The SOAS IV wooed with reduced fees, compelling motions, an excellent pool of judges and its international character. Even if accommodation remains rudimentary and catering was more or less nonexistent, this tournament should not be missed by those seeking valuable debating experience, judging insights or just don’t want to miss an opportunity to stroll along the streets of London.
On our Debating Gamut* this tournaments ranks as follows:
Tournament Focus: Debating —I——————————- Tourism
Subsistence: Comfort ——————————I—- Survival
Participants: Familiar ———————–I———– International
Organization: Minimalist ——-I————————— Ambitious
*Debating Gamut: Courtesey of Stefan Zweiker
“Debate requires the constant challenging of the status quo, of dogma and of received wisdom”, debating in a nutshell explained by Jon Snow, best known for presenting Channel 4 news, at the opening of the final SOAS IV final.
In this spirit the School of Oriental and Asian Studies hosted 116 teams at the Russell Square and Vernon Square Campus debating motions on polygamy, religion instruction, Liuxiabo and nucs. With 6 pre-rounds, ESL and Open finals the SOAS IV was the biggest British debating event the Fall season 2010 had to offer. The SOAS debating society that had hosted two years earlier tournaments of just half of that size now branches out to a diversified crowed, gathering teams from India, China, South Africa, the USA and all across Europe. International participants are incentivized through reduced fees and yes, the discount also applied to our Irish fellows.
If the royal capital is not reason enough to attend then definitely the outlook to break should be a winning argument. 8 out of 13 ESL teams broke to their allocated semi finals. Agniezka Bibro and Paul Lisowski bravely competed for the Debattierklub Wien leaving behind them quite a few British teams.
The workshop slated for Friday evening turned out to be a practice debate for newbies with humble feedback. In turn the orga team pulled off a remarkable job to fit five rounds for 232 debaters on Saturday a sixth round, quarter as well as semi-finals and finals on Sunday without excessive delays.
Even when sponsored by Pinsent Masons, one of the top UK law firms, financing such an IV is a rough job, as the convener Mark Eastham admits in a moment of weakness. “The biggest challenge is to break even”, it seems that most British IVs are known to generate losses. So food was on our own.
Cambridge H (Harish Natarajan and Matilda Wnek) won the SOAS IV defeating Kings College London A (Jordan Anderson and Daniel Berman), Loyola (Emily Ravenscroft and Bobby Cashen) and Cambridge E (Jack Watson and Maria English) debating the motion “This House would lift the international ban on the use of child soldiers” in the final.
The Motions:
FRI 15.10.2010
Workshop practice debate: THW pay immigrants to go home
SAT 16.10.2010
Round 1. THW legalise polygamy
Round 2. THW ban the media reporting on the details of violent crime
Round 3. With the benefit of hindsight TH regrets the awarding of the Nobel peace prize of Liuxiabo
Round 4. THW ban children from receiving any religious instructions
Round 5. THW make no effort to prevent states without nuclear weapons from acquiring them
SUN 17.10
Round 6. THB that only women should vote on abortion
ESL Round 7. THW make electoral promises binding to political parties, the breaking of which would trigger immediate elections
ESL Final. THBT a jury of one’s peers consist of people of the same socioeconomic, gender and racial background
Quarter Final
Round 7. THW manipulate History to teach moral lessons
Semi Final
Round 8. THBT Roman Catholics who attend mess are answerable for the views expressed by the church
Final
THW remove the international ban of Child soldiers
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Rosie Halmi /msi
