Michigan Debate Team wins National Championship

Submitted by crg on April 10th, 2024 at 10:27 AM

Link: https://record.umich.edu/articles/u-m-debate-team-secures-its-first-national-title/

U-M’s team finished the preliminary rounds with a 7-1 record. In the elimination rounds, Michigan defeated Michigan State University 4-1, Georgetown University 4-1, California State University at Long Beach 4-1, and Emory University 3-2 before beating Kansas in the championship round.

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mb121wl

April 11th, 2024 at 1:11 AM ^

I have a story about that.  First semester in law school I read a case in contracts in which the plaintiff sued a cosmetic surgeon for failing to properly fix a scar on the palm of his hand.  Surgeon transplanted skin from his hip.  In time, it grew hair.  Issue:  Did plaintiff contract for a hairless palm?

I was laughing about this in the dorm pub one evening.  I related the case, and when I finished one of my fellow students stuck out his hand and said. "You mean like this?"  Sure enough, the palm of his hand had hair growing because the skin had been taken from his leg.  I was embarrassed, to say the least.  Partly because the guy's wife as with him, partly because the guy, a recent Rhodes Scholar, subsequently become the attorney general of a Midwestern state. 

As for me, I dropped out and went on to have an utterly unsuccessful career.

Joined: 11/29/2014

MGoPoints: 217

Amazinblu

April 10th, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^

I've heard the NFL is strongly considering every recommendation to penalize Harbaugh that Petitti comes up with - and, is planning to say "Thanks for your effort and suggestions.   We've told Harbaugh he needs to live in a trailer / mobile home like Jim Rockford for as long as he wants."

Joined: 01/22/2010

MGoPoints: 41434

oriental andrew

April 10th, 2024 at 2:38 PM ^

I was a debater in HS, but definitely not a master debater. The schools back in the early 90s I recall as being excellent at debating are New Trier, Glenbrook North, Westminster, Georgetown Day School (GDS), Vestavia Hills, Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, some school near Houston I can't remember, a couple of schools in NC, I want to say Detroit Country Day but might be misremembering (maybe also Bloomfield Hills). Anyway, I went to mostly local and regional tournaments. 

I did go to summer debate camps at Michigan, Emory, and American University (DC). It was pretty cool being a HS kid studying, doing research, and taking classes (um, debate camp classes) on college campuses. 

Yeah, I was a debate nerd. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56151

DesertGoBlue

April 10th, 2024 at 4:51 PM ^

Policy or LD? I was a policy kid. Attended Michigan debate camp the summer of 1996. It was absolutely a one of a kind experience, a cherished memory for sure. As I recall we were housed in West Quad? Maybe South? The only library we weren't allowed access to was Law, though we did find a way in one day. I also recall that some kids were using this thing called "netscape" and "alta vista" to find evidence on "the web". The rest of us were combing through actual books and microfiche, lol. Does that even exist anymore? 

Totally agree with you, Andrew, very cool to get to experience these universities in such a way as a high school kid. 

Joined: 10/10/2017

MGoPoints: 794

oriental andrew

April 10th, 2024 at 6:57 PM ^

Policy, of course. We were the cool kids lol. 

I went summer of 1991 and stayed in Couzens. We worked hard and had a lot of fun. One of the highlights was when our counselors took us to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at... maybe it was the State Theater? Can't remember, but that was my first ever RHPS. 

And yes, so. much. microfiche. Good times!! 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56151

MGD Blue

April 10th, 2024 at 7:15 PM ^

We are definitely the same vintage, because I was also at the camp in Cousins in the summer of 91 (graduated hs in 92).  Glee club is great and I'm sure you had a lot of the same group camraderie - and as a bonus - you know all the "secret" words to the Victors (I imagine).  College debate took so much time, that I have definitely thought about what I would have done otherwise - since I mostly come up blank, I think I made the right call for me.   

Joined: 04/24/2015

MGoPoints: 56

PopeLando

April 10th, 2024 at 1:38 PM ^

Your question spurred me to Google exactly what’s going on with Sparty these days re: Tuck.

So. Tuck wants his full $80M

Ms. Tracy is suing MSU for $75M

Jonathan Smith has a $53M contract (over 7 years)

Assistant  coaches collectively make $11M/year

And I would bet every penny of the above that Engler and his cronies embezzled millions of dollars that we don’t even know about yet.

Joined: 08/01/2015

MGoPoints: 68478

Blinkin

April 10th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^

They successfully defended their assertion that they won a national championship, at any rate.

Also, take that Long Beach!  Revenge for the basketball team!  

Joined: 08/17/2022

MGoPoints: 28309

chiwineguy1972

April 10th, 2024 at 10:58 AM ^

Probably too much to ask for a Muppets post.  This is a culmination of decades of sustained  excellence. Michigan Debate has a deep alumni base (many of whom are MGoBlog readers), endowments, scholarships and the largest summer workshop for aspring high school students in the country.  Because of this, UM Debate is instrumental in attracting some of the best students to Ann Arbor.  Congrats to Kelly and Ben, Coach Kall and the entire staff.

Joined: 03/24/2021

MGoPoints: 263