Introducing Ajay Ketkar

Starting on the weekend of September 10, 2005, VBD will be expanding its popular live coverage of tournaments to include round-by-round reporting from more events throughout the season. To manage this reporting, VBD has reorganized and repopulated our staff of correspondents. Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing you to some of the newest members of the Victory Briefs family.

Ajay Ketkar debated for three years for Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas. Competitive on both the local and national circuits, he reached outrounds of various local tournaments, the Grapevine Fall Classic, and the Isidore Newman Invitational. He advanced to the final round at the Dark Horse Round Robin. Ketkar now attends the University of Texas at San Antonio and intends on double majoring in History and Philosophy. In his free time, Ketkar judges and coaches debate, and memorizes Family Guy episodes.

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A Poker Game for the Ages

“For today’s installment of ‘Off the Flow,’” admits Jon Cruz, “I have a rather odd conversation starter. I think Stacy Thomas, Nick Bubb, Josh Anderson, Tim Case, Min Zhang, and others would be proud.

“After returning home from jury duty today, I watched ‘Descent,’ a classic episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In it, Data creates a holodeck version of Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Sir Isaac Newton in order to watch how three of the greatest human scientists in history would interact during a game of poker. (Data’s observations were ‘most illuminating.’)

“If you could play a game of poker with any three thinkers, who would they be? Have you used their arguments or theories in rounds before, or are you just interested in said arguments and theories? Or are you just interested in them as people?”

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Don’t Forget to Rank the Resolutions!

NEW YORK, NY - A reminder to coaches: if you have not yet ranked next year’s resolutions, please fill out your ballot on the National Forensic League. This is your chance to help shape the season. Click here to access the official ballot.

To our readers: what would your ranking be?

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Please Give to the American Red Cross

An accurate death toll from Hurricane Katrina remains unknown, but the devastation in New Orleans and other areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama is, of course, known. You can help. American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina’s destruction, supplying hundreds of thousands victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, you can help provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.

If you are from the area and would like to report in here, we encourage you to do so.

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Greenhill Round Robin Competitors Revealed

DALLAS, TX - “The Greenhill School is please to announce the participants in the 2005 edition of the Greenhill Round Robin,” notes Aaron Timmons. “The round robin will be held the 19th and 20th of September immediately after the invitational. We have 16 outstanding debaters that have accepted the challenge that are geographically and stylistically diverse that will make for an educational and social experience that is second to none. Please congratulate these individuals!”

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Tim Averill Announces 27th Annual Manchester-by-the-Sea

MANCHESTER, MA - Tim Averill, director emeritus of the Manchester-Essex Regional High School Debate Team, today released the invitation for the team’s annual tournament, Manchester-by-the-Sea. The tournament has instituted a new philosophy for judges. The full invitation is available here.

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Mountain View Seeks Assistant Coach(es)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Mountain View High School–located in the Southern Bay Area –is looking for two part-time assistant coaches or one full-time assistant
coach. The official job announcement is available here.

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