All Asian Updates

After last nights Organizing Committee meeting, I would like to make the following updates regarding the 14th All Asians. This email is long, but at least ONE person on your squad should take time to read it in detail! as it has important information that will help you.

(1) Please register ASAP! We have received about 20 entries so far, and approximately 15 teams are currently on the waitlist. At the moment, only one Korean institution has registerd (3 teams, 3 on the waitlist) and we are expecting 30 to 40 additional Korean teams. Please register today to reserve your
space!

Please note: A: We will NOT be able to exceed the team cap B: We will NOT be able to extend the registration deadline (April 1st).

2) Early arrival or extended stay: We have negotiated with the Holiday In Korea Hostel for a discount for those who would like to arrive early or stay late. A double room at the hostel normally costs about $40 USD/night. The hostel has agreed to a 15%-20% discount, depending on the type of room you reserve. It is clean, centrally located near tourist attractions and the people that run the place are nice! To receive the discount you need to tell them that you are with the 14th All Asians. The discount is available from May 3-6, and May 14-17. The website for the hostel is here: http://www.holidayinkorea.com/Eng/Main.asp

3) Media: The Korea Herald has agreed to be our newspaper sponsor and will be providing free newspapers to debaters every morning of the tournament. They will also be writing articles (3) throughout the tournament and are interested in following an international (non-Korean) team around during the tournament for an in depth look at the debate process. If you are arriving a day or two early and would like to be that team, please let me know.

4) Dormitories/Laundry: we will be providing monogrammed towels (and Tshirts) for all participants. However, you should bring your own soap and shampoo! as well as clothing for the week. We are trying to arrange a laundry pick up service, but that will not be paid for by the Org Comm, and it would be best for you to bring enough clothes for the week as there are no on site laundry facilities.

5) Damage deposit. We must collect a refundable damage deposit from every INSTITUTION upon arrival of W100,000 (110 USD) per participant from your institution. Drinking and smoking inside the dormitories will be STRICTLY prohbited, and there will be an inspection of rooms halfway through the tournament when sheets are changed by the dorm staff. Institutions can pay the deposit one of two ways: A: cash payment that will be returned when you check out B: via a credit card that has an open limit equivalent to the amount owed per participant. I apologize that we have to do this, but the facility we are using is new and over $100 million was spent building it. The English Village staff are very concerned about damages from adults using the facility (rather than middle school students) and the Organizing Committee has no way to protect itself from lawsuits regarding damages otherwise.

6) Peace March: we are talking to officials at Imjingak Park on the Demilitarized Zone about holding our opening ceremony at the DMZ. Consistent with our theme of "Replacing Weapons With Words" we hope to have a rally for peace on the Korean peninsula as our opening event on the first full day of the competition (May 7). A further note about this will be sent to the list when/if we receive approval from DMZ officials about our proposal.

7) Health Insurance: we would like to strongly encourage participants to purchase Traveller's Health
Insurance prior to coming to Korea. Health care prices for the uninsured in Korea are equivalent to those in America, and should you be unlucky enough to have a health problem, it would be costly. There is a hospital within a 10 minute walk of the English Village, so health care is easily available. Traveller's Insurance is usually available from your travel agency, and is often sold at international airports. Last summer Irma Nurzarah from Malaysia spent close to $500 USD on x-rays and treatment for a sprained ankle during the ADI.

8) Invitation Letter: we have had requests for invitation letters (as it is not on the website). I believe that every request has been filled within one day or less. If you need an invite email me, or asians2007@... for a personalized invite to the tournament.

Regards,


Jason L. Jarvis
Chief Adjudicator, 14th All Asian Intervarsity Debate Championship
"Replacing Weapons With Words!", Paju, Korea
http://asians2007.cau.ac.kr/