally everywhere, North, South and West. I think the fact that I come from a western school gives me a unique perspective on issues on APDA in general, and I read the forum regularly to keep up, and I've attended APDA meetings as well.

I honestly think that the most important issue this year on APDA will be the ability to retain and grow the league. The fact that several tournaments this year folded either because of lack of interest or the inability of the teams to maintain them is problematic. Thus, helping tournaments establish themselves as well as helping young teams better run these tournaments through the various resources of APDA will be an important part of what I intend to do as a Member-At-Large.

I think otherwise, the current board has done a good job, but that the best ideas always come from the body at large. In short, I think that the continuation of the current course of APDA would help maintain a stable future for the organization.

The rest of what positions I believe in I think will be clear through questions asked on the board, and I hope my answers there and my candidate statement will make it clear that I would do a good job as a Member-At-Large.



Reid Bagwell



Hey APDA,

My name is Reid Bagwell and I’m running for Member at Large primarily because I think I can be a neutral and reasonable executor of the position’s duties. As a member of a centrally located school, I compete regularly in both the South and the North, as well as in the West at Chicago. I count debaters from all of APDA’s different regions among my friends and, to the best of my knowledge, lack suppressed regional biases.

As most of you are aware, I spend an amount of time on APDA that borders on unhealthy and attend tournaments almost every weekend. Were I elected, I would pledge to attend all APDA meetings and at least twenty tournaments, including a minimum of five in the South, probably more. It’s important for the board to be as available as humanly possible to the general body and I would try to live up to that goal. I would also use my presence to try to increase the number of filmed outrounds. To date I have never refused consent for the posting of one of my rounds and look to continue that next year.

As a Member at Large, much of my duties would involve interacting with the expansion and novice mentoring programs, tasks that I am profoundly excited about. We’ve all witnessed the difficulties faced by some expansion schools, as well as some more established members of APDA, to retain viability and while I do not pretend to have a silver bullet solution for these problems, I look forward to grappling with them in an even handed way and attempting to find a solution. The novice mentoring program, as well as the novice tournaments and novice workshops, are all hugely important to APDA as well, and as someone who has been closely involved in novice training on both my own team and my high school team, I am eager to join the board and novice mentoring program in facilitating these important aspects of the board’s duties.

It is my firm belief that as a Member at Large, I could be a useful voice in the board’s discussions and could give back to the APDA circuit which, truthfully, has given me a great deal over these last two years which I profoundly appreciate. I will happily answer any questions on where I stand on the issues, either on the forum or by email, at rbagwell928@yahoo.com.

Best,
Reid Bagwell
Columbia University

Trustee


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