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Coaches
Assistant Joe Battocletti, DoD Jake Thompson, Assistant Justin Eckstein
Jacob “Jake” Thompson
Dr. JakeThompson, Ph.D.
Director, Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum
Assistant Professor In Residence
Greenspun College of Urban Affairs
Department of Communication Studies
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway Box 45052
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4502
jacob.thompson@unlv.edu
office (702) 895-3474
fax (702) 895-4805
cell (702) 809-9670
I debated at Wayne State University (B.A.,1999), where I learned the value of a great coaching staff, a personal dedication to hard work, and the transformative power of practice. While debating for Wayne State, I competed in the elimination rounds of the NDT and several major national tournaments. After debating at Wayne State, I worked for five years as an assistant debate coach at the University of Kansas, where I also completed my M.A. and Ph.D. (2006). Working at Kansas reinforced my lessons from Wayne State, but also gave me unique insight into argument and coaching strategy. I worked for three year as the Director of Forensics at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). In 2005 I coached the UNI debate team to be ranked as the Most Improved University Debate Team in America.
In my new position as the Director of Debate at UNLV, I predict great success for our program in the future. I have been focusing on fund raising and recruiting that will allow us to bring some of the best and brightest debaters to compete for our program. The UNLV Debate Program is quickly becoming one of the best in the nation. Our ultimate goal is to be consistently ranked as one of the top ten debate programs in America, and to win a national championship (or several of them). Generally speaking, my scholarly interests lie in the area of argumentation and U.S. foreign policy rhetoric. Overall, with the help of the rest of our amazing coaching staff, I hope to make UNLV into one of the most competitive debate programs in the nation.
Joseph Battocletti
I've been in policy debate since high school in the 1990's in my hometown of Beverly Hills, MI. I attended Wayne State University in Detroit, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Romance Languages. While debating at Wayne State Univeristy, I was in the elimination rounds of several tournaments and was a two-time qualifier for the NDT.
It's a great pleasure to work with the UNLV debate program. I have nothing but the highest hopes for the squad. While coaching, I am pursuing a Master's Degree in Communication Studies.
There is nothing like being on the forefront of research when a major story begins to break. Even after all these years, I feel the same excitement as the first day I began researching. The change in the tools at our disposable has been incredible, from old-time print magazines and newspapers on index cards to high speed internet and digital evidence. Still, my favorite technology is the old-fashioned book. Reading is my favorite pastime, so whenever I have the opportunity, I can be found with the latest Sue Grafton novel (one of my favorite guilty pleasures)...
Justin Eckstein
I debated for 4 years in Lincoln Douglas debate at La Cueva high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During my high school career I was very successful debating at the top round robins in the country and even placing in some, as well as going to out rounds at many national tournaments. After my stint in high school I went to the University of Denver where I studied International Relations (with a focus in Military Strategic Studies, Global Political Economy, and Israel) and Rhetoric. I also debated in NDT/CEDA for 3 years while at DU. During my tenor at DU, I was in the bubble round of almost every national tournament as well as clearing at some of them.
Additionally, I cleared at the CEDA National Championship Tournament, and was the first debater since the 80s to go to the NDT from DU (I went twice, one year with a freshman), as well as winning various speaker awards. My senior year I was in a 5 way tie for 17th speaker at CEDA nationals out of a field of more than 400 debaters. I liked to run a variety of arguments, which reflects my mantra do whatever is fun and gets the “W.” However, some of my favorite arguments are the Kritik and Politics. Outside of the debate world I enjoy short fiction, philosophy, and poker.
Grace Saez
Grace Saez is an assistant coach for the Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum. A recent graduate of Gonzaga University, Grace competed at the national level in CEDA/NDT style debate throughout college. Grace competed at the Kentucky Round Robin, qualified for and cleared at the NDT twice, as well being in the doubles at CEDA, quarters at Wake, winning the NW CEDA Champs, and participating in numerous other outrounds.
Ian Beier