DLS Defeats Phi Kappa for Fourth Straight Year

April 10th, 2003

This year, Demosthenian has done something unheard of since the annual Demosthenian/Phi Kappa Intersociety debate was renewed in 1991.

DLS has notched a victory for the fourth straight year. Previously, the record for consecutive victories was three, until Demosthenian topped itself.

This year, the topic was picked by the Phi Kappans, "Be it Resolved: The commonweal is better served by direct democracy than representative democracy." The DLS chose to oppose the resolution. In front of a three person faculty committee, the debate was argued, and a 2-0-1 decision was delivered in the Demosthenians' favor.

Each year, the two societies have agreed to debate one another. According to the terms of the treaty between the two, Phi Kappa picks the topic in odd years, while Demosthenian picks the side, with the opposite occurring in even years.

The DLS was represented at the debate by senior Mary Webb, the team captain, senior Justin Pitts, sophomore David Smith, freshman Sherrie Hines, and team alternate Jennifer Skrmetti, a junior.

The debate was judged by Associate Professor Susan Haire, from Political Science, Associate Professor Alan Godlas, from Religion, and Associate Professor, and Visiting Fellow J Wayne Jones.

The debates were restarted in 1991 in response to the emergence of the latest incarnation of Demosthenian's traditional rivals, the Phi Kappa Literary Society. Overall, the series stands at 7-4 in Demosthenian's favor, including Phi Kappa's 1994 forfeit. No debate was held in 1998.