WNDI Staff

Outstanding Staff

The below is a tentative list of our staff for the 2010 WNDI.
We will add staff as necessary to ensure that you are placed in small labs—4 to 8 people—where you work one-on-one with our staff.

Click to go to the staff you want to view:

Head Staff 1

Policy Scholars Staff 2

Head Staff
	Jim Hanson directs one of the nation’s most successful programs, home to a four year record as the nation’s top policy and parli combined squad, and director of teams in elims at all four 2009 debate nationals. He edits the West Coast handbooks, and he makes the camp run smoothly. (Director) hansonjb@whitman.edu		Will Gent is the Head Camp Assistant. He has been in elimination rounds at the WNPT and CEDA Nationals. Will will be assisting Jim with the camp setup including lab assignment, printing, and van shuttles.
	Nigel Leslie-Ramoz is in charge of mail delivery. He also helps Jim get into contact with campers. He also assists Rob in case any campers fail to show up for their labs. He is also ready to assist students with their needs.		Nick Griffin is a Camp Assistant. He placed 17^th at both CEDA Nationals and at NPDA Nationals. His great communication skills serve him well as he helps Jim with the setup of the camp including van shuttles, printing, and lab assignments. He is also leading a policy lab. griffinj@whitman.edu
Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page Policy Scholars Staff
	Ben Meiches, for two years was the UPS assistant policy coach, is the 2003 NFL National Champion in Policy Debate. In college, Ben won Pepperdine and NW CEDA Champs. He advanced to elims at Gonzaga, Kentucky, Wake Forest, USC, Berkeley, Northwestern, Texas, and Fullerton. He was a CEDA Nationals Quarterfinalist and an NDT Octafinalist. He received honors in Politics at Whitman. He is well known for his kritikal arguments especially Zizek and Agamben. meicheba@whtiman.edu (week 1 and 2)		Matt Schissler is a Washington State Champion in Policy debate. In college, he won the Pepperdine, Gonzaga and NW CEDA Champs tournaments and was in elims at Kentucky, Wake Forest, USC, Fullerton, Berkeley, Texas, the NDT, and CEDA Nationals. He won a First Round Bid to the NDT twice and was in quarters at CEDA Nats. He received honors in both Politics and Rhetoric at Whitman. He loves space, growth, heg, and trade arguments. schissmj@whitman.edu
			Eric Chalfant is the coach of an NDT First Round Team and 5 CEDA Elim participants. He has been in elimination rounds at CEDA Nationals, Gonzaga, Pepperdine, Fullerton, CEDA Nationals, and Heart of America. He was top speaker at the Washington state tournament. He competed for 8 years and this will be his fourth WNDI. He received honors in his religion major. He likes disadvantages, theory, topicality, and counterplans. Eric works in the policy scholars lab and was an assistant coach of Whitman’s policy debate teams. chalfaer@whitman.edu
Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page Policy Staff
	Paul Montreiul was a first round to the NDT as a sophomore. He was in finals at USC and semis at Harvard. He was in octas at CEDA Nationals and was in elimination rounds at the NDT. He competed in Idaho for four years in high school and he is currently pursuing an education degree at Idaho State University. He enjoys topicality arguments, Agamben and Neitzche.		Allison Humble was in finals at the Washington state championship, was in elims at UNLV and the WNPT, and went to NFL nationals twice. She was also a WNDI Scholar. She advanced to elims at CEDA Nationals. An outstanding student, she won the science department award at Gig Harbor, and qualified for the International Science Fair. She likes politics, counterplans and warming.
	Nate Cohn was in doubles at the NDT, quarters at CEDA Nationals, semis at Frosh-Sophomore Nationals, Octas at Kentucky and Wake Forest, and semis at Georgia State. In high school, Nate was a Washington State Champion, TOC qualifier, three time NFL qualifier, and placed 16th at NFL Nationals. Nate has worked on several political campaigns and likes case debates, well researched counterplans, and politics disadvantages. ndcohn@gmail.com		Daniel Straus was in doubles at the NDT, quarters at CEDA Nationals, semis at Frosh-Sophomore Nationals, elims at Kentucky and Wake Forest, as well as semis at George State. In high school, Daniel was a 2 time Virginia State Champion and participated in out rounds of Wake Forest, Ohio Valley, Lexington, Harvard, and every local tournament he attended. Winner of a Penrose scholarship at Whitman College, Daniel likes the affirmative and politics disadvantages. Oracl3@gmail.com
	Mike Meredith, was a Whitman assistant coach, has been in elimination rounds at every national tournament including Gonzaga, Kentucky, Pepperdine, Wake Forest, USC, Fullerton, and Berkeley plus he has been in elims at CEDA Nationals three times. He is the recipient of the prestigious Al Bihn award for communication in journalism. He received honors in his sociology major. He competed for 8 years and has part time coached at Bellarmine High School for three years. He likes process counterplans, PICs, and generic disadvantages. meredimw@whitman.edu		Tony Johnson has been involved in debate for 8 years. Currently debating at the University of Wyoming, he was a finalist at the 2008 UNLV Round Robin, where he also appeared in semifinals of the invitational. He has appeared in elimination rounds at several national tournaments, including; CEDA Nationals, Cal Fullerton, Gonzaga, the Val Browning Round Robin, and has qualified for the NDT. He won the 2007 University of Wyoming essay contest for a paper he wrote on American detention camps and is currently a double major in Political Science & Communication. He really enjoys good topicality debates and topic specific criticisms.
		Brian Cole received 10 TOC bids and won several national TOC big tournaments in high school. In college, he has already been in the frosh-sophomore breakout at Wake Forest, octas at UNLV, and quarters at ISU. He also was the second best performing frosh team at the NDT. Academically, he won his high school’s senior history student award and was an honor graduate. His favorite arguments include topic specific disads, prolif, overpopulation, ecology, and politics.		Anjali Vats was in the elimination rounds of Northwestern, USC, and Fullerton and finals of Wayne State. She was in the octas of CEDA Nationals and doubles at the NDT. She has coached for Michigan State, Kansas, Whitman, and Berkeley. She worked for years at the Spartan Debate Institute at MSU and currently, she is an assistant coach for UC-Berkeley. Her favorite arguments are case specific counterplans and net benefits but she also enjoys critical arguments.

	Luke Sanford won award after award in Colorado and was in late elims at NFL Nationals. He competed for six years and coached for two. Exceptionally smart, he won the Pepperdine tournament, took second at USC, was a semi-finalist at the WNPT, was in octas at Berkeley, and advanced to quarterfinals at CEDA Nats twice. He was a national merit scholar finalist. He likes disad-counterplan debate best, and his favorite impact debates are space, growth, nano, and cap. sanforlc@whitman.edu		Tom Friedenbach has won trophies at Idaho State and Lewis and Clark. He also was in finals at his state tournament. He was in finals at the University of Southern California. A former WNDI Scholar, he is an outstanding researcher. Tom really likes arguments on foreign relations and in-depth economic issues.

		Nick Griffin broke at every tournament his junior year, had a winning record at every tournament his junior and senior year. He graduated in the top 10% of his class while competing for four years at Gig Harbor high school. He worked at the WNDI last year. Currently debating for Whitman College, he won the WNPT, was in elims at UNLV, and has been in elims at CEDA Nationals two out of two times. He is studying environmental politics and international relations and enjoys counterplans, Malthus, and hegemony arguments. griffinj@whitman.edu		Alex Zendeh was the winner and top speaker at the Lakeland tournament; he won the Bronx Science tournament; and he was 8^th speaker at the Harvard tournament. In college, he placed 17^th at CEDA Nationals, qualified for the NDT as a frosh, and went 5-3 at Northwestern, his frosh year. Academically, he is interested in historical analysis and philosophy. He enjoys a wide diversity of arguments. zendeh44@yahoo.com
Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page LD Staff
	James Culver competed for four years at Mercer Island High School and attended Wheaton College of Massachusetts. He had an extraordinarily successful Lincoln-Douglas career including winning 4 TOC bids his senior year with showings of first place at Whitman, Alta, second at Auburn and a semi-finalist at the University of California-Berkeley invitational. He also advanced to elimination rounds at NFL Nationals, won the Mount Vernon round robin and placed 2nd at the Washington state tournament. He enjoys more traditional argumentation.		Joe Allen received speaker awards at every tournament attended for 2 seasons, including the Berkeley national invitational, the Alta national invitational, the Whitman national invitational, and received top speaker at the prestigious South Eugene Round Robin. He received the "Orv Iverson Award" his frosh year and debated for Western Kentucky University, where he and his partner were ranked as the #5 parli debate team in the nation. He advanced to semis at the 2009 NPDA, NPTE, and LD National Championship tournaments. He likes capitalism, hegemony, and deep ecology arguments.
	Adam McKibben was a successful high school debater who has put his skills, honed at the WNDI, to good use in college. Adam was in finals at the USC tournament, along with Idaho State and the WNPT. He has a solid background in research and provides good training for campers.		Katie Bergus was a triple octofinalist and the 21st speaker at Berkeley. She won third place and seventh speaker at UPS; first place and first speaker at PLU; first place and first speaker at State. She qualified to NFL Nationals 3 consecutive years and to the NDCA this year. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Scholar. She likes traditional arguments that are nuanced. She debated fairly technically in high school and loves good impact analysis and weighing. She is also a pretty big fan of Habermas.
	Brie Coyle finished 10^th in the nation at the NPTE after winning multiple awards as a college debater including second at Reed and semis at the University of Utah. She was the 2007 recipient of the Robert Fluno Politics research grant. She has worked with Shampa Biswas, internationally known scholar, with her upcoming book. She presented at the 2008 National Council on Public History Conference in Kentucky. Her paper was about place-consciousness and was titled "(re)presentations of place and history in the Walla Walla Valley." Brie’s favorite arguments include: Feminism and gender theory in all its varieties, Liberalism (shocking, I know)—including social contract theory, just war theory, rights and jurisprudence arguments. Her academic specialties include gender theory, and globalization. coylebm@whitman.edu

Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page Public Forum Staff
	Mike Meredith is one of the finest Public Debaters Whitman has ever had. Winner of the prestigious Winston Cup and the Exchange Club Presidential Public Debate, he assisted Jim in writing Jim’s Public Forum Textbook. Mike has been in elimination rounds at every national tournament for the past year including Gonzaga, Kentucky, Pepperdine, Wake Forest, USC, Fullerton, and Berkeley plus he has been in elims at CEDA Nationals twice. He is the recipient of the prestigious Al Bihn award for communication in journalism. He is majoring in psychology and sociology. He has competed for 8 years and has part time coached at Bellarmine High School for three years. He likes process counterplans, PICs, and generic disadvantages. meredimw@whitman.edu		Nigel Leslie-Ramoz has a zany sense of humor and has been an incredibly successful Whitman debater advancing to late elimination rounds at UPS, Lewis and Clark, Whitman, and WWU, PLU, NPDA Nationals, and Nevada Reno. He has a real knack for persuasive and very energetic bursts of oratory. He will give you a great base upon which to build your argument skills as a Public Forum debater.
	Allison Humble understanding excellent presentation skills. She was in finals at the Washington state championship, was in elims at UNLV and the WNPT, and went to NFL nationals twice. She advanced to elims at CEDA Nationals. An outstanding student, she won the science department award at Gig Harbor, and qualified for the International Science Fair. She enjoys current event issues.		Joe Allen received speaker awards at every tournament attended for 2 seasons, including the Berkeley national invitational, the Alta national invitational, the Whitman national invitational, and received top speaker at the prestigious South Eugene Round Robin. He received the "Orv Iverson Award" his frosh year and debated for Western Kentucky University, where he and his partner were ranked as the #5 parli debate team in the nation. He advanced to semis at the 2009 NPDA, NPTE, and LD National Championship tournaments. He has outstanding argument skills that will make you a better debater.
	Brie Coyle finished 10^th in the nation at the NPTE after winning multiple awards as a college debater including second at Reed and semis at the University of Utah. She was the 2007 recipient of the Robert Fluno Politics research grant. She has worked with Shampa Biswas, internationally known scholar, with her upcoming book. She presented at the 2008 National Council on Public History Conference in Kentucky. Her paper was about place-consciousness and was titled "(re)presentations of place and history in the Walla Walla Valley." Her academic specialties include gender theory, and globalization. coylebm@whitman.edu		Alex Zendeh was the winner and top speaker at the Lakeland tournament; he won the Bronx Science tournament; and he was 8^th speaker at the Harvard tournament. In college, he placed 17^th at CEDA Nationals, qualified for the NDT as a frosh, and went 5-3 at Northwestern, his frosh year. Academically, he is interested in historical analysis and philosophy. He enjoys a wide diversity of arguments and is eager to instruct students in the Public Forum format. zendeh44@yahoo.com


Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page Life Duties Staff All Staff members participate in Residence Hall Duties.
	Nigel Leslie-Ramoz is in charge of mail delivery. He also helps Jim get into contact with campers. He also assists Rob in case any campers fail to show up for their labs. He is also ready to assist students with their needs.		Matt Schissler helps with lunch monitoring. He knows the ins and outs of the camp and how to keep campers safe and out of trouble. schissmj@whitman.edu All staff members help out with dinner, morning, and evening monitoring duties. We want to make sure students remain safe—the way they have for the past 9 years.

	Allison Humble is an outstanding student, won the science department award at Gig Harbor, and qualified for the International Science Fair. She will assist in monitoring students in the residence halls.

We will add staff to ensure individual attention at our camp.

Click Here to go to WNDI Main Page