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21 January 2011

Application Deadline Nears

HWS / IDEA Round Robin
April 7-9, 2011 (Debates begin April 8)
- RR selections committee:
Eric Barnes
Neill Harvey-Smith
Sharmila Parmanand
- To apply, just e-mail your team’s “Debate CV” to barnes@hws.edu

2011 CA: Leela Koenig
Motions Committee:
Logan
Eric Barnes
Sam Block
Steve Hind
Steve Johnson
Leela Koenig

FEATURES OF THE ROUND ROBIN:

* 3 worlds breaking judges in every room
* Highest level of competition (on average) of any tournament
* Extraordinary food at every meal
* Excursions to Women’s Rights National Park & Niagara Falls
* Friday night wine tasting party
* Internationally renowned guest speakers
* Spectacular trophies, along with $1500 in cash prizes
* Combine with the US UDC (April 1-3, with free int’l reg & housing)


20 January 2011

Leeds to bid for EUDC 2012

Leeds have formally joined the race to host the European University Debating Championships in 2012.

More information will be available shortly on their website.  Their convenor is James Wood while the Chief adjudicator is Fred Cowell. DCAs include Catherine Murphy and Rob Honig.

19 January 2011

Belgrade bids for EUDC 2012

Debaters of Europe!

It gives us phenomenal pleasure to announce the Belgrade bid to host EUDC in 2012.

We encourage you all to visit our website at www.eudc2012.org to find out all you need to know about our bid. We will be updating this page regularly, so please do check back. Also you can join our Facebook group here: http://on.fb.me/eudc2012 and follow us on Twitter here: @BelgradeEuros

We look forward to an exciting bidding process and please feel free to get in contact with any of the team if you have any questions, queries or comments.

All the best,

Art Ward
Prospective Chief Adjudicator
Belgrade EUDC 2012 Bid

NHSD competition Results

Results of the National Health Science Debates, held in the International Medical University, KL, Malaysia, from the 14th – 16th Jan, 2011.


PRELIMINARY ROUNDS:
ROUND ONE: THBT THE POPE SHOULD WEAR A CONDOM.
ROUND TWO: THBT BABY HATCHES ARE BAD.
ROUND THREE: THW COMPEL ALL DOCTORS TO REPORT SUSPECTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE TO THE AUTHORITIES.
ROUND FOUR: THW ALLOW CITIZENS TO SELL THEIR OWN ORGANS.
ROUND FIVE: THW PUNISH PARENTS FOR THEIR OBESE CHILDREN.
SEMI-FINALS: THW OFFER ABORTION ON DEMAND.
GRAND FINALS: THW RID THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF THE BOMOH AND THE BIDAN.

(Note: “Bomoh”: A Traditional male Malay healer, usually well-respected in the community for his religious understanding and piety, who uses spiritual and traditional healing practices and may also be employed to exorcise evil spirits, lay ghosts to rest and find lost or stolen property.

“Bidan”: A village midwife, usually employing massage, traditional medicines and herbal remedies in her treatment of everything from childbirth and post-partum depression to sprained ankles and migraine)

The Grand Finals featured:
OG UCTI 1 who finished 4th
OO UiTM 2 who finished 2nd
CG IMU 2, who finished 1st, and…
CO UM 1. Who finished 3rd.

Congratulations to International Medical University for winning the championships – the only team of student doctors advancing to the final.

A cash prize was also awarded to the top three adjudicators, based on feedback from the debaters during the first four preliminary rounds.

First: Timothy (UCTI)
Second: Alexxx (MMU)
Third: Noel Meldan (KBM Malacca)

Inaugural Conference of the Malaysian Institute of Debate & Public Speaking 2011‏

Inaugural Conference of the Malaysian Institute of Debate & Public Speaking (MIDP) 2011


The newly formed Malaysian debate social enterprise, the Malaysian Institute of Debate & Public Speaking, headed by Iqbal Hafiedz and Adiba Shireen, held its first Conference for over 50 language lecturers and student affair officials from Malaysian tertiary institutions from both West and East Malaysia. It was held at the campus of the University of Technology MARA from 13th to 15th Jan 2011.

Entitled, "Managing In-Campus Student Communication Programmes", the 3-Day workshop aimed to give managerial and supervisory staff from the academic and administrative divisions of tertiary institutions the wherewithals of establishing public speaking and debating clubs, sustaining them and helping them to excel. The invited trainers delivered lectures on topics which ranged from how to start from ground zero in raising student awareness to the importance of communication skills, to specific details in planning a budget, a training programme, as well as student facilitation skills in dealing with the diverse range of student personalities within the club milieu.

The last day of the event allowed the participants to put together specific plans and targets for their respective tertiary institutions. This was done in groups where each member shared his/her problems and aspirations for implementing communication programmes within the campus. All the groups also made group presentations to the entire class and all the trainers.

The entire Conference ended with a well deserved formal dinner for the participants, trainers and organisers.

The trainers in this Conference were: Professor Piyanart from Chulalongkorn University, Latif from IIUM, Tate from MMU, Azrul from IIUM. Saiful from UPM, Omar Salahudin, Dr Chandran from UM and Loke Wing Fatt from SAID.

Many thanks to Hafiedz, Adiba, Shamma, Shaq, Stifler, and all the other staff of the MIDP for hosting such a ground making debate education programme.

I look forward to seeing many interesting and important courses from MIDP.

cheers,

Loke Wing Fatt
SAID

Rivera'11 invitation‏

We the members of debate society VIT, take immense pleasure in inviting you to our event NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE to be taking place as one of the biggest events of the International cultural and sports fest RIVIERA’11 .


The key points worthy of notice are:

1. Significance: for most of us debating is a passion for the other few debating is fighting for a cause... this conference is a platform for both!!!!

2. Date : 31st January 2011.

3. Venue: VIT University. Vellore.

4. The agenda: KASHMIR : focus being on the major debates of past and present.

5. The format: will be on the lines of a youth parliament with a few changes in the proceedings in the house only to enhance the quality of debate and to appreciate the difference of opinion. Please find an enclosed copy of the details of format with the mail.

6. The portfolios: will be allotted only after the last date of application i.e 23/01/2011.

The most exciting part being:
Cash prizes worth 35,000/- to be won!!!!

For application forms visit:
http://www.vitriviera.com/event/youthconf.php

we shall look forward to your eager participation!!!

with regards,

ABHAYA KULSHRESTHA,
9790104809
SECRETARY, DEBSOC
VIT UNIVERSITY.

17 January 2011

News from US Universities Debating Championships

Lots to report...

Entries are now at 142 teams with 24 on the extra teams waiting list. It seems like we will really make our 200 team cap, so please enter now before you get shut out. Check the list to make sure you are there. If  you have judges that are not listed let us know. http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/usu2011/Entries.html

Many global teams have contacted us and we are negotiating with them on visas and issues like housing and they are arranging funding for transportation. We will add them to the list when we can. We have already added Alberta, British Columbia, ILCS Morocco, Manila, Marianapolis, National University of Singapore, Queen's, Tshwane University of Technology, and University College Dublin.

We have considered the applications of the many DCAs and we have made decisions. We are contacting them now and will make an announcement later this week. Thank you so much for the impressive array of global talent that applied.

After our DCAs are announced we will be putting out a call for judges to add to our pool. Some subsidy will be available, rego waivers, housing and even limited travel sponsorship. Stand by for this. We will have an
announcement about those agreeing to attend to judge in about a month.

There is still time to apply to be part of the America's Cup Debates. This open field is attracting some of the best debaters in the world. Application deadline for one of the 16 spots is the end of January. Send
us your top 5 tournament finishes. http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/usu2011/Americas_Cup.html

We are working on finalizing the budget for this large event. We are still seeking sponsors. Point us at any you know of and we are in discussions now.

More news to come!

Alfred Snider
Convener, US Universities Debating Championship 2011
http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/usu2011/
alfred.snider@uvm.edu

De La Salle Worlds 2nd Magazine Issue‏

The 2nd issue of the  De La Salle Worlds Magazine as been released and is available for download from http://www.dlsuworlds.com/

Pan Pacific Championship lodging and luau info‏

Aloha Pan Pacific Championship participants (and those just about to e-mail me with their registration),


A couple of announcements on lodging and socials… I know that many of you are booking your flights, hotels and cars as vacation packages but for those of you still looking to book hotel, you are eligible to receive special rates at the Maile Sky Court. If you have already booked outside of a vacation package, you may want to ask if there is an HPU discount.

Hotel:
Maile Sky Court--$69, while availability lasts, using the online promo code: GO HPU

Friday BP workshop for judges and debaters:
The workshop will be 1pm-2:30pm on the HPU downtown campus. Room TBA. Please let me know if you are planning on attending. This workshop will serve to introduce judges and debaters unfamiliar or new to this style of debate to common BP conventions. If enough debaters are present, we may have a truncated practice round.

Friday Night Social Options:
Germaine’s Luau:
On Friday night (Feb 18th) we have secured a special group rate for Germaine’s Luau http://www.germainesluau.com/.

· Adults (ages 21 and older): $55.00
· Juniors(ages 14-20): $50.00

These rates are in addition to the regular registration fees but include round trip transportation from Waikiki, an all-you-can eat buffet, three drink coupons for the adults (must be 21 years & older), unlimited soft drinks, an IMU ceremony and an exciting Polynesian show featuring a Samoan Fire Knife Dancer. You will need to be in Waikiki on Friday, Feb. 18th ready for pick-up at one of these two locations: Waikiki Gateway Hotel - 4:20PM (across from the Maile Sky Court on the West end of Waikiki strip); Queen Kapiolani Hotel - 4:45PM (right before Kapiolani park on the East end of the Waikiki strip).

Please confirm the number of people with names that will be attending and I will reserve the seats.

Venue in town:
When I have a better idea of how many of you are going to the luau or interested in a different social in Waikiki, I can set a location.

Mahalo!

Rose Helens-Hart
Director of Debate
Department of Communication
Hawaii Pacific University