Berkeley s team tends to argue liberal causes, owing to its left-wing leanings, said Barak. However, the team once found itself defending the use of the Confederate flag. Ironically, they won. Berkeley s national debate team, the other, more traditional faction of Cal Forensics, finished fifth in the national competition, with one of their two-person teams Dan Shalmon and Randy Luskey taking home the Rex Copeland Award, honoring the top performance of the year. Unlike parliamentary debate a newer style of debate that focuses on a different topic at each match national team debaters argue one proposition for the whole year.
Competitors immerse themselves in the subject, soaking up every bit of literature available.
They also have a one coach, who assists them with research and debating style. Most college national debate teams have up to 10 coaches, said Almanzor. While parliamentary emphasizes persuasive speech skills, national relies more on technical, policy-oriented arguments, said Matt McDonald, captain of Berkeley s national team. Another difference, says McDonald, is speed. National debaters talk fast.