[eDebate] Is there a Cornell Tournament? Another CEDA East Innovation!

[Samnelson4 at aol.com]

Dear Dave:
 
Thanks for asking!

There is no Cornell tournament this year. Neither is there a Vermont 
tournament. There was not a Rochester tournament this year. West Virginia was also not 
originally scheduled to host a tournament either, but is now hosting Novice 
and JV Nationals because Georgetown decided, late in the game, not to host that 
tournament again this year. Our region decided last year that it would be 
ideal to support some of the newer programs in our region by helping them in 
their effort to host tournaments. This year in the CEDA East tournaments will be 
held for the first time at Bard and Western Connecticut. We also elected to 
support the second ever Buffalo tournament during the fall. This positive sharing 
of the tournament hosting experience has many advantages and is just one more 
innovative way our region has excelled in promoting all levels of policy 
debate: novice, jv, and open. The latest Bruschke debateresults.com participation 
numbers seem to illustrate that something we are doing up here is working.

I encourage Miami and others to send teams to Bard and Western Connecticut. 
The Bard tournament will even have a debate featuring policy debate cult hero, 
Walter Mead, of the famous Mead card. Our region promises good hospitality and 
an appreciative welcoming to those from out of the region. All divisions will 
be healthy in size and attitude.

I especially want to encourage others to attend Novice and JV Nationals at 
West Virginia University in Morgantown. It is not far from the Pittsburgh 
airport, Neil Berch is a superb host, and there are no entry fees this year! It 
truly will be the novice and JV policy debate tournament of love for this year.

Finally, don't give up on never being on the beautiful Cornell campus ever 
again for a debate tournament. We may host again as soon as next year. Stay 
tuned!

Best to all,

Sam Nelson
Director of Forensics
Cornell University