HISTORY OF THE SMITH COLLEGE DEBATE SOCIETY

Smith College has been encouraging debate since 1900.  It began as an on-campus activity where teams representing different classes held debates in John M. Green Hall arguing resolutions that concerned everything from segregation laws to international relations.  These on-campus debates were successful enough to garner mentions in local newspapers, and soon, talk of intercollegiate debate began to spread.  The formation of Smith's Debating Union coincided with the first official talks of intercollegiate debate between Smith, Vassar, and Mount Holyoke.  All of the planning finally paid off on the sixteenth of March 1918, when Smith held their first intercollegiate debate, facing off against Vassar in John M. Green Hall.  The Debating Union successfully challenged other women’s colleges in the area for the next five years, including Radcliff, Mount Holyoke and Wellesley.  In 1922 Smith's Debating Union began hosting debates with men's colleges as well.  For decades, Smith engaged in debate with schools like Dartmouth, Williams, Bates, Hamilton, and Oxford, establishing itself as both one of the most active and one of the most successful women's colleges in intercollegiate debate.  The Debating Union transformed into its current incarnation, the Smith College Debate Society in 1976.  It continued to uphold its reputation for success in the Northeast, even placing third among the American schools at Canada’s international tournament.  With the formation of the American Parliamentary Debate Association in the early eighties, intercollegiate debate became better organized and the Smith College Debate Society found a permanent home. It has maintained its presence as the most successful women’s college on the circuit ever since.

THE SMITH COLLEGE DEBATE SOCIETY'S
EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESIDENT Name: Rachel Goldstein Class: 2005 Major: Government Minor: Public Policy Job Description: The president oversees meetings, oversees the executive board, acts as a representative to the college community and the American Parliamentary Debate Association, and mediates disputes. About Me: I’m affectionately referred to as “Rae” by the Smith community and have been involved in the Smith College Debate Society (SCDS) and the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) all four years of my college careerI enjoy Washington DC in the summer, Jon Stewart, being confrontational and Kevin Smith movies.	I am a warm and fuzzy person who is always happy to give info on the debate team to any inquiring minds. I also love telling people about on campus debate activities anyone can come and enjoy. Please don't hesitate to contact me! Contact Information: e-mail: rgoldste@smith.edu Phone: 413. 585. 4065 Box: 6911
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Name: A. Halsey Class: 2006 J Majors: History and Economics	Job Description: The Vice President of Operations is in charge of the team's registration and transportation to and from tournaments, as well as any other organizational issues that might arise. About Me:  This is my second year on the Smith Debate team, and my second as VpOps. †I don't like long walks on the beach or sunsets. †What I do like is ensuring that SCDS is running as smoothly as humanly possible, and occasionally wearing nice high-heels. Contact Information: e-mail: ahalsey@smith.edu Phone: 413.585.7826
VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE Name: Jess Clarke Class: 2006 Major: Sociology Minor: African Studies Job Description: The Vice President of Finance is in charge of designing an accurate budget, acting as liaison to the ORC and ensuring fiscal responsibility throughout the year (including: paying registration fees, and sign reimbursement forms.) About Me: I'm from North Carolina. †I'm spending next semester in Dakar, Senegal, and when I come back I'll be somewhat trilingual. †I like debate and I like numbers.	†I also like vintage ads from the 1950s and walruses, but that’s neither here nor there. Contact Information: e-mail: jclarke@email.smith.edu AIM: potw23  Cell: 413.244.0590
NOVICE EDUCATOR Name: Class: Majors:	Job Description: The Novice Educator is in charge of educating the new team members about debate. This includes organizing workshops, practice rounds and the mentoring program and being generally available for novice queries. About Me: Contact Information:
ON CAMPUS EVENTS COORDINATOR Name: Tamar Malloy Class: 2007 Majors: American Studies and Government Job Description: The On Campus Events Coordinator is in charge of working with the team and the Smith College administration in order to arrange on campus events that are created by, sponsored by, or otherwise facilitated by the debate society.  These events include monthly debates conducted by the team and open to the public and participating in the “Civil Discourse” events sponsored by the Dean of the College. About Me: I'm a native New Yorker transplanted to beautiful Scales House.	I like girls-with-guitars type folk music, David Foster Wallace, grilled cheese and tomato soup day and, of course, debate. I want to be Ruth Bader Ginsburg when I grow up. This is my second year on the debate team and my first on the board. Contact Information: e-mail: tmalloy@smith.edu Phone: 413.585.7763
SECRETARY Name: Kristen Woytonik Class: 2008	Majors: Government and Geology Job Description: The secretary is responsible for recording attendance, taking minutes at board and general meetings, and keeping records of tournament ballots. About Me: I am a novice on Smith Debate. Sedimentary deposits, bread products, The Beatles, and the U.S. Constitution are my earthly loves. Contact Information: e-mail: kwoytoni@email.smith.edu Phone: 413.585.6932
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR (this is an Adhoc board position) Name: Alex Naugler Class: 2006 Major: Job Description: About Me: Contact Information: anaugler@email.smith.edu

 

PHOTO GALLERY

more to come soon!

THE SOCIETY'S PAST SUCCESSES

more to come soon!

THE SMITH COLLEGE DEBATE SOCIETY'S CHARTER

Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Smith College Debate Society, or SCDS.

Article II: Purpose
The purpose of this organization is to train its members in parliamentary style debate in order to compete as a member school of the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA), while also providing a forum on campus for members of the community to come together and engage in intellectual debate on pertinent issues.

Article III: Goals
The SCDS shall fulfill its purposes through a variety of means, including but not limited to:
- membership on APDA and regular participation in its tournaments;
- sponsorship of an APDA-sanctioned tournament hosted at Smith annually;
- development of its members’ abilities to present articulate, creative, and witty arguments in an extemporaneous setting, and
- arrangement, from time to time, of public on-campus debates among students and/or faculty members and/or members of the community.

Article IV: Members
The SCDS shall be open to any Smith College student.  Members shall be either active or inactive. Active members shall pay dues and attend practices according to the dues and attendance policy set annually by the Executive Board, and shall be entitled to run and vote for Executive Board positions.  Only active members shall be allowed to attend APDA tournaments, and then only at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Article V: Executive Board
The Executive Board of the SCDS shall consist of the President, the Vice President of Operations, the Vice President of Finance, and three Members.  The Executive Board shall meet weekly and be responsible for the planning and execution of all meetings, including workshops.  It shall also be responsible for deciding upon fundraising activities.  The Executive Board shall also have the power to determine who shall be allowed to attend APDA tournaments, according to budget allowances and attendance records.  The duties of the Executive Board positions are as follows, in order of rank:
            A. The President
She shall set the agenda and preside over all Executive Board and general membership meetings.  She shall keep an email list of team members for the purpose of communication between meetings.  She shall be the team’s representative at all APDA meetings.  She shall not vote in Executive Board or general membership decisions, with the exception of casting a tie-breaking vote,
            B. The Vice President of Operations
She shall be responsible for the team’s participation and registration in APDA tournaments.  She shall also secure travel and accommodation arrangements.  She shall also oversee the planning of all of the social events for the society, including the annual holiday party in the fall semester and team banquet in the spring semester.
            C. The Vice President of Finance
She shall create and submit an annual budget to the Student Finance Committee, collect dues, and oversee financial transactions with APDA and its affiliates.  She shall be responsible for planning and overseeing all fundraising activities as determined by the Executive Board.  She shall sign as “Treasurer” on all Smith College forms.
            D. Members
On-Campus Events Coordinator:  She shall be responsible for the arrangement of any informal tournaments, debates, speaking competitions, discussion groups, or any other event on campus of which SCDS is a sponsor.  She shall be the chair of the committee for organizing and planning on-campus events.  She shall assist the Novice Educator in novice recruitment.  She shall also serve as Parliamentarian of the society and shall ensure that the procedures outlined in this charter are carried out properly at all times.
Novice Educator: She shall be responsible for the recruitment, education, and retention of novices, including but not limited to planning workshops and practice rounds, either within the SCDS or with other APDA member schools.
Tournament Director: She shall direct any tournaments held by the Smith College Debate Society, and shall serve as a Member of the Executive Board from the beginning of the school year until the tournament has ended.  In the event that SCDS holds a tournament other than at the beginning of the year, a new Tournament Director shall be elected, and she shall serve as a nonvoting member of the board during the planning and organization of that tournament.  Any member of SCDS may be Tournament Director except On-Campus Events Coordinator and Novice Educator.
Secretary: She shall be a novice, and her election shall take place in the fall after the SCDS tournament has ended; she shall replace the Tournament Director as the third Member.  She shall take minutes at all general membership and Executive Board meetings, and shall be responsible for attendance records and cataloguing individual and team records of SCDS members competing on APDA.

Article VI: Election Procedure
Candidacy for Executive Board positions shall be open to all active members of the SCDS.  Elections shall be held twice annually: in the spring for the positions of President, VP Operations, VP Finance, Tournament Director, On-Campus Events Coordinator, and Novice Educator for the following year, and in the fall after the Smith College Debate Tournament has ended for the position of Secretary.  Nominations will be open for one week prior to the election until midnight the day of the election, at which time nominations shall close and the President shall send, via e-mail, a list of all nominees to all active members. On the day of the election a quorum (2/3) of active members must be met.  Members in absentia (studying abroad or on leave) will be notified of all impending elections and shall submit written nominations if they wish to be considered as candidates.  On the day of the election, candidates will be given an opportunity to express their qualifications to the team, and will participate in an individual question and answer session with the team.

Ballots shall be anonymous and shall be counted by both the President, who shall not vote, and the most senior team member who is neither on the Executive Board nor a candidate in that election.  If no candidate wins a majority (50% + 1), a run-off shall be held between the two highest-ranking candidates.  In the case of a tie, the president shall cast the deciding vote.  If the President is a candidate, she shall be allowed to vote and the next ranking Executive Board member who is not a candidate for that position will abstain from voting, break any ties, and count votes.  Having made an unsuccessful bid for one office, a candidate may nominate herself for successive positions in the order of elections, which shall be the same as the ranking of Executive Board positions.

In the event that an Executive Board position opens, a general election will be held by the team.  In the event that quorum cannot be reached, the President may appoint a temporary replacement from the Board, who will fulfill the duties of the position until a new election can be held.

Article VII: Team Selection for Nationals, Worlds, and North-Ams
A. Nationals: In addition to any qualified teams selected to compete at Nationals according to APDA policies, the SCDS shall send one team and at minimum one judge to APDA’s National Championship annually.  The board, after consulting with the Vice President of Finance about available funds shall decide on the number of people that can be sent to the North American Debate Championships, the National Debate Championships, the World Debate Championships, and any other tournament to which only a limited number of members can attend.  Individuals may nominate themselves as debaters or as judges and the Election Procedure outlined above will be followed.
B. Worlds and North-Ams: The Executive Board shall develop a budget for the World Debating Championship and the North American Debating Championship and shall determine how many debaters and judges may be sent to each.  The same Election Procedure as for Nationals shall be followed.
The board, after consulting with the Vice President of Finance about available funds shall decide on the number of people that can be sent to the North American Debate Championships, the National Debate Championships, the World Debate Championships, and any other tournament to which only a limited number of members can attend.  The opportunity to debate or judge at any of these tournaments shall be offered to members of the team in order of the number of points, until the available number of spaces has been filled, or interest from the team has been exhausted.  The point system shall be based on commitment to the team and debating skill, it shall be maintained by either the Vice President of Operations or the secretary on a weekly basis.  The points will not carry over from year to year.  It shall be constructed as follows:
A) Seniority (number of years on the team, including junior year abroad): (The number of tournaments in the fall of that year, increased to the number of tournaments in the entire year at the end of the fall semester -excluding those tournaments for which points are the criteria for attending) multiplied by 0 for novices, 1/8 for second year debaters, 2/8 for third year debaters and 3/8 for fourth year debaters
B) Board Position (President, Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Finance, On Campus Events Coordinator, Novice Educator, Secretary, Tournament Director): (The number of tournaments in the semester(s) that the member holds the position) multiplied by 1/4.  To be determined on a semester basis.
C) Committee Position (any adhoc committee that the board decides is necessary, including the committee that supports the TD for the tournament): 1/8 point for each member on the committee
D) Practice Rounds Attendance: 1/2 point for each practice round attended (attendance must be kept by the Novice Educator, extra practice rounds that team members choose to arrange must be approved by the novice educator in order to be eligible for points)
E) Tournament Attendance: 1 point for each tournament attended as either a debater or a judge
F) Break/Top Ten: 1 point for either finishing as a top ten team (overall or novice bracket) or for breaking to out rounds at any tournament attended that year
G) Top Ten Speaker finish: 1 point for each finish as either a top ten speaker over all, or as a top ten novice speaker.

Article VIII: Unsanctioned Debaters and Judges for Any Debate Function
Unsanctioned participation in debate activities as a representative of the SCDS or any other debate entity (including but not limited to hybrids, self-sponsored teams, and persons debating from other schools) constitutes misuse of the Smith College Debate Society’s name and is subject to disciplinary action.  Additionally, no member of the SCDS may attend Nationals, Worlds, or North-Ams as a debater or judge unless selected to do so.

Article XI: Sources of Funding
Sources of funding shall include, but are not limited to, the SAF, membership dues, fundraising efforts, and any discretionary funding that may be awarded to the organization.

Article X: Method to Amend
Amendments to this charter require a 2/3 majority vote of the general membership of SCDS, and a 2/3 majority vote of the SGA Senate.