BADASS sends 10 to nationals

This past weekend, the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society sent its 10 qualified debaters to Wesleyan University to compete at the National Championships sponsored by the American Parliamentary Debate Association.

According to a press release from the Debate Team, BADASS has had a successful past couple of months, leaving them ranked third behind Yale University and Columbia University. At the Boston University tournament on March 23 and 24, Russell Leibowitz ’14 and Keith Barry ’13 reached the final round of their tournament and defeated the national Team of the Year from Yale and Harvard University. Barry and Leibowitz are the fourth-ranked debate team on the circuit.

In an email to the Justice, Leibowitz wrote, “qualifying for Nationals was an amazing moment. The tournament is one of the most competitive in the world.”

At the University of Chicago tournament held March 30 and 31, Leibowitz and David Altman ’15 reached the final round of the tournament as well. Leibowitz earned third speaker at the tournament, which makes him 10th in the nation.

Altman wrote in an email to the Justice, “[the tournament] was a lot of fun! The great thing about those types of tournaments is that teams from the mid-west who normally can’t debate in the American Parliamentary Debate Association attend, creating an influx of different debate styles, ideas, etc.”

At the Hobart and William Smith College tournament both Barry and Leibowitz gathered a successful total of 6 points for their team. According to the American College Debate Association website, “The top novice receives 10 points, the second novice 7.5 points, the third novice 5 points, and the fourth novice 2.5 points. In addition, each of the top four novices receives 2 points for every 10 novices competing at a tournament, for a maximum of 10 additional points.”

Altman was enthusiastic about the upcoming trip. In an interview with the Justice, he said, “Every weekend we travel together, sleep on the floor together, eat together, and just spend a lot of time hanging out. The team really feels like a family.”

—Rachel Starr