THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030090
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
LIKE A STAR ATHLETE, Heather Holter was wooed to college with a healthy scholarship.
At school, she spends up to 20 hours a week preparing for matches, which take her to places like Chicago and Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
But she's not a regular on the track or in the weight room. Most of her preparation is in academic buildings, and her most serious injuries are bouts of mental exhaustion.
Holter is on Liberty University's debate team, which is having a good year. Liberty, which is in Lynchburg, is ranked first in the country, eclipsing the likes of Harvard and Northwestern.
``I'm excited, but it does put pressure on us,'' said Holter, a 20-year-old sophomore from Virginia Beach who's the only local member of Liberty's 20-student team. ``We have to keep doing well. It's a fun thing, but a little scary.
``I've been working hard over break. I hope everyone else has, too.''
She credits Liberty's good showing to the team's work ethic (``people spend hours at the U.Va. library just to do research'') and coach, Brett O'Donnell, an assistant communications professor.
Liberty being a Christian college doesn't hurt, either, she said. ``I think the grace of God has a lot to do with it, too.''
Even off-hours, Holter sounds like a debater. She always seems poised, speaks lightning-quick and carefully numbers her answers to questions (``First. . . second. . . third'').
``Debaters always number things,'' she admitted.
What makes a good debater?
First, she said, ``You have to have a quick mind.''
Second, ``You have to view issues from different angles; you have to debate the affirmative and negative side of things''
Third, ``You have to be an aggressive, almost an intense person.''
Fourth, you have to be willing to put in the hours in the library to bone up on your subject.
Holter started debating as an eighth-grader at Kempsville Junior High School. By the time she graduated from Tallwood High School in 1993, she was ranked second in the state.
Holter was thinking of attending the College of William and Mary or Wheaton College in Illinois. But she learned about Liberty's team and quickly received a scholarship offer from O'Donnell. Holter said the school doesn't allow her to specify the amount, but O'Donnell says it's generous.
Holter is on the junior varsity team and will probably reach varsity by the next school year. The scores of both teams are computed to tally a university's results at a tournament.
Each year, one subject is selected for universities to debate. Last year's topic was whether the powers of the commander-in-chief should be limited; this year's is whether regulations on prison sentencing should be changed.
At tournaments, which last up to two hours, students have to be prepared to take either side and to quickly piece apart their opponents' ideas. Participants usually must give four speeches - a combination of proposals, rebuttals and cross-examinations.
A few years ago, the students had to argue both sides of the abortion issue. Though they leaned on the conservative side, it was a good experience, said O'Donnell, himself a 1986 graduate of Liberty.
``Arguing on both sides of the issue makes us better aware of both sides of the issues, so we know how to defend our beliefs better than most individuals,'' he said.
The way Holter sees it, ``It's an educational tool. If I was a politician and people had to vote for me, it would be a lot different. But the debate has no effect outside.''
Holter has thought about politics herself. She's majoring in English, minoring in Spanish. She wants to go on to law school and, when she's home, occasionally she helps out at Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice.
Robertson, in fact, is her role model.
``He has definite viewpoints, but he looks at both sides of an issue,'' Holter said. ``I don't see him as stuck in one rut. As a debater, I respect that.''
She shouldn't have trouble getting into law school: She's got a 3.85 grade-point average out of a possible 4. Although membership on other types of teams can hurt students in academics, Holter says debating helps.
``Debate teaches you what is an issue, how to solve it. It teaches you how to structure your thoughts, how to make an effective argument. Research papers were so much easier for me in college.''
On Liberty's debate team, the arguments go on after the tournament is over. They can be about religion, politics, even movies.
Holter remembers one last year about the Oliver Stone film ``Natural Born Killers.'' The question: Whether movies like that are inherently bad because of the violence they portray, as Holter argued, or whether they could provide a positive message?
``We must have had those arguments two hours at a time for a couple of days,'' she said.
Neither side won. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Heather Holter, who is a sophomore at Liberty University, spends 20
hours a week preparing for debate matches.
by CNB