November 2009 - Page 3 of 5

The EX Files: From the Publisher

On November 16, 2009

by Logan Scisco

With the 2009-2010 season underway it appears as if we are in for a wild ride. With three national circuit tournaments completed there is no clear favorite for who will claim the NFL National Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. As the National Points write up in this edition will show, there has not been a competitor so far this season to accumulate points at multiple national circuit tournaments, although some competitors have attended more than one. Whether this differences are due to different geographic norms, inconsistency, or lack of travel due to the economy it is too early to tell. However, the Ex Files staff sends out a large congratulations to all of the finalists in this year’s national circuit tournaments and to Emily Martin, Aaron Lutkowitz, and Dillon Huff for their victories at Wake, Yale, and St. Mark’s.

As most loyal readers can attest, this year has already seen some changes at Extemp Central, especially in the last month. We hope that you enjoy our daily “top five” news stories and an expansion of the weekly questions offered from ten to twenty, being divided on Tuesday and Wednesday between United States and International topics. Also, we hope that you are finding the weekly news quiz helpful so that you can brush up on events that happened during the previous week. Extemp Central also looks forward to offering live coverage of the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin in a few months and at the Extemp TOC later next semester. We are also looking into the possibility of offering live coverage at NFL Nationals, although logistics are still being worked out.

In this issue, The Ex Files has a Glenbrooks preview with last year’s champion Stacey Chen, describes major events taking place in the National Points Race, provides an editor’s corner column on what significance statements are, and provides an updated topic brief on the healthcare debate. The staff of The Ex Files wishes everyone good luck who is competing at Glenbrooks and George Mason as the semester draws to a close. After George Mason, stay updated to Extemp Central for the release of the MBA Sweet Sixteen and a breakdown of the competitors who will be attending.

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Want to Read Today

By geniao44446

On November 16, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for November 16th:

Israel rejects Palestinian statehood bid via the UN from The Christian Science Monitor

Passing the baton on healthcare reform from The Economist

Sino-Indian rivalry fuels Nepal’s turmoil from The Asia Times

Census: Small US cities lose luster in downturn from the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Obama ‘Straddling Debate’ on Prosecuting 9/11 Prisoners (Interview) from The Council on Foreign Relations

ALSO…the Economist now offers a weekly quiz from its magazine. Read it the magazine and check it out here!

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of November 16th-20th, 2009 (Short Answer Version)

By geniao44446

On November 16, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01 Here is the short answer version of this week’s Extemp Central news quiz for those looking for a challenge. See how closely you were paying attention to the news last week on domestic and international issues.

Also, this quiz is a good way to brush up on some general knowledge prior to the Glenbrooks which is taking place this weekend in Illinois. Good luck to those that are attending.

Finally, starting today the beginning of the second edition of the Ex Files will unveiled. Look for Stacey Chen’s preview of the Glenbrooks tournament, an editor’s corner column on significance statements, an update on the National Points Race, and a topic brief on the healthcare debate.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of November 16th-20th, 2009 (Multiple Choice Version)

By geniao44446

On November 16, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01 Here is the multiple choice version of this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. See how closely you were paying attention to the news last week on domestic and international issues.

Also, this quiz is a good way to brush up on some general knowledge prior to the Glenbrooks which is taking place this weekend in Illinois. Good luck to those that are attending.

Finally, starting today the beginning of the second edition of the Ex Files will unveiled. Look for Stacey Chen’s preview of the Glenbrooks tournament, an editor’s corner column on significance statements, an update on the National Points Race, and a topic brief on the healthcare debate.

AGD: Buffet = The Fastest Way to Feed a Busload of Speechies

By Logan Scisco

On November 14, 2009

In AGD

by Corey Alderdice

Feeding a team of starving speechies can be quite the challenge.

After a long competition and several hours on the road before returning home, coaches have to seek out the easiest way to feed a busload of teenagers.

Enter: the buffet.

Pizza, Chinese, All-American…it doesn’t really matter. As a dear friend of mine once noted: as long as it’s a “veritable cornucopia of delectable delights,” it’ll do.

You may think the folks at Extemp Central are on a food binge, but bear with us.

The one thing that goes with teens at buffet is manners, or a lack thereof. That’s where The All-Inclusive All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Guide comes in. It covers every aspect of buffet-style eating: Types of Buffets, Objective, Preparation, Location, Pre-meal Setup, Strategy, Etiquette, Exit Strategy, and Post Game.

The website kindly describes the guide as such:

This is the definitive guide to becoming a seasoned all-you-can-eat buffeter. If you would like to gain knowledge of each and every aspect that lay between you and getting the most fulfilling meal possible you have come to the right place. You will learn with specific techniques the dos and don’ts that every professional smorgasbord eater must adhere to. Within these tough economic times it is important to make sure our dollar stretches as far as possible.

Bon appetit.

Via Mental Floss

Extemp Central News Quiz Answers for the Week of November 9th-13th, 2009

By geniao44446

On November 13, 2009

In Quiz

Here are the answers for this week’s news quiz. As always, the answers are placed in bold and are shown in the multiple choice version quiz-01 format of this week’s quiz.

Check back next week for more R&D, more United States/International questions, and the unveiling of the Glenbrooks Ex Files edition which includes a topic brief on U.S. healthcare, a detailed description of this year’s National Points Race, a preview of the tournament written by last year’s champion Stacey Chen, and more.

Is there anything you would like to see on Extemp Central that is not being offered? Do you like the new features on the site? We want to hear from you so comment here or on our facebook group page. Good luck in draw this weekend!

R&D: The Top Five New Stories/Reports You Want to Read Today

By geniao44446

On November 13, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for November 13th:

Bosnia’s Dual Crisis from the International Crisis Group

Key 9/11 Suspect to Be Tried in New York from The New York Times

A Victory for Islamism: The Second Lebanon War and Its Repercussions from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Americans and Western Europeans Agree on Afghanistan-Pakistan Extremist Threat from the Pew Research Center

Hints of a new chapter in Nigeria from The Economist

AGD: The Only Thing Fast About the Recession is the Food

By Logan Scisco

On November 13, 2009

In AGD

by Corey Alderdice

There have been a lot of losers in the ongoing recession. Banks, network television and luxury industries have each suffered in one way or another. It seems as though only one industry has remained recession-proof.

Fast food.

You might even say America’s most known brand is even lovin’ it. Despite the odds, McDonalds has been the real winner amid the global recession. As families tighten budgets, the McDonald’s dollar menu has certainly revealed its advantages for consumers. As Forbes explains, it’s all about value:

“I think they have a winning formula from a bottoms-up perspective,” said panelist Carol Pepper, head of Pepper International. “As a company, it is providing value for the dollar, convenience and it’s helping consumers weather the recession in the U.S.”

Sharp on the heels of the Golden Arches is an unlikely competitor: Subway. Thanks to inspired entrepreneur Stuart Frankel, his $5 footlong campaign went from local phenomenon to a national campaign. Thanks to a nearly decade old advertising campaign featuring Jared Fogel and the need to seek innovation, the $5 footlong’s snappy commerical campaign struck gold and Frankel became an unlikely hero:

Customers liked his round number, too. Instead of dealing with idle employees and weak sales, Frankel suddenly had lines out the door. Sales rose by double digits. Nobody, least of all Frankel, knew it at the time, but he had stumbled on a concept that has unexpectedly morphed from a short-term gimmick into a national phenomenon that has turbocharged Subway’s performance. “There are only a few times when a chain has been able to scramble up the whole industry, and this is one of them,” says Jeffrey T. Davis, president of restaurant consultancy Sandelman & Associates. “It’s huge.”

It’s not all sushine and bags of money for the fast food industry, though. Arby’s seems to be one of the lowest on the food chain:

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today

By geniao44446

On November 12, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for November 12th:

Gambling with the dollar by George Will in the Washington Post

Brazilian Senate suspends vote on Venezuela’s Mercosur admission from MercoPress

Obama fails to resuscitate the Middle East peace process from the Guardian

Palestine: Salvaging Fatah (Report) from the International Crisis Group

Majority vote could be used to decide on EU jobs by the Irish Times

BONUS: ‘A Referendum on This White House’: Obama’s Plan to Nationalize the Midterm Elections May Backfire by Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal

AGD: The Last 10 Years in 7 Minutes

By Logan Scisco

On November 11, 2009

In AGD

It’s been a heck of a decade, to say the least. When the new century opened up, we were worried about Y2K. Words like the iPod, Facebook and YouTube had yet to enter the cultural lexicon…or even exist for that matter. 9/11 was just a date on the calendar, Saddam Hussein was still in power and Barack Obama was still hanging out in the Illinois Senate. As the second decade of the 21st century looms, the world is a very different place.

Extempers have had a full plate over the past ten years as they grappled with the issues of the day. What is particularly striking about this is that some of these events took place while you were still watching Sesame Street in your Underoos.

Simple question to wrap this up: What big story (or stories) did Newsweek miss?

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Want to Read Today

By geniao44446

On November 11, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for November 11th:

Climate Change and Africa’s Natural Resources from Foreign Policy in Focus

Are Democrats nearing civil war over healthcare reform? from The Christian Science Monitor

Possible agency missteps debated (on Fort Hood shooting) from The Washington Post

Hamas’s Ideological Crisis from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Republicans Edge Ahead of Democrats in 2010 Vote from Gallup

HotTopics: U.S. Extemp Questions for the Week of November 10th-16th, 2009

By geniao44446

On November 11, 2009

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

HOTtopics 1. If healthcare reform fails, is Obama’s presidency doomed?
2. Should Obama get rid of “don’t ask, don’t tell”?
3. Did failures in U.S. intelligence lead to the Fort Hood shooting?
4. Should Obama have attended the Berlin Wall celebrations?
5. Are U.S. economic policies growing too hostile to private businesses?
6. Does the New York Times have an anti-Catholic bias?
7. Are government bailouts of the newspaper industry something that should be explored?
8. Is Harry Reid’s Senate seat in serious jeopardy next November?
9. Can Rajiv Shah revitalize USAID?
10. Should the Obama administration explore New Deal style public works programs in order to help America’s economic recovery?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 10th-16th, 2009

By geniao44446

On November 10, 2009

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

HOTtopics Here are your International extemp questions for the week of November 10th-16th. United States questions will be released tomorrow morning. Since there is more content on the site now, if you can’t find the questions in the future just click on the Weekly Questions category on the right column of the web page.

1. Water shortages in Venezuela: Who is to blame?
2. Who will win Uruguay’s runoff election?
3. How serious is Europe’s illegal immigration problem?
4. Does the UN’s withdrawal of workers after a Kabul attack significantly hamper the Afghan reconstruction effort?
5. Twenty years after the fall of the wall, has Western democracy finally triumphed over tyranny in Eastern Europe?
6. Should the ICC prosecute senior Kenya officials over election violence?
7. Does Chile need to reconsider its land restoration policies for its indigenous peoples?
8. Will the sacking of Michele Pierre-Louis damage Haiti’s ability to bring in foreign aid?
9. Has Netanyahu beaten Obama?
10. Does Yemen or Somalia pose a bigger terror risk for the international community?

R&D: Top 5 News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today [Berlin Wall Special]

By geniao44446

On November 10, 2009

In R&D

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall yesterday, here is a special R&D with stories that will help you gain some perspective on the fall of the wall.

November 9 Marks Highs and Lows in German History from Der Spiegel

Russian mixed feelings 20 years after Berlin from the BBC

The Guard Who Opened the Berlin Wall: ‘I Gave my People the Order — Raise the Barrier’ from Der Spiegel

Leaders in Berlin Retrace the Walk West from The New York Times

After the Berlin Wall, nostalgia for communism creeps back from The Christian Science Monitor

R&D: Top 5 News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today

By geniao44446

On November 10, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for November 10th:

Post-Depression first: Americans get more money from government than they give back from The Christian Science Monitor

Rethinking the Two State Solution from The Council on Foreign Relations

Rubio takes tougher stance from The Miami Herald
Note: This concerns the GOP primary for Florida’s Senate seat in the 2010 midterms where Rubio is running against current Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Rubio is seen as more conservative than Crist and the article describes how Rubio is taking a firm line on illegal immigration in an attempt to win the primary.

Highest unemployment rate in 26 years: Obama’s jobs challenge from The Christian Science Monitor

Mrs. Kirchner blames opposition and the press for social unrest feeling from MercoPress
Note: This story also has links to other stories concerning Argentina’s relations to media outlets.

Month: November 2009 Page 3 of 5