THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 24, 1994 TAG: 9406230150
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940624 LENGTH: Medium
Using the Lorena Bobbitt case as an example, Kronenthal worries that defendants will be allowed to beg off their responsibility for criminal behavior by claiming they didn't know what they were doing. He argues persuasively for maintaining legal standards, not encouraging psychological excuses.
{REST} With equal zeal, Mazur counters Kronenthal's argument. She points out that a civilized society should not convict people who are incapable of rational action.
Mazur and Kronenthal disagree strongly, but they are not disagreeable.
They are part of the seven-member First Colonial High School Forensic Debate Team.
The team captured seven of the 11 positions on the regional team that traveled this week to Kansas City, Mo., for the Forensics League National Conference. The competition - the 27th this year for the First Colonial debaters - ends Friday. (Two other Virginia Beach debaters, Chad Honeycutt of Princess Anne High School and Michael Gentry of Tallwood High School, also are representing the region in the national contest involving more than 200 high school debaters.)
The strength of First Colonial's team is particularly impressive considering the geographical area represented by the regional team.
``The region extends from Richmond to Virginia Beach,'' said Mary Sue Crommelin, English and public speech teacher at First Colonial. Crommelin has coached the debaters for 11 years, while Juanita Felton serves as assistant coach.
Crommelin said the term ``forensics'' is commonly misunderstood, sometimes humorously.
``We arrived in Philadelphia once for a competition and the cab driver was told the students were in forensics. He seemed surprised and said, `Oh, you start them fairly young, I guess.' ''
The cab driver's misconception is shared by many who mistake debate for forensic pathology, a branch of medical science which investigates causes of death.
``Forensics is an umbrella term,'' said Crommelin. ``There are several aspects to the competition: student congress, original oratory, policy debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate.''
To help prepare them for the Kansas City competition, the debaters met earlier this month in the high school auditorium for a presentation.
With Michael Kurz moderating, Kronenthal and Mazur debated forcefully, yet without rancor or shouts. Their debate forum, student congress, uses the methods of legislative bodies in writing and arguing for passage of laws.
When their debate ended, Kari Wilson and Jordan Cross offered a look at policy debate.
They pushed a cart laden with five plastic containers, each one holding a batch of accordion files. The files contain newspaper clippings and other published work on current topics, such as health-care and environmental concerns, Wilson told the gathering of teachers, family and friends.
The files must be comprehensive, Cross added, since debaters may be called upon to advocate, defend or argue against any of the topics. Emphasis is given to proposed solutions and critical analysis of policy issues, he said.
During the Lincoln-Douglas debate segment, Colin Miller espoused the belief that the protection of the innocent is of greater importance than the prosecution of the guilty.
Patterned after the famous debates of 1858 between the two political candidates, a Lincoln-Douglas re-enactment will be part of CSPN's 15th anniversary celebration later this year, Crommelin told the audience.
While the student congress, policy debate and Lincoln-Douglas debates are written, shaped and practiced, the original oratory segment is not.
And so Heidi Giroux took the stage to deliver a witty and compelling extemporaneous speech about one of modern America's favorite pastimes: negativity and whining.
``There is a difference between an inconvenience and a problem,'' Giroux said. ``Not having everything one wants is inconvenient; not having food, shelter, medical care . . . those are problems.
``There is a difference between a lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat and a lump in the breast,'' she said. by CNB