Debating Obama and the left

Democrats should not vote for Obama — or at least this is what UVM debaters must argue.

As election day nears, UVM’s Lawrence Debate Union (LDU) and three other debate teams from around the country will argue whether or not Democrats should vote for Obama in a debate at UVM Nov. 2.

Participants will include students from UVM, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Claremont College in California and King’s College in New York.

“There will be two speakers from each college and each will give one very short speech,” LDU director Alfred Snider said.

Snider said he expects this debate to be lively and informative for those who attend.

“We think the topic will be controversial,” he said. “Attendees will learn a lot about the issues they’ll be voting on.”

The debate will cover topics such as health care, abortion rights and taxes. Student opinions are sure to differ greatly, Snider said.

Junior Stefanie Doucette, a member of the LDU debate team, said the team has a lot of practices, tournaments and public debates throughout the year.

“We like public debates to encourage student involvement and get people interested in joining,” she said. “We want to get the campus talking about important issues as well.”

The LDU is currently ranked seventh out of 500 colleges and universities, according to results tallied by the International Debate Education Association.

Following the debate, attendees are invited to ask questions about any arguments brought up during the debate.

The free public debate will take place in the Marsh Life Science Building at 7 p.m.