Derek Wallbank
From the unofficial Duke TIP Wiki
Derek Wallbank was a Tip-ster who made a name for himself by advocating all manner of curious schemes as a solution for various world problems, most notably insisting on interplanetary colonization as a solution to overpopulation.
His foremost accomplishment at TIP may have been when he convinced Mark Harvey's International Relations class (see International Relations 1999, Session I), during a UN Security Council simulation, to formally recognize the Palestinian Authority (himself) and give him voting rights in the Security Council.
Wallbank attended TIP in 1996 at Appalachian State University, before becoming enamored with the University of Kansas during two non-consecutive years (1997 and 1999).
Wallbank was a skilled debator (he would go on to found his High School's Debate team), who eagerly embraced the role of devil's advocate and most pseudo-Machiavellian wild-eyed schemes that would see him rise to power. Never shying frm a debate, he famously feuded with Kitty Robinson and two future TA's, Catharine Parnell and Courtney Kasun.
Kitty, TIP's resident "bleeding heart", clashed with Wallbank over most of Wallbank's "Damn the prols" schemes. Wallbank told his (few) allies that he was out to "put a band-aid on the bleeding heart", though his post-TIP life saw him shift away from megolomaniacal schemes and embrace most of Kitty's pro-little guy philosophies. (Wierd how life works, huh?)
Courtney Kasun had perhaps the most success against Derek (that he admitted, anyway). Her quiet, reserved manner was certainly not the kind of style he was comfortable battling, and, to this day, Wallbank can't remember a TIP argument he beat Courtney in. Toward the end of the program, he shifted strategies to trying to get her on his side -- which met with mixed results.
Catharine Parnell would prove Wallbank's most prolific nemesis. It started when Wallbank arrived and, during the first Saturday dance, while slow dancing together, remarked that "there could be some trouble because (he) heard there was an Irish girl in the class, and (he is) English". Cait was the Irish girl, and when she told him so, he simply replied "Damn it." The two would have many epic battles, though each ended with much mutual respect and little agreement.
Though mellowing into a far more moderate political stance, Wallbank's post-TIP career has continued to see flashes of his former years. In High School, he elected himself President-for-life of the chess club, and required all joining members to ratify a constitution which said just that. Later, while attending Michigan State University, he got himself elected President of the nation's largest on-campus student government. Wallbank now works as a Capitol Reporter in Lansing, Michigan, and is mulling his long-term future with the person he considers his "perfect foil" -- the first girl he's found that will tolerate all his antics.
