Worlds 2010 Bids: More from Toronto

With one week until Worlds, we have some more updates and news. Yay!


Firstly, we have compiled a few (tongue-in-cheek) powerpoints. We'll be uploading them tomorrow so you can check them out. Keep your eyes peeled for an email with the links.

We also wanted to add/update a few of the reasons to vote for our bid. Some of these reasons are in response to queries we've had from international delegates and we'd like to thank those who have been in touch to talk about our bid. No school can bid in a vacuum and it means a lot to us that people will approach us with questions or concerns. So, thanks! :)

This is a super-long post, so have a stretch now!

Without further ado, here are more reasons to vote for a Hart House Worlds:

1) An established core of excellent judges

The list of confirmed judges on our website includes:
- 4 World Champions
- 3 Worlds DCAs
- 1 Worlds Top Speaker
- 19 Worlds break debaters
- 24 INTERNAL judges who have adjudicated break rounds at Worlds

All of these confirmed judges are completely capable of chairing rounds at Hart House Worlds.

Beyond that list there are also dozens of capable and talented Canadian and American debaters who are an easy drive away.

In addition to the incredible depth we have internally (and those within a short drive) we also have been blessed with the financial support to FULLY fund (AT MINIMUM) 30 to 40 qualified adjudicators from around the world. We expect that that figure will end up being higher once we have finished our corporate fundraising.

We know that subsidizing reg is simply not enough to encourage most people to shell out for transcontinental flights, so we are committed to funding the travel of highly qualified judges to attend Hart House 2012.


2) Our A-Team = Awesomesauce

We've talked a lot about our amazing CA Jason Rogers, so let's talk a little bit more about the A-team.

Our bid includes DCAs for the following regions:
- Europe/Middle East/Africa
- Oceania
- Asia

And one DCA from a traditionally underrepresented group/region.

Applications will be called for late next year, and then feedback from the international community will be solicited on all candidates. Jason will then pick the team he'd like to work with.

We guarantee the following 5 things about the DCAs we pick::

I. They will ALL care about issues facing ESL/EFL participants at Worlds. We think we should reinforce the idea that EVERYONE needs to care about ESL/EFL speakers, not just people who are ESL/EFL.
II. They will ALL care about issues facing women at Worlds.
III. They will have experiences with a variety of debating formats and style.
IV. They will have extensive motion-setting experience.
V. They will be very nice, approachable people. No jerks.

We can promise you that our a-team will be diverse, caring, and experienced.

3) Toronto = Diverse and Friendly

One of the reasons we can offer such a warm welcome is because we are located in Toronto. Half of Toronto's population was born outside of Canada, so it has a marvelously diverse array of people and neighbourhoods. This diversity permits us several benefits not often available to hosts of Worlds.

Some of these benefits include:
- Readily available kosher, halal, vegetarian and vegan food. And you won't have to worry about feeding yourself outside of the tournament meals. There are thousands of restaurants all over Toronto that cater to all needs.
- Dozens of interesting neighbourhoods like the Distillery District, Koreatown, the Village, Little Italy, Little Portugal, Liberty Village, Little India, Little Pakistan, Chinatown, Yorkville, the Annex, Little Ethiopia, Kensington and many, many more.
- A welcoming and safe environment for gay and lesbian attendees. Toronto is very proud of its pride!
- Access to all venues for physically disabled participants.

4) Toronto = Safe, Convenient and Cheap
Toronto and the surrounding communities are unbelievably safe and welcoming. Crime against tourists is virtually nil, and as a tourism hub in North America there is a TON of infrastructure available for visitors.

Beyond that, Hart House has obtained FREE 24-hour public transportation for participants on all subways, buses and streetcars for the duration of the tournament. This means you'll never have to shell out for a cab or wait for those inconvenient buses.

Furthermore, the idea that Toronto is necessarily expensive is not true. All your food and transport during the tournament are provided and Toronto is a city that can be enjoyed on ANY budget. Just ask a U of T student. :)

5) Toronto = Lots of Things to See & Lots of Places Nearby

Sights in/near Toronto include:
- CN Tower (tallest free-standing structure in the world)
- Royal Ontario Museum (one of the most beautiful/ugliest buildings in the world)
- Hockey Hall of Fame (SO much fun! Seriously!)
- Niagara Falls (BEYOND beautiful in winter!)

Activities:
- Winter sports like skiing, and outdoor skating in Nathan Phillips Square
- Tobogganing (sledding)

There's also cheap travel to places like:
- New York City
- Boston
- Montreal
- Chicago

and many, many other places.

6) Amazing Socials
Our socials chair will be... ME! I'm fun, so come to party with me! (If you can keep up). Here are a few things we're planning:

Women's Night
- Top comedians from MuchMusic's Video On Trial will be performing
- Women's show debate
- Fundraising for Toronto women's shelters

Dancing at North America's largest nightclub.

Skating at Nathan Phillips Square.

Comedy night featuring a performance from Toronto's famed Second City improv troupe.

Sponsorship from a world-class brewery.

Sipping at a nineteenth-century distillery.

Our socials committee will be made up of a chair and committee members who plan the socials with the aid of professional party planners. So it'll be all professional and junk. ;)

7) University Support and Institutional Memory
Hart House has been blessed with a financial and administrative team that has successfully run three WUDCs. We have already obtained financial support from the university's administration as well as the Warden of Hart House, who has been unbelievably positive and enthusiastic.

Hart House has an incredibly strong tradition of hosting large tournaments. In addition to hosting three WUDCs, we also have hosted two BP National Championships and the North American Championships. Every year we host the largest BP tournament in Canada. We'd love for you to experience the hospitality of our university once again.

Probably the most important thing is that we have people on our bid committee who were involved in the last Toronto worlds and have been instrumental in helping us organize this bid. Thanks, guys! :)

8) A Stable Financial Base
We've been able to set a reasonably low reg fee because of the significant financial support we're receiving from the University of Toronto as well as our corporate sponsors and understanding hotels. Canada was virtually unscathed by the recent economic turndown so our coffers are full. Yay strict banking regulations!

Our fundraising director, Erin Fitzgerald, has been in charge of Hart House fundraising for two years. Both years we've exceeded our goals. She has also been in charge of fundraising for the Toronto G8 research group, who also managed to exceed their fundraising goals.

The University of Toronto has also guaranteed to help us fundraise, so we have no concerns whatsoever about being able to provide financially for such a large event.
9) Regional Rotation to North America

North America has not hosted a Worlds since 2007. By 2012, Europe (’09,’10), Africa (’11), and Asia (‘08) will have each hosted at least one WUDC since then. I think when we're taking the fairness of regional rotation into consideration we should also mention the following things:

The majority of CUSID and APDA debaters get NO funding from their schools to attend Worlds. Students have to pay for everything themselves. We don't think it's a coincidence that we see way more North American debaters at North American WUDCs. We think a Hart House Worlds allows access to Worlds to those people who are traditionally excluded.

Since UBC Worlds, there has been an explosion of interest in BP debating in Canada, but especially the United States. We'd love to showcase the incredible debating talent that has been developing here but that has been prohibited from debating much internationally.

Our team here at Hart House are some of the most enthusiastic, generous and accomplished people I have ever known. It would mean a great deal to us to be able to showcase our wonderful city and school to the debating community. We care deeply about providing a Worlds that is accessible, competitive and memorable. If there are more questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact one of our team.

See you in a week!

Monica Ferris
External Communications
Hart House 2012 Bid Committee