Greetings, past and present members of the Brooks Quimby Debate Council. My name is Jan Hovden, and I am the new Director of Debate at Bates. I am excited about the prospect of working with the team to both continue and improve upon Bates' long history of success.

I come to Bates from the University of Kansas, and I have been coaching debate since 1994. While my background is in policy debate, I have been eagerly learning the details of parliamentary style debate. I have a passion for argumentation and love working with students to develop their intellectual and competitive potential. I anticipate much success for the team as the year progresses.

However, competitive success isn't the only reason students join the debate team. They also recognize that debate provides a unique educational experience
that prepares them for future careers and civic engagement. As debate alumni, I'm sure that you recognize the ways in which your experiences with debate have helped you attain the goals that you have reached in your lifetime. I hope to start a new alumni initiative that capitalizes on this recognition. I want to create partnerships with alumni to facilitate networking to the mutual benefit of the debaters and Brooks Quimby alumni. Specifically, I would like to create a system wherein alumni who have a need for employees or interns can let us know so that current or recently graduated debaters can become aware of those opportunities. If you think you would like to participate in this program or would like more details, please email me at jhovden@bates.edu. Please provide information about any potential listings you might have and who the appropriate contact person is. As this program is further developed, you will receive more information about it.

Alumni support is critical for any program at a college, and the Brooks Quimby Debate Council is no exception. Thank you all for the moral and financial support that you have provided the team over the years, as it is central to the success of the program. I look forward to working with all of you to both continue and better develop this relationship.