25 December 2010
DLSU Worlds 2012: Announcement of DCA's
24 December 2010
Four attempt rule at Worlds.
However it is worrying if competitors are ignoring the 4 attempt limit. This has been in place for many years. In the past I maintained a database of names to make sure that this rule was followed. Every year there would be one or two people who would try to compete in a 5th Worlds either because they did not know the rule or because they hoped we did not know who they were. I handed responsibility for this over to council at the meeting in Dublin. I would call call on council to appoint someone to return to maintaining this database. I can give them the one I maintained up to Dublin and will help to get it up to date.
To the entire debating community,
It has come to our attention that Petar Bezjak the convenor - hopeful of Zagreb 2013. bid debated for the 5th time when he broke in the EFL semi-finals at Koc WUDC 2010. as a team member of the University of Split thus breaking the art. 22.1 of the WUDC Constitution.
Therefore, he took the place rightfully belonging to the next eligible team.
Peter is registered as a debater for the University of Split, again this year for Botswana WUDC 2011.. This will be his 6th time debating.
We have warned him of this fact repeatedly and begged him to withdraw. He ignored our pleas. Unfortunately we are left without choice in this matter.
His entire manner shows disrespect of the rules and regulations of the world debating community.
By doing this, there is also a new possibility of his taking the spot of another team in the break.
We cannot allow this.
Given that the full tab from Sydney Worlds is now available, which up until now wasn’t the case, there is written proof of Petar Bezjak debating for the 5th time when he broke in the EFL semi finals in KoƧ, thus breaking art.22.1 of the WUDC Constitution
Article 22
1. Competitors who satisfy the requirements of this Article may compete in ateam eligible to make the finals series a maximum of four Championships.
This provision shall take effect from 6th January 1990. )
The tabs which prove this are as following:
Sydney 00
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0As9JZygmWa50dDM1SG0zbUZXRmNHcGtwVWlJXzVvYWc&hl=en&gid=17
Toronto 02
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0As9JZygmWa50dDM1SG0zbUZXRmNHcGtwVWlJXzVvYWc&hl=en&gid=19
Stellenbosch 03
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0As9JZygmWa50dDM1SG0zbUZXRmNHcGtwVWlJXzVvYWc&hl=en&gid=16
Thailand 08
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0As9JZygmWa50dDM1SG0zbUZXRmNHcGtwVWlJXzVvYWc&hl=en&gid=10
Koc 10
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0As9JZygmWa50dDM1SG0zbUZXRmNHcGtwVWlJXzVvYWc&hl=en&gid=1
We wish everyone a all the best for the holidays
Laura Horvat, Lea Tafra, Branka Marusic
Visa info for those travelling to Botswana
So if you are going to Worlds be aware of this. Fix it if you can before you leave but if you can't don't panic. It can be sorted at the Airport.
National University of Singapore win WUPID 2010
Keep an eye on here or on http://wupidmania.wordpress.com/ for the tab once it is released.
23 December 2010
Happy Christmas
And in particular I would like to wish best of luck to all those travelling to worlds in Botswana. I'm sure it will be a great tournament and be sure to come back here for regular updates over the next few days.
Nollaig shona dhaoibh.
Colm
US Universities Debating Championship 2011 Registration
We look forward to hosting you at the University of Vermont 1-2-3 April 2011.
Registration opens on 1 January 2011. At that time you may indicate the number of teams (up to 6) you would bring as well as the number of judges. On March 1 2011 we will open up spaces to schools who have asked for more than 6 teams.
Non-USA teams are welcome to attend. They can break and receive awards, but only a USA team can win the US National Championship.
Judging requirements = Number of teams - 2. If entering 2 teams, must supply 1 judge. Teams=judges: 1=0, 2=1, 3=1, 4=2, 5=3, 6=4.
Fees are $120 per team and $60 per adjudicator. Sorry for the higher fees, but the grants and awards we received last time have now dried up. Schools desperately seeking fee reduction or waiver can ask for assistance. Teams from outside the USA can receive fee reductions.
All checks should be payable to Lawrence Debate Union/University of Vermont. Cash refunds cannot be given for overpayment, but we will send you a check.
Housing is not included, but limited crash is available and our hotel is very inexpensive.
On 1 January 2011 you may email this information to alfred.snider@uvm.edu for your preliminary entry. You will receive a confirmation.
Name of school:
Name of contact person and email:
Number of teams:
Number of adjudicators:
On 1 February 2011 a list of entered teams will be posted on this website.
On 1 March 2011 we will ask for names of all debaters and adjudicators.
At that time we will allow entry of additional teams from the same institution if space allows.
Cancellations after 15 March 2011 will still have to pay entry fees.
SUMMARY OF DATES:
1 January 2011
Enter number of teams (up to 6) and judges by email.
1 February 2011
List of entered teams posted on this website.
1 March 2011
Finalize names of debaters and adjudicators.
Request teams beyond 6 if slots are available.
15 March 2011
If you drop after this date you still owe us the fees.
Questions? Just ask us.
--
Alfred C. Snider aka Tuna
Edwin Lawrence Professor of Forensics, University of Vermont
Huber House, 475 Main Street, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
22 December 2010
So how does World’s Council Work at WUDC?
The Adjudication team: The Chief Adjudicator and Deputy Chief Adjudicators are expected to be at the meeting to answer any questions about the adjudication of the tournament and the tab system. They are part of the current Org Comm but are also expected to be somewhat independent from it (especially the DCAs) so they will be expected to address issues separate from the Org comm.
The organising committee of the previous Worlds. They are expected to present a report on how the last championship ran. They will discuss what issues arose and what was done to overcome them. Hopefully the learnings from each championships should help improve future ones. Finance is often a key element of this segment of the meeting.
• Distribution of Meeting Minutes from previous Council meeting
• Roll Call
Delegate Names (one per country)
Voting status (What weight a country gets 1,2,3,or 4 based on prior participation)
• Institution review
N-1 Review (each institution must send N-1 judges where N is the number of teams they are sending)
• Speaker Review
4 year rule (speakers can only compete at 4 world Championships)
ESL participants (as assessed by an ESL/EFL committee)
EFL participants (as assessed by an ESL/EFL committee)
• Distribution of Bid Materials for two year’s time
• Roll Call
Delegate Names
Voting status
• Previous Worlds Council Minutes
Vote to accept minutes
• Last year’s host Report & Accounts
Last Year’s Rep to report on Tournament
Last Year’s Rep to present final set of financial accounts
• Current year’s host Report & Accounts
Current host rep to report on Tournament
Current host rep to present initial accounts
• Next year’s Worlds Bid Defense
Bid Defense Presentation
Questions from council members
Vote to Confirm next year’s hosts
• Bids for Worlds in two years
Bidders present bids (order to be determined by random draw)
Questions from Council Members
Vote on hosts for Worlds in two years time
• Lunch Break
• Constitution Review
• Committee Reports
Chair
Registrar
Secretary
Women’s Officer
Equity Officer
Regional Reports
• Other Business
• World Executive Committee Elections
• END
So that’s roughly how council works. I hope it gives you some guidance on the political machine that runs away in the background.
21 December 2010
Monash Debating Review 2010 now available
This is the only peer reviewed journal on debating and is an excellent read for someone looking to delve further into the theory and strategies of debating.
This year's featured article is "There is no spoon: Beginner, intermediate and advanced first principles debating" by Tim Sonnreich. This is an excellent guide to using first principles to become a better debater on topics where you do not have a detailed background knowledge which is quite a common situation at Worlds.
Questions raised about the Zagreb Bid.
http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/questions-about-legitimacy-of-zagreb.html
I haven't got the original e-mail nor have I been part of any discussion about the bid so I'll just post the link.
Message from Chair of World's Council
I'm writing this email to let everyone know that, due to some unavoidable and very pressing personal issues, I won't be able to attend Worlds in Botswana.
As you can imagine, this has not been an easy decision to take. I am very aware of the commitment that I made to the Worlds community last year when I took on the role of chairing the Council, and I feel extremely disappointed that I will not be able to be with you in Botswana. Please trust me when I say that I have explored every possible means of getting past the obstacles and attending, even if only for the Council meeting on 1st January, but the reality is that I haven't been able to find a way to make that happen.
I have been blessed, though, with the support over the past year of two fantastically able and devoted people in Duncan and Joe, and I know that they will be able to carry forward the necessary work over the next ten days to ensure that Council operates effectively and fulfils its mandate - particularly in the light of the important discussions that are scheduled to take place this year. This year more than ever the three of us have acted as a cooperative Secretariat rather than as three individual officers with separate roles, so I am sure that there will be 100% continuity taking things forward. I have also asked Steve Johnson, who has held executive roles on Council in the past, to assist Duncan and Joe with the running of meetings, and I am delighted and very grateful that he has agreed to do so.
Meanwhile, I will be pretty much 100% offline (both specifically and metaphorically) for the next few weeks while I attend to these personal matters. Hopefully all will be resolved - and rest assured that I'm not ill! - and I will be back towards the end of January. While that happens, though, I will have to leave things to Duncan, Joe, Steve and to all of you to carry forward through Worlds and out the other side. I wish them - and you - every success in sorting out the issues that face us as a community, and in ensuring that everything is in place for DLSU and beyond.
Once again, I am terribly, terribly sorry for not being able to come to Botswana. I am sure that it will be a fantastic event, and I look forward to catching up with all the news, results and outcomes when I get back.
All the very best,
Sam
20 December 2010
Zagreb Worlds 2013 Bid - Adjudication Update
- A regionally representative adjudication team, including a dedicated DCA with a background in ESL or EFL debating.
- Motions rigorously tested for fairness and accessibility (both in terms of varying levels of debating experience, and across language categories), and which are original, highly interesting, and capable of being debated in a wide range of styles and from a variety of perspectives.
- Absolutely no neglect of motions for the ESL and EFL Outrounds. These are just as integral a part of the World Championships as any other, and a huge number of those attending Worlds want to watch, appear in, or judge these rounds. Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to set less serious, interesting or publicly absorbing motions for them, is simply wrong.
- A high quality and deep judging pool, guaranteed as such by subsidising the world's best judges from all over the globe.
- Quality judging in all rooms, but in particular in all rooms eligible for any of the breaks.
- A full feedback system for debaters and judges to give feedback on adjudication.
- Workshops for less experienced debaters and judges, to make the introduction to World Championship debating as enjoyable as possible.
- Incorporation of any reforms to the championships ruled on by Worlds Council.
Message from the Berlin Bid adjudicators
Of course, we can’t reveal our favourite motions to you or name our DCA panel before applications have even opened, but we’d like to set out the principles by which we propose to manage the adjudication of the World Championships:
1) We believe that motions should be serious, challenging, and fair.
Perhaps the most important aspect of serving as part of the adjudication team is setting motions that will offer debaters a chance to engage with interesting issues.
To that end, we will:
· ‘Fairness test’ all of our motions, debating them in secret amongst the adjudication team to ensure that there are a wide range of arguments available to both sides.
· Publish full statistics following the tournament regarding the performance of teams from each position on the table.
· Ensure that all of our motions would be accessible to a well-informed global citizen. There should be no requirement to have specialist knowledge in order to have a good debate.
2) We believe in due respect for ESL and EFL debating.
We don’t regard the ESL or EFL breaks as trivialities, but as integral components of the experience that is the World Championships.
To that end, we will:
· Manage the tab to ensure that teams with a strong chance of breaking in any division (including ESL and EFL) receive the highest-quality adjudicators and the best opportunities for thorough and constructive feedback.
· Set aside at least one DCA space for an ESL or EFL candidate.
· Ensure that motions selected for break rounds in all divisions reflect the importance of these public debates and offer the advancing teams the best possible opportunity to display their talents.
· Severely punish teams that ‘throw’ debates. In the past, certain teams have judged themselves out of contention for the open break and have treated their third-day debates flippantly, causing chaos in their rooms and disadvantaging teams who were in contention for other break categories.
3) We believe that top-quality adjudication is indispensable.
Every speaker’s ambitions depend upon having a team of experienced adjudicators to dispense judgment and feedback. Our priority over the coming months will be assembling the best judging pool that money can subsidise.
To that end, we will:
· Set aside the registration fees and defray travel expenses for top adjudicators from around the world.
· Work with our DCAs to build adjudication skills in developing societies.
· Announce, within the next several weeks, a list of top adjudicators who have tentatively agreed to judge at Berlin Worlds 2013.
· As at Koc, manage a full feedback system for chairs on wings, wings on chairs, and teams on chairs, taking the results very seriously when managing judging allocations in the preliminary rounds and the break.
Thanks for taking the time to read through our adjudication policy. If you have any comments or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
We look forward in hope to seeing you in Berlin!
All the Best,
Sharmila and Doug
WUPID updates and break
1)ANU 1
2)MONASH 3
3)USYD 1
4)MONASH 1
5)CAMBRIDGE 1
6)ADMU 1
7)NUS 1
8)NUS 2
9)MONASH 4
10)UPD 1
11)MONASH 2
12)IIUM 1
13)NUS 3
14)HKU 1
15)UTMARA 1
16)CHULA 1
Visit http://thedebatingnews.wordpress.com/ for regular updates and watch live a live video feed through http://www.live.upm.edu.my/ (bear in mind the time difference to KL from where you are so don't expect a live debate at 3am their time).
19 December 2010
BW2011 : Sample Adjudication and Adjudication Test
The Adjudication team of Botswana Worlds have put up two videos for
your viewing pleasure.
A) Sample Adjudication (This House Support Organ Trading for Profit)
http://www.botswanaworlds.com/sample-adjudication
Follow the link above to find a video and written adjudication. The
adjudication of the debate is modelled after the adjudication test. We
strongly advise judges who have questions about adjudication to watch
this video and read the adjudication review. If you are concerned
about what we expect from judges from the adjudication test, watch the
video and read the sample adjudication
B) Adjudication Test
http://www.botswanaworlds.com/adjudication-test
There are 3 sections to the test
Section A - Personal details. Please state all your conflict information here.
Section B - General questions about WUDC debating. Answers all 16 True or False
Section C - Judgment and reasoning of Video Test Debate. Please adhere
to the Word limits for every question. If may be a good idea to write
your answers in a word document then cut and paste them into the
online form (in case you lose the connection).
(you shouldn't need a password to watch the video. If you do, the
password is "debating")
We want adjudicators to complete this test sooner rather than later.
If you can do it today, please do. The last day you have to complete
the test is the 23rd of December. If you do not provide us with a
reason why you cannot do it by then, and do not complete the test that
most likely means you are an unreliable judge.
If you are Not Judging at Botswana Worlds, DO NOT take this test! If
you are judging, you MUST take this test.
Important
• Tests should also do be done by yourself, alone. There should be NO
collusion / discussion with anyone else. Judges who cheat are not
trustworthy or professional judges.
• Do not talk about the tests. Do publicize / share / discuss your
thoughts about the debate / test with anyone.
Have fun!
The Adjudication Team
World Universities Debating Championships 2011
www.botswanaworlds.com
WUDC Berlin 2013 bid update
As many of you know, the Berlin Debating Union (BDU) is bidding to host for the World Universities Debating Championships in 2013. In this letter, I would like to inform you of recent developments relating to our bid and our roadmap for the coming two years.
If you have any questions, please to not hesitate to contact me at p.ehmann@wudcberlin.com
Why have we decided to launch the WUDC Berlin 2013 bid?
For almost a decade, we have profited massively from well-judged and excellently organized tournaments around the world. Now, the Berlin Debating Union believes it is time to give something back to the international debating community. At a time in which few institutions in the world are capable of meeting the challenges of hosting this unique event, which has continued to grow in breath and complexity, as well as in the logistical challenges it presents to organizers, we would be delighted to place our resources at the disposal of the world debating community in hosting Worlds 2013. From the size and layout of our universities and their facilities, to the vast landscape of private and public foundations, corporate sponsors and government agencies available and willing to fund such an endeavor, to the individuals active in local and national umbrella organizations, we believe that Berlin offers optimal conditions to host the best Worlds ever.
As the most diverse and internationally active debating society in Germany, we also understand the structural challenges facing world debating. We are committed to actively working together with the international debating community in developing innovative methods to ensure that each national debating culture is not only fairly represented, but also receives due respect and that each participant is able to take a positive experience away from Berlin Worlds, even if that experience doesn’t include a trophy from the grand final.
Our strategy
The experience of hosting the EUDC in 2006 certainly helps us to understand what it means to host an event of this magnitude, but we also realize that hosting worlds has to be a collaborative effort. That is why it was imperative for us to speak to as many people as possible, both in Germany and abroad to find out what their wishes are for the WUDC Berlin 2013. Our announcement of two Co-CAs who reflect the diversity of international debating was a direct result of these discussions.
Since announcing our bid, we have continuously sought the input of European, Asian, Australasian, North-American and African debaters and will continue to seek feedback and constructive input from all potential participants throughout the process of organizing and hosting Worlds.
Who is supporting us?
In Germany, where major universities are federally funded and do not charge tuition, debate in general and other events of a similar scope and budget as the WUDC are typically funded by a mixture private and federally funded foundations, corporate sponsors and government agencies. Our bid is generously supported by Germany’s leading weekly newspaper “DIE ZEIT”.
Despite the fact that negotiations may take a little bit longer to finalize here than elsewhere, we have excellent relationships with a number of foundations and have had extremely positive discussions with institutions that regularly provide a level of support to endeavors such as the WUDC that would cover our expected budget. In addition, we have also had productive discussions with a large national logistics company concerning their participation in the WUDC as our main corporate sponsor. Unfortunately, we cannot release details of our negotiations as they are still ongoing.
Recently, Dr. Annette Schavan, the Federal Minister for Education and Research, has agreed to act as our honorary figurehead and signaled willingness to provide financial support through the ministry.
Past partnerships have allowed us to host high quality tournaments at a low cost to participants. This past year, we were able to fund the participation of 13 world class adjudicators in our IV (Among others: Yoni Cohen-Idov, Chris Croke, Leela Koenig, Lucinda David) to adjudicate 12 debate rooms, provide comfortable hostel accommodation and all meals to participants for only 25 Euros. For the WUDC 2013, we will make sure that quality adjudication and the funding of adjudicators from all corners of the world remains our number one priority.
Our Chief Adjudicators
Sharmila Parmanand (Philippines) and Doug Cochran (England) have kindly accepted our offer to serve as Co-CAs of the WUDC Berlin 2013. We believe that a tournament of this size and scope profits substantially from having two CAs. Different perspectives and experiences will lead to a more diverse panel of DCAs, reflecting regional and ESL/EFL interests.
Sharmila is DCA of Auckland Australs 2010 and Seoul Australs 2011. She has judged the Grand Final at Koc Worlds 2010 and a semi-final at Dublin Worlds 2009. As a speaker she broke to Worlds Octofinals and was a Grand Final speaker at Australs.
Doug is one of the most successful speakers in Europe, having won more IVs than any other currently active speaker. He was a Euros Grand Finalist in 2007. He judged the Grand Final at Koc Worlds 2010 together with Sharmila and was DCA of Euros 2010 in Amsterdam.
What can Berlin offer?
In addition to valuable experience and strong support, we decided to host worlds in part because we believe that so many of the prerequisites for a successful WUDC were given before we even lifted a finger. Berlin isn’t just a major capitol city in the heart of Europe, it’s two major cities rolled into one. Berlin’s unique history means that we have two of just about everything and when it comes to cultural institutions, often many times more. For decades, Berlin has served melting pot of immigrants, artists, West German draft dodgers, punks, students, Eastern German dissidents, ravers, diplomats, celebrities and refugees from parts of Germany where lederhosen and brass bands still pass as culture. Not least because of abundant housing and the unique nature of an economy largely supported by service and creative industries, federal subsidies for the arts and culture and of course tourism, Berlin is cheap, young and, in turn, quite hip. A recent comparison showed that Berlin was 14% less expensive than Munich and 51% less expensive than London.
Berlin is home to over 40 institutions of higher education and over 160,000 students, more than 22,000 of whom come from abroad. Despite attempts to internationalize German universities, the tradition of perennial student-hood lives on. As recently as 2007, the average college graduate in Berlin was nearly 28 years of age upon receiving their first degree. While this may be a testament to how good life is here for students, for us, this means that we not only have members who remember hosting the EUDC 2006, but also that debaters both young and old who are involved in our bid are certain to remain involved through 2013, and likely long after.
The Technical University of Berlin, which has agreed to be our partner for the WUDC 2013, is centrally located in center of the “City West”. The TU is a campus university with state of the art, debater friendly facilities including central auditorium capable of seating 1200+ with an existing Audio/Video link to a neighboring auditorium that seats an additional 600+ and abundant classrooms directly nearby. Thanks to the tourist infrastructure of this area and massive new development projects targeted at West Berlin, we are able to offer hotels within walking distance of the TU campus and many of the most famous tourist attractions in the West.
Berlin is located in the heart of Europe and is serviced by two major international airports and one of the finest high speed rail networks in the world. We understand that costs are a major factor for debaters joining us from the other side of the world. While travel costs will certainly be lower for teams flying from parts of the world serviced by one of the many low cost carriers that fly to Berlin, a comparison of travel costs from Asia, Australia, North America and just about everywhere else shows that travel costs are typically much lower for trips to Berlin than they are for trips to certain other European capitol cities. Additionally, we are negotiating with a major airline in the hopes of getting a special WUDC rate for participants from distant countries.
Our roadmap:
In October, an extraordinary general meeting of the BDU unanimously passed the resolution to bid for WUDC 2013. Immediately afterward, we established a structure that will ensure our ability to harness the experience gathered by hosting the EUDC in 2006 and also the energy and vision of younger members of the club willing and able to carry the project in the coming two years.
· We expect all sponsoring partnerships and funding to be secured by the middle of 2011, giving us enough time to speak to partners in logistics and catering.
· At the end of 2011, we will open up the application process for our DCAs and announce our registration policy.
· We will open up registration early in 2012, making it easy for everyone to register and ensuring that no debater has to book an expensive last minute flight.
Why should you vote for Berlin?
· State of the art facilities and well developed support structures.
· Experience in successfully organizing large debate tournaments.
· Minister level support for our bid and an excellent track record in acquiring funding.
· An excellent chief adjudication panel reflecting the full diversity of international debating.
· A commitment to funding a vast number and variety of quality adjudicators.
· (Relatively) inexpensive travel costs.
· 3 square meals a day and respect for dietary requirements of any and every kind. (Vegetarian, Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Gluten Free, etc.)
· The full support of the German debating community.
· A thoughtful strategy incorporating the interests of the entire international debating community.
· Accommodation within walking distance of the debating venues.
· Cheap or free alcohol at every social (we might even get a brewery as a sponsor).
· Socials in some of the hottest locations in Europe.
Thank you very much for supporting our endeavor to host the best Worlds ever.
Yours sincerely
Patrick Ehmann
Head of WUDC Berlin 2013 OrgComm
Patrick Ehmann
WUDC Berlin 2013
Bornemannstr. 6
13357 Berlin
Germany/Deutschland
Tel: +49 (0)30 42025550
@: p.ehmann@wudcberlin.com
WUPID updates and live video
If you want to watch the video visit http://live.upm.edu.my/ (it seems to be permanently on so in between rounds you will just see an empty room or a view outside but check back for the live debates)
For the motions results etc visit http://wupidmania.wordpress.com/