Bates College: Difference between revisions

Arguably the most well-known student organization at Bates is the [[Brooks Quimby Debate Council]], due to endowment allocation, relative participation rate, awards and historical significance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bates.edu/debate/|title=Brooks Quimby Debate Council {{!}} Bates College |website=www.bates.edu|date=17 December 2013 |access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref> The formation of the team predates the establishment of the college itself as the debate society was founded within the [[Maine State Seminary]] making it the oldest coeducational college debate society in the United States. It was headed by Bates alumnus and teacher [[Brooks Quimby]] and became the first intercollegiate international debate team in the United States.<ref name=":42" /> The Quimby Debate Society has been noted as "America's most prestigious debating society,"<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Burns|first=John F.|date=November 27, 2007|title=Oxford Union girds for far-right debate Protesters vow 'anti- fascist' rally|journal=International Herald Tribune|pages=1}}</ref> and the "playground of the powerful."<ref name=":422">{{Cite book|title=Bates Through the Years: an Illustrated History|last=Clark|first=Charles E.|publisher=Bates College, Lewiston, Maine|year=2005|location=Edmund Muskie Archives|page=37|quote=Oxford's Union has been historical characterized as the playground of the powerful, but with the mounting power the alumni of Brooks have accumulated it is clear to see the society is the playground of the powerful in the states.}}</ref> During the 1930s, the debate society was subject to 'The Quimby Institute' which pitted each and every debate student against Brooks Quimby himself. This is where he began to engage heated debate with them that stressed "flawless assertions" and resulted in every error made by the student to be carefully scrutinized and teased.<ref name=":42" /> Bates has an annual and traditional debate with [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[Dartmouth College]]. It competes in the [[American Parliamentary Debate Association]] domestically, and competes in the [[World Universities Debating Championship]]s, internationally. The debate council was ranked 5th nationally in 2013, the year prior year ranking 9th in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bates.edu/news/2012/02/29/bates-debate-global-ranking/|title=Bates debate hits No. 9 in global ranking|last=Burns|first=Jay|date=February 29, 2012|website=www.bates.edu|access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bates.edu/news/2013/10/31/bates-debate-rank-fifth-nation/|title=Bates debate ranks fifth in nation, including key win at Yale Inter-Varsity Tournament|last=VanDerburgh|first=Barbara|date=October 31, 2013|website=www.bates.edu|access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref>