Miami University's debate team recently celebrated its qualification for the National Debate Tournament (NDT) held at the University of Texas-Austin. However, after learning of the qualification among 78 other debate teams from across the nation, the team was told they were being eliminated.
Gary Shulman, chair of the department of communication, said the debate team is not actually being cut. Instead, Shulman said the focus of the program is changing from a policy debate program into a parliamentary debate program.
Shulman said Miami can no longer afford the travel expenses that come along with the debate team's involvement across the nation. He said the expenses of sending the team to various debate events and conventions is too much for the university to fund at the present time.
"We have chosen to compete in parliamentary debate," Shulman said. "The advantage of doing so allows the debate team and speech team to frequently travel to the same tournament sites, which saves on travel expenses and requires less supervision resources than sending two teams to different locations."
Senior Drew Wallenstein, member of the debate team, said he was surprised with the news Miami could no longer support a policy debate team on campus.
"It was pretty rough because we had just done really well by qualifying to the biggest tournament." Wallenstein said.
Wallenstein said confusion arose from the debate team's situation and the administration's explanation of the financial problems regarding the cut of the team.
"It is understandable in the sense that I understand that there are economic reasons, but I think debate is worth it, and I don't think the decision that was made saves any money," Wallenstein said. "That's the part that is not understandable."
According to Wallenstein, debate team alumni have written letters to Miami's administration and members have confronted ASG in an effort to save the team.
Wallenstein said he questions why the administration could not fund the team as a policy debate team when the team has been so venerable throughout Miami's history.
"The team is over one hundred years old so it has seen the worst economic crises of the 20th century, and it survived them," Wallenstein said.
Shulman assured there will still be a program in which students will participate in debates, the only difference being that they will not travel as regularly.
"This action allows us to maintain both a nationally competitive debate team and a nationally competitive speech team," Shulman said.
Although the team will still exist, Wallenstein said he is disheartened but hopes for the best in the future.
"It directly impacts the privilege of the university," Wallenstein said. "If a university does not have a strong policy debate team, it is not a strong academic university."
