March 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:Megan Overman, Public Information Officer
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District
817-251-5503

Grapevine High School to host Japanese National Debate Team

Grapevine High School Debate students , in cooperation with the National Communication Association, will host a public debate with representatives of the Japanese National Debate Team on March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre on Main Street in Grapevine.

Founded in 1914, the National Communication Association (NCA) is the oldest and largest national organization serving the academic discipline of Communication. The mission of NCA is “to promote the study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of the artistic, humanistic and scientific principles of communication.”

The National Communication Association hosts members of the Japanese National Debate team each spring. The purpose is to promote international understanding and cooperation through public debates and discussions. Through the initiative of Jason Sykes, associate director of debate at Grapevine High School, the school was the first high school to ever host these debaters in 2006.

Colleges and universities on the Japanese guest itinerary are:
Rio Hondo College, CA
Annenberg School of Communication, USC, CA
University of Nevada, NV
Emporia State University, KS
Samford University, AL
James Madison University, VA
University of Texas at Tyler, TX

The representatives of the Japanese team will be in the United States from February 24-March 17, arriving in DFW on March 9 and leaving on March 13. During that time they will be hosted by families of the debate students at Grapevine High School and Highland Park High School, touring Dallas and Fort Worth on separate days.

The Japanese guests will be:

• Akira Murakami, 23, who lives in Tokyo and is studying in the Graduate School of Area and Cultural Studies in Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. As an undergraduate student of Sophia University, he participated in more than 10 debating tournaments in Japan. He won the 2nd prize in KUEL (Kanto Universities’ ESS League) Tournament in 2005. He was been contributing member of the Japanese debating community, working as an organizing committee member of several debate tournaments and as a member of proposition selection committee.
• Tomonori Tasaki, 21, lives in Fukuoka and is a student of English Department at University of Kitakyushu. He is currently a member of English Speaking Society of the Kitakyushu University. He won the 1st prize in SEED (Sophomore Educational Exchange Debate) in 2005 and Fukuoka Intercollegiate Debate League in 2006. From May 2007 to November, he went to Australia and taught Japanese to Australian students.

The Grapevine High School participants are:

• William Hix, senior, has qualified for the Texas Forensic Association State tournament for three years and placed in the top 16 of 300 at the Harvard University Invitational where he was also named the 3rd speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate. William is also the president of the Grapevine High School Debate team.
• Leslie Berntsen, senior, has qualified for the Texas Forensic Association State tournament for two years, as well as for the National Tournament of Champions held at the University of Kentucky in May for two years. She is involved in many activities and is the Student Congress Captain of the Grapevine Debate Team.

"Hosting the Japanese National Debate team is such an honor for the Grapevine Debate team.
It presents a unique and wonderful opportunity to meet people from other cultures who are also involved in debate. This also offers our students a showcase to the public in a debate of great interest and significance,” said Jane Boyd, director of Forensics at Grapevine High School.

The topic of the public debate will be “The death penalty should be abolished.” A member of the Japanese team will debate with a member of the Grapevine team. One side will take the affirmative agreeing with the resolution and the other side will take the negative which disagrees with the resolution.

Tickets are on sale for $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Following the debate, a reception hosted by the Grapevine HS Debate Booster Club, in the Lancaster Theatre.. Tickets may be purchased from any Grapevine HS Debater or by calling: 817-251-5248 or emailing: jane.boyd@gcisd.net.