Michigan

In conjunction with MSCI's willingness to look at focusing events down to a fall event, I would also like to engage in dialog about how MSCI and MIFA can cooperate on projects. Can we, for example, co-host some new or replacement events?

My immediate idea is that since the Free Press pulled out of John S. Knight as a sponsor, perhaps this leaves us open to co-sponsoring a debate scholarship series, or event. I don't mean to put the old JSK model back to work with MSCI and MIFA money. I mean can we re-invent the way we look at this event and this process and co-host? I think by both organizations using their creative collection of brains, we can come up with a great new event suited to 21st Century debate. And when the scholarships are awarded by both organizations, it adds a degree of credibility to the award.

Thoughts? And please, don't immediately refer this to a committee. This is radical stuff. It needs wind-work by as many people as possible before we go to committee.

Steve-
I agree that JSK in some form needs saving. It was tremendously valuable and a great honor for our PNHS debaters in old format. It also meant some money for the students which is not a bad thing in any economy given college costs. It seems to me that with so few policy debaters now and that format possibly disappearing in the near future, the JSK new format would need to include the legislative debaters or L-D (if that format is ever given a chance.) Donors could come from sources that might exist at the corporate level but also from some former debaters, turned business people presently or lawyers, doctors, etc. Again, we need to tap those that were touched by the JSK competition and felt its importance and need for renewal.
Mench

Absolutely. More awards is a good idea. All of debate might go a way toward saving some of debate.

Once more with the MIFA hat on. Thank you to MIFA and this board of directors for making a generous gift of $1000 available for MIFA to continue to fund trophies for the middle level tournaments. It is deeply appreciated by me, by MIFA and by the kids at the middle level tournaments.

I'll start thinking about the JSK MSCI/MIFA thing. I think it's a good idea and that the two organizations should have been working cooperatively for years.