Debater Finds Inspiration from Donor's Advice

Debate team member and scholarship recipient Michael Eisenstadt is traveling the country and enriching his educational experience through the Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum. Eisenstadt first became interested in debate in high school, and has been on a competitive debate team since his freshman year in high school.

"It is really motivating and it applies to everything you do because of the research and literature basis you use to prepare for debates," said Eisenstadt. "It's a fun way of learning about things that you would be learning about in the classroom."

Debate is also very competitive. Eisenstadt has travelled across the country with the debate team. In his freshman year, the team competed in about 100 debates throughout the year. Harvard, Wake Forest, University of California-Berkeley, and University of Texas at Austin are just a few of the university campuses the team travelled to for competitions.

The debate program follows a competitive policy debate format to focus on one year-long topic. In 2007-08, the topic was constructive engagement with the Middle East. Eisenstadt said that his favorite part about this topic was debating about Iran and the development of the nuclear program.

The Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum provides for travel costs, materials, and scholarship support for the debate team through an endowment from the forum's namesake. Eisenstadt, as a recipient of the debate forum scholarship, receives financial assistance with his tution and books.

"It's important that I have a scholarship to get an education," said Eisenstadt. He hopes to use his debate skills as he continues his educational and career goals, with designs on law school and a subsequent career as an attorney or judge.

Eisenstadt and members of the team have had the opportunity to meet with Berman several times during the last year.

"Dr. Berman is very interesting and has a lot of stories to tell that are applicable to what we all do in school," said Eisenstadt. "He's good at applying his stories to real life advice about how to be successful."

Eisenstadt says that he's happy he selected UNLV for his college education because of the debate program. Since much of the program's travel and activities are provided by the gift from Dr. Berman, there are many opportunities for students.

"It's been a good educational experience because of the unique opportunities our debate team offers," said Eisenstadt. "If someone is looking to debate in college, UNLV is definitely the place to go because of the program and the chance for success we have."