On Saturday, October 25, 2008, the White Bear Debate team attended their most successful tournament yet! This particular tournament was held at St. Francis Senoir High School. The day started relatively well for the debators, especially considering how crowded the whole school was (Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglass, and Classic Debate were all being held at St. Francis that day). The first schedual anxieties appeared as lunch approached. The pizzeria the tournament coordinators had ordered from couldn't handle an order of 75 pizzas! Everything turned out okay, though. The debators (from every form of debate and from evry school) all got to eat lunch and were able to arrive at their next debate on time.

   After all the rounds had been debated, the most exciting part of the day approached: the awards ceremony! The Classic debate teams filed into the auditorium of St. Francis's high school and awaited the announcement of the most successful individual debate teams of the tournament. In the Novice division, all of White Bear's novice teams were represented! Holly and Eric were recognized for the first time, recieving an Honorable Mention with a record of 3-1. Maraki and Nikki finished the day with 3-1, also recieving an Honorable Mention. Meghan and Molly finished in fourth place with a record of 4-0, going undefeated for another tournament. The most excruciating and suspenseful moment of the awards ceremony was the placement of the Varsity teams. Colleen and Matt remained in the top five, the top four, the top three, and finally the top two. The rest of the team, including Mr. Eibs (one of the coaches), waited anxiously for the results...and their unrest paid off! Colleen and Matt won the Varsity division, finshing the day with a 3-1 record. Way to go Bears!!!

   An additional bonus to performing well was the knowledge that it was the last debate tournament of the season where participants would be debating the repeal of the federal moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf! (On a personal note, I couldn't be happier! ) The first debate on the new resolution, the one involving the NATO membership of Ukraine and Georgia, will be on the eigth of November.

   Great job, debators, and good luck on the next topic!