Ask Cruz: Volume XVIII
VBD Wishes You a Happy April Fool's Day!
NEW YORK, N.Y. — I am still in the process of digitizing the video of past Bronx Science A and B debaters Jude Volek and Michelle Topal-Teleky — Seth’s older sister — debating for a group of parents on judge training night. Richard B. Sodikow is the moderator. I am also pleased to announce that I have unearthed recorded rounds from the New York City Invitational featuring Jason Baldwin, Hetal Doshi, Seth Halvorson, Cherian Koshy, and Katie Menick, and am in the process of digitizing those as well. In any case, enjoy today’s installment; and as always, keep the questions coming; post them here, or shoot me an e-mail.
Seth Teleky asks, “[W]ho, if anybody, has had significant, widespread success in recent years without an expando?”
Eric Palmer, Michael Mangus, and, most recently, Nick Bratton come to mind. Not a direct answer to your question, but on a related note, the policy team of Ashan Peiris and Navot Tidhar — who had widespread, significant success in that event — debated without tubs.
Devin Race asks, “Why is a qualifying point called a bid?”
Interestingly, there is a story behind this. JW Patterson tells me that the Spindletop — a restored plantation and the traditional location of the fabled Advisory Committee Luncheon — is actually the source of the word “bid.” Legend has it residents of the plantation would make private offer — bids — to buy heavily-favored horses at the Kentucky Derby. So, when earning a bid, just remember, someone’s trying to buy you because you’re good.
An anonymous reader asks, “What is the record for the number of bid rounds an LDer had participated in without ever bidding?”
I actually used to think I may have held this record, having dropped every bid round I participated in my senior year of high school — it was rough! — but actually, I have determined that the record was actually held by none other than Nadir Joshua.
Talk about rags-to-riches stories — Nadir Joshua, who went on to earn eleven bids his senior year, actually dropped twelve bid rounds his sophomore year. Go figure.
Jose Medina asks, “Have any qualifiers from the TOC in Lincoln Douglas had any success doing (a) Speech event(s) on the national circuit?”
There have been many debaters with crossover appeal, but the most obvious example from recent memory is Sam Abba, who was the Iowa State Champion in 2005 and was also the TOC Champion in Dramatic Interpretation that year.
Julian Switala asks, “Do you consider Spaceballs ‘outside of the Star Wars universe’?
In terms of Star Wars canon, there are multiple levels of canon: G-canon, T-canon, C-canon, and S-canon. There is also “N-canon”: non-canon.
G-canon is absolute canon; the most recent versions of the film, the scripts, the novelizations, the radio plays, and the word of George Lucas makes up this level of internal truth in the Star Wars universe. It should be noted that G-canon overrides the lower levels of canon when there is a contradiction, and older versions of the films are overriden by newer versions within this level.
(T-canon comprises of the television series and non-Saga films that take place in the Star Wars universe: the two Ewok films, the Clone Wars animated series and forthcoming film, and the live-action series slated to debut in a year or two.)
Spaceballs doesn’t contradict anything in the Star Wars universe, so it can’t be disproven via G-canon. I guess I would consider it S-canon: secondary canon, where the story is considered non-continuity, but the elements of the story could have a place in the Star Wars saga.
Ah, who am I kidding. It’s N-canon, as much as I love it.
—
Jon Cruz isn’t kidding about the different levels of Star Wars canon.
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42 Responses to “Ask Cruz: Volume XVIII”
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Posted from: 69.48.155.2
April 1st, 2008 12:32
Why does Jon Cruz refer to himself in the third person at the end of every Ask Cruz?
Posted from: 69.121.162.215
April 1st, 2008 13:47
i think its funny how the most in depth answer is not about debate, but spaceballs.
Posted from: 70.142.30.123
April 1st, 2008 15:02
ryan cooper debated with a folder that was filled with fast food menus.
Posted from: 24.215.162.120
April 1st, 2008 16:28
is it true that matt dunay can win a round in six minutes or less?
Posted from: 96.229.143.242
April 1st, 2008 16:28
I think most LD debaters prior to 2006 didn’t use expandos.
Folks, lets make Cruz do some work. How about some questions that require research! :)
Since 2001, what percentage of outrounds at the TOC were won by the affirmative?
Posted from: 69.249.72.27
April 1st, 2008 17:13
At either TOC or major national tourneys, how many times has the #1 seed dropped to the lowest seed in the first round of elims.
Posted from: 69.249.72.27
April 1st, 2008 17:15
any TOC champions get in on at-large bid? two bids? Basically, who was the biggest underdog to win the TOC.
Posted from: 66.168.79.156
April 1st, 2008 17:41
first of all, har har.
@6: umm…do we need to give jon any more reasons to mention tim hogan’s career?
i agree with bietz:
who has judged the most rounds at the toc? who has judged the most toc final rounds? who has sat out the most at the toc? for as far back as you can go, which schools have qualified the most students, cleared the most students? which david will win american idol?
Posted from: 68.175.98.39
April 1st, 2008 17:48
I used that question for the April Fool’s Day joke installment because, I agree, the expando question was lame-o. (Sorry, Seth — though actually, in terms of the past three years, it’s probably a valid question.)
There are some really good questions here. Look to next week for a real Ask Cruz with real questions and real answers. Answers so real, they’re G-canon, in fact. (I might note that the levels of Star Wars canon was the only real thing in the article.)
Posted from: 99.231.230.85
April 1st, 2008 18:00
heh heh- Good one Jon. Volume XVIII marks the second time I have been fooled today.
Posted from: 70.111.126.29
April 1st, 2008 19:01
I was almost fooled until it said Mangus debated wtihout an expando. Kudos on an excellent April Fool’s article nonetheless.
Posted from: 68.209.198.15
April 1st, 2008 19:45
i wish the cherian video was real
Posted from: 68.175.98.39
April 1st, 2008 20:48
I thought about doing “STRAKE JESUIT ANNOUNCES MEN’S ROUND ROBIN” as a headline, but didn’t feel I had anyone’s permission to do that.
Posted from: 68.48.175.11
April 1st, 2008 22:24
Wes, as someone who lived that dream…. no you don’t :-)
Posted from: 24.6.177.101
April 1st, 2008 22:27
GHill (not to be confused with Greenhill) AT was a masterfully masterful and very substantive policy team. We won the TOC in a date that transcends natures harmonic symmetry.
On a related note, Scientists appointed by President Bush to evaluate the subject of time (he wants to know how much his presidency has left) have managed to end the age old debate: Time is indeed a cube with four sides.
Posted from: 24.6.177.101
April 1st, 2008 22:33
edit: we used Ashan’s first name cuz we thought it would be funny.
Posted from: 64.91.217.43
April 1st, 2008 22:33
becca has always debated with a computer, no expando. i have never seen donatti with an expando either.
Posted from: 24.6.177.101
April 1st, 2008 22:36
Just one more: the first people I remember seeing with an expando were Brugato and McKay. Others may have used expandos before then, but those two made it look awesome.
Posted from: 209.181.228.22
April 2nd, 2008 07:13
Pwneill be wondering why Thurm sees the need to criticize Cruz for speaking in the third Person?
2. Pwneill seconds Bietz’s request to find out what percentage of TOC bid tournaments are aff wins.
3. Pwneill wants to know how many TOC outround participants since 2000 have gone on to participate in outrounds at either the CEDA or NDT.
4. Pwneill wants to know who holds the record for most TOC wins combined as a Coach and as a Debater.
5. Pwneill would like to note, in case it isn’t already obvious, that Pwneill loves writing in the third person about himself.
Posted from: 207.118.196.193
April 2nd, 2008 08:37
@wade: i assure you that there are NO videos of me debating. there was a rumor that there was a video of a state final round but that tape has never materialized. i, for one, would never want to see that even though at the time i was lambasted because the ld round was faster than the policy round and it would be interesting to see what was “fast” back then. (anjan was faster for the record)
@phelan’s #4: that’s super easy in ld, it’s bryce pashler by miles and miles. i would put money on the fact that no one is even close. there’s probably a solid race in policy.
Posted from: 70.23.161.85
April 2nd, 2008 16:49
Who, if anybody, has had significant, widespread success in recent years without ever attending a debate camp?
Posted from: 76.17.236.195
April 2nd, 2008 17:51
1. What would Jon Cruz’s name have been had he been born in Spain?
2. Why won’t Jon Cruz answer my briefcase debater question?
3. What prominent political figures were once high school debaters?
Posted from: 69.253.230.13
April 2nd, 2008 18:14
re: 22
1 is easy… Juan Cruz =P
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
April 2nd, 2008 18:40
@Christian: How many does he have?
@Jon: Then could you find it out for policy?
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
April 2nd, 2008 18:42
sorry, cherian, I missread your comment. I was skimming the comments, saw my name in the comment, and saw “ch” to start the name, and assumed it was Christian Tarsney. That’s embarassing.
How many TOC championships has he won?
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
April 2nd, 2008 18:57
RE: Anonymous
I’m not positive, but I don’t think Julian Switala went to camp. Depends on your definition of “widespread success”. He’s just someone that came to mind that was at least somewhat successful, and if my memory serves me right (even though it’s let me down before) he didn’t go to camp
Posted from: 70.56.6.41
April 2nd, 2008 19:05
Uncle Juju went to NSD.
Posted from: 68.209.198.15
April 2nd, 2008 19:21
i think uncle juju went to nsd before his junior year but didn’t debate much if at all that year. he didn’t attend camp before his senior year.
also, i’m pretty sure the thing about becca not using an expando is not true. at least not last year.
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
April 2nd, 2008 19:36
that sounds right. I only heard the story once, so I couldn’t recall it completely
Posted from: 68.48.175.11
April 2nd, 2008 19:47
For the record, after my junior year, I *only* went fast when someone thought he could spread out “that random kid.”
Ten years later, it still hurts Cherian to have been spread out…while he was negating. :-)
Bryce Pashler = Valley dynasty of the 90’s.
Posted from: 128.101.49.63
April 2nd, 2008 21:14
My Debate Career
Freshman year: no debate.
Sophomore year: exclusively novice. Summer: 2 weeks @ nsd.
Junior year: one tournment (westside). Summer: no camp. occasional visits to christian tarsney’s bedroom.
Senior year: national circuit destruction.
Success?
Dropped bid rounds @ Emory, Marx, and Westside. Won bid rounds @ Stanford, Berkeley, Alta.
3-4 record @ ToC.
Post-Debate Career
im either a curse or a blessing. not sure which.
Posted from: 98.199.112.103
April 2nd, 2008 21:20
jswitala, what was the turning point from junior year to senior year? What did you do in your junior year or summer before senior to get to the national level?
Posted from: 75.134.142.44
April 2nd, 2008 21:24
“For the record, after my junior year, I *only* went fast when someone thought he could spread out “that random kid.””
Cherian Still takes joy in stuff like this. He debates Novices just for the fun of destroying them. For example, my first round on the eminent domain topic my freshman year involved him straight refing me with 48 turns. I too got my revenge.
Posted from: 207.235.225.1
April 3rd, 2008 11:54
speaking of videos — I have a VHS tape of Eric Melin debating another Grapevine Student on the business topic his senior year…. man –HE has gotten so old ;)
Posted from: 208.105.17.62
April 3rd, 2008 14:29
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUST28362320080331?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
When will a debater be crowned pen flipping champion?
Posted from: 208.105.17.62
April 3rd, 2008 14:32
Question 22, #3: Cruz will go to end earth’s end to dig up archives on Clinton to answer this question.
Posted from: 72.80.227.85
April 3rd, 2008 14:33
I can do the pen flip that is called “soni” by the article. But, I can’t do the regular debater pen flip.
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
April 3rd, 2008 19:30
JuJu, you are a blessing to the Circuit. If I get bored this summer, I plan on emailing everyone on the circuit who I know is friends with you, and carding them to write a “Consult Uncle JuJu CP” for next year. If I do it, and I read it in front of you, I expect W 30 if it’s written up to your standards.
Posted from: 208.120.131.60
April 6th, 2008 08:21
If anyone, who won the TOC who had to give in an at-large? If no one, who had considerable success?
Posted from: 216.162.91.75
April 15th, 2008 08:16
Why do resolutions post-1990/1991 no longer begin with “that”? ie, Resolved: that allowing innocent people to be harmed is preferable rather than giving into terrorists’ demands (March/April ‘85/’86).
I know there are a few exceptions, but up through the ‘90/’91 season, resolutions which did begin with that were significantly more common than those that didn’t; starting in ‘91/’92, much fewer start like that.
Posted from: 75.25.130.115
May 6th, 2008 02:06
In light of the recent events, what juniors have received a Walter Alan Ulrich Award before? I know Jonathan Carr must have gotten one as a junior, as he won it twice, but did anyone else get it?
Posted from: 74.73.188.174
May 6th, 2008 04:35
also in light if recent events, what is the record number of coachovers at a TOC