This Blog has now moved to idebate.org/worlddebating - all future posts will be made there!

15 August 2008

ANU Spring

Dear all,

Please pass this on to your members.

ANU Spring registration is now open! It will close on Friday 29 August, but please register early.

Please visit 

After submitting your registration, you will receive an automatic email confirming receipt of your details, and containing payment instructions. Please pay promptly, and be sure to include your name in the transaction details. Please also send us confirmation of your payment or a copy of the receipt.

ANU Spring 2008 will run from 5-7 September.

We're hoping that as many contingents as possible will be able to send debaters/adjudicators to what should be (and has been in the past) a really enjoyable weekend of debating and socials. The tournament aims to strike a balance between introducing less experienced debaters to the British Parliamentary style and giving others the chance to compete in a high standard pre-Worlds tournament.

We have launched our facebook group and have already received an amazing response: ANU Spring 2008 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28360262779&ref=mf

For all details/questions about the tournament, please refer to 1) Our facebook group; 2) http://anuspring.byethost12.com/ or 3) the information below.

Please pass on these details to your members, and encourage them to come!

*Date:* 5-7 September 2008.
*Format:* Four rounds of British Parliamentary-style debating, plus the best social events you'll find in any Australian Territory.
*Chief Adjudicator:* Phil Barker (University of Melbourne).
*Venues:* ANU Law School. Grand Final to be held in the House of Representatives at Old Parliament House.
*Cost:* Cheap! Rego will only be $35. This includes all food across the three days and one amazing championship dinner with wine included. Drinks at Mooseheads for $3 on opening night.
*Registration:* Will open online in a week. Stay tuned for facebook updates/Debsoc emails.
*Accomodation:* A help-sheet will be posted within the next week. The Canberra City YHA was most popular with people last year. We'll billet people who are keen/desperate.
*Transport:* We'll pick you up from the airport if you need.
*Faqs:*
- No team caps
- No gender quotas
- No n-1 requirement, but we encourage you to come as an adjudicator if you would like to.

*Organising Committee:*
Convenors - Cameron Winnett and Sam Thorpe
Chief Adjudicator - Phil Barker
Captain of Various Things - Sarah Lynch
Registration - Sonia Loudon
Food - Chanelle Carr-Janif
Socials - Rose Bollard
IT - Stephen Gream
Vice-Food - Paul Boulus
Vice-Socials - Rob Andersen

*Schedule:*
*Friday 5 September*
6:00 pm Registration
6:15 pm Dinner
6:45 pm Briefing and Roll Call
7:15 pm Topic Release Round 1
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Round 1
10:00 pm Opening Night Party @ Moose

*Saturday 6 September*
9:00 am Breakfast
9:30 am Briefing and Roll Call
9:45 am Topic Release Round 2
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Round 2
12:00 – 12:45 pm Lunch
12:45 pm Briefing and Roll Call
1:00 pm Topic Release Round 3
1:15 – 3:15 pm Round 3
3:15 pm Afternoon Tea
3:45 pm Topic Release Round 4
4:00 – 6:00 pm Round 4
8:00 pm Championship Dinner
11:00 pm After Party

*Sunday 7 September*
9:00 am Semi Final Topic Release
9:15 am – 11:15 pm Semi Finals
12:00 – 12:30 pm Get to OPH/Lunch
12:15 pm Grand Final Topic Release
12:30 – 2:30 pm Grand Final Old Parliament House
2:45 pm Prize Ceremony
3:00 pm Final Drinks

Thanks, we look forward to seeing you all!
Cameron Winnett & Sam Thorpe
ANU Spring 2008 Co-Convenors

Source: Australs list

National Public Policy Forum

See the brochure at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/CARTER6659_NPPF.PDF

Calling all international debate coaches!

For the first time ever, the Bickel & Brewer/New York University National Public Policy Forum (NPPF) is inviting schools from around the world to join its competition. Founded in 2001 by the Bickel & Brewer law firm, the NPPF is the only contest in the United States that gives high school students the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.

Jointly administered by the Bickel & Brewer Foundation and New York University, the NPPF has grown exponentially since its inception. Thousands of high school students participate each year, competing for more than $30,000 in awards and scholarships, an all-expense-paid trip to New York City and the “Bickel & Brewer Cup.” The grand prize is $10,000.

Please see the attached flier for details. If you’d like more information, visit the NPPF online at http://www.nppf.net/

Alfred C. Snider aka Tuna
Edwin Lawrence Professor of Forensics
University of Vermont

Source: Various mailing lists

14 August 2008

Verbattle

Details of a schools competition involving around 800 teams.  If you in India and are interested in competing follow the link.

Dear Friend,


I would like to introduce you to Verbattle appreciated and recognised as the biggest platform of thought, opinion and idea exchange expressed in the form of dialogue and debate events in India. We are slowly becoming a national event in India. Kindly look up the website, please.

Regards,
Sincere thanks & Regards,
Team Verbattle
T V House Network (Bangalore) Pvt. Ltd.
# 143, II Floor, Ekadanth Chambers,
5th Main, KEB Layout, BTM 1st Stage,
Bangalore - 560 029. Karnataka
Ph: 91-80-26684768, 26686172.
Helpline: 9886464641
http://www.verbattle.com/
http://www.tvhouse.in/

US Presidential Debate Blog

If anyone is interested in understanding more about the US presidential election debates (although they might stretch the definition of debate having become more of a soundbite challenge than a debate in recent years) three former APDA debaters have set up a blog to discuss them.

You can find it at http://www.presidentialdebateblog.com/

13 August 2008

Row at CEDA Qtr Final

I've picked this story up on a number of feeds this morning.  After thinking about it for a while I decided to post it because it is out there on the news wires, and concerns events at a debating competition so I decided to post links to the story, the video and a discussion on the CEDA board which gives more details.

MSNBC, and their affiliates, are running a story about a row between two university CEDA coaches during the CEDA Quarterfinal between Fort Hays and Towson CL.

You can find the video here

I don't know any of the individuals involved. It starts between Shanera Reid of UPitt and Bill Shanahan of Fort Hays State U but then rapidly expands. For more background there is a discussion on the CEDA message board.

I have had feedback that there is two sides to the story.  I'm sure there is.  I certainly don't think people should make up their minds just on the MSNBC story.  That's why you should check out the discussion on the CEDA board (or elsewhere).  Shanahan lost the plot here and some of his actions were unacceptable but I hear from people whose opinion I respect that he is a good educator if overly passionate about what he does.

11 August 2008

Qatar Debate Coaching Opportunities

BACKGROUND

QatarDebate is the National Debating Organisation for Qatar and a member of the Qatar Foundation. QatarDebate was established in September 2007 with the aim of developing, supporting and raising the standard of open discussion and debate among students in Qatar and across the Middle East, shaping the Global Citizens of today and the intellectual leaders of tomorrow. The programme is overseen by an Executive Director, Dr. Hayat Maarafi, and run by a Program Manager, Mr. Alex Just.

In its first year, QatarDebate has run workshops on debate for over 1500 students and faculty at over 30 different educational institutions across Qatar, within Education City and beyond.

QatarDebate administered the first ever Qatar-wide debate league between schools and universities from February 2008, and ran National

Schools and National Universities debating competitions attended by over 400 students in March 2008.

For more details about QatarDebate please refer to our website at http://www.qatardebate.org/

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Over the course of the next academic year QatarDebate is seeking to employ on a contract basis world-class debate trainers to help coach debate in schools and universities across Qatar. Although the QatarDebate format is a modified version of the World Schools/Australs format anyone with debate coaching experience may apply.

We are now recruiting trainers for the following sessions:

* Workshop 1: 20th - 29th September 2008
6 Coaches Deadline: 1st September 2008

* Workshop 2: 6th - 14th December 2008
6 Coaches Deadline: 1st November 2008

* Workshop 3: 7th - 17th January 2009
6 Coaches Deadline: 1st November 2008

*** Please note that except in exceptional circumstances you must be available for the full duration of the workshop period ***

We promise to provide a unique experience for all our trainers who will receive the following for assisting with our coaching programme:

* Economy Flights from your home country to Doha
* Accommodation in a 5-Star Hotel in Doha, with all food and internal travel expenses covered
* USD$200 per coaching day (engagements will be between 7 and 10 days)
* A free trip to the spectacular Qatari desert and a chance to go camel riding!

HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in applying to become a QatarDebate trainer please send your competitive debate/coaching CV and the workshops you are available to coach at to hr@qatardebate.org by the deadlines outlined above.

We will only be contacting successful applicants within 10 days of the application deadline, though our HR Department will hold your CV on file and we may invite you to work at QatarDebate workshops in the future.

If you have any further queries about QatarDebate please contact Alex

Just at alex@qatardebate.org

Koç2008 Results

"The Gardeners" (Önercan Kılıç and Engin Arıkan) beat MGIMO? (Maria Savostinova and Mikhail Sazonov), Bilkent (Ali Avcı and Denizhan Kılıç) and "The True Farewell" (Ozan Mert Öndeş and Işıl Yelkenci) in the final of Koç Summer IV 2008.

The best speaker of the tournament is Işıl Yelkenci of "The True Farewell".


The final was chaired by Samir Deger-sen and the panelists are J. Scott Rodriguez, Oğuzhan Keskin, Leela Koenig, Alex Hill, David Tite and Amanda Whiting.


The full tab is available here