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Debating

Was anyone else involved in the Durham schools debating competition? Who is planning on/already taking part in debating at University?

Reply 1

Waldo

I may have been there in some capacity :P
Good competition if i say so myself....

Reply 2

poulanck

OP

Which team were you? (I was actually judging 'cause I'm on a gap year at the moment).

{ed. Ooh...Dulwich, I see. Well done! Could you clarify the decent debaters you know who are headed to Oxford next year?}

Yes it was a good competition. :smile:

p.s. My brother (magicalsausage) is going to do English at Cambridge next year (Christ's)

dulwich :champ:

OP

So Lewis Iwu, Will Sharp, Rose Grogan and.... are all going to Oxford next year?

Shiiiiiit...

Reply 5

Waldo

Decent debaters headed for oxford next year? its a long list!

Rose Grogan - Aberdeen scotland schools
Andrew Goodman - Bradford england schools
Lewis Iwu - St Bons sngland schools
Will Sharp - St Bons
James Moir - Dundee (currently on gap yr) former scotland schools
Ben Jasper - latymer england schools reserve
Sam Fenton-Whittet - Hill's Road
Not sure aboud Alex Worsnip (latymer Upper, england schools) but probably

Probably some others as well...

Reply 6

Waldo

Yup. you said it. shiiiiit indeed. Shouldve gone to cambridge. Dont kno any debaters except me sam or Li going next year.

Reply 7

poulanck

OP

Well at least team Dulwich won't be there and considering you won this perhaps makes up for it...

Reply 8

Waldo

True...although I think almost all said ppl have beaten us at some point in the last two years.

Were hoping the traditional Bons - Dulwich showdowns can live on as Ox-Cam :P

My guess is the great Gabriel Brady is probably Oxford-bound next year as well.

Reply 9

poulanck

OP

You were beaten by Hill's road! *hopes they are not involved in UKL*

The heriots kids definitely aren't going to Oxford - Cambridge perhaps?

Oh and respect to the scarf. :cool:

Reply 10

Ticki

8

Waldo - do get involved in The Union. Hardly anyone from Sidney seems to debate, though loads of us go to watch the debates.

Reply 11

Pierre Menard

Waldo

Decent debaters headed for oxford next year? its a long list!

Rose Grogan - Aberdeen scotland schools
Andrew Goodman - Bradford england schools
Lewis Iwu - St Bons sngland schools
Will Sharp - St Bons
James Moir - Dundee (currently on gap yr) former scotland schools
Ben Jasper - latymer england schools reserve
Sam Fenton-Whittet - Hill's Road
Not sure aboud Alex Worsnip (latymer Upper, england schools) but probably

Probably some others as well...

Alex is going to oxford, he'll be doing PPE.

Reply 12

poulanck

OP

Grrrrr. Well I guess that's just about all the places in the freshers final decided. How could I have ever dreamed that a humble music student such as myself could have stood a chance... :musicus:

Reply 13

Pierre Menard

poulanck

Grrrrr. Well I guess that's just about all the places in the freshers final decided. How could I have ever dreamed that a humble music student such as myself could have stood a chance... :musicus:

Not necessarily. They might all knock each other out, or spontaneoulsy combust. Besides, World Schoolies are far from unbeatable, and they're generally some of the best freshers, right?

Reply 14

poulanck

OP

Yes I suppose. I could be positive and see it as a challenge. I recently read the Oxford Union rough guide to debating. The author writes

"In addition it has chapters on hundreds of other things in case you get a motion about something unusual or some poncey arts student thinks up a motion like “This House Believes that Modernity is dead” and you have no idea what they are talking about (or why). "

I could handle poncey arts students motions but unfortunately the inevitable sensible current affairs topics will probably completely lose me.

*makes note to pester Yoosun at Edinburgh Youth Orchestra next week and to stop using flipping asterisks*

Pierre, are you planning on going to Ox and if so, which college/subject?

Reply 15

Hellsbells

1

Hello, I too was a judge! Anybody know which colleges these people are headed to? :smile:

Reply 16

poulanck

OP

Hellsbells

Hello, I too was a judge! Anybody know which colleges these people are headed to? :smile:

Excellent question!

See you tonight! :smile:

Reply 17

Pierre Menard

poulanck

Yes I suppose. I could be positive and see it as a challenge. I recently read the Oxford Union rough guide to debating. The author writes

"In addition it has chapters on hundreds of other things in case you get a motion about something unusual or some poncey arts student thinks up a motion like “This House Believes that Modernity is dead” and you have no idea what they are talking about (or why). "

I could handle poncey arts students motions but unfortunately the inevitable sensible current affairs topics will probably completely lose me.

*makes note to pester Yoosun at Edinburgh Youth Orchestra next week and to stop using flipping asterisks*

Pierre, are you planning on going to Ox and if so, which college/subject?

Magdalen, to do history.
Poncy arts motions can be fun, but current affairs are much better. You don't need to know very much, just a few important names and suchlike. As long as you're not actually lying, it's safe to talk big principles, which incidentally is where I think the england team are weakest - they know so much, they can miss chances to simplify the debate.

Reply 18

poulanck

OP

I think you're probably right. I witnessed teams including 3/8 worldsy people debate the motion

"This house would support U.S. military intervention in the cultivation of narcotics"

and they missed a rather important point. Although they did mention sovereignty and responsibility etc. they assumed a direct link between the cultivation of drugs thousands of miles away and our own drugs problem - nobody on the opposition even suggested that our drugs problem might actually be our fault (both for society and for individuals to be responsible for) rather than that of some impoverished poppy-farmers. This would easily have undermined any of the props arguments to justify the comprimising of such countries sovereignity...

Anyway, so yes many of them know so much that they do get entirely bogged down in examples - getting more and more obscure as the debate progresses. However I think there is probably a growing tendency in debating towards favouring practical arguments over general principles - we are all a bit too cynical (not to mention that its a lot easier)...

Reply 19

Waldo

poulanck

You were beaten by Hill's road!

er...no
theyr pretty good though

poulanck

The heriots kids definitely aren't going to Oxford - Cambridge perhaps?
:

Hmmm... thatll certainly add some competition.

Hellsbells - As for colleges, if in doubt its probably Balliol PPE (Certainly Will Sharp and SFW, i think others too), Andy Goodman is Magdalen PPE I think, Lewis New College PPE, Rose law somewhere. Cambridge people - Sam Caius English, Me Sidney English, Li Trinity Natsci

Ticki - I dont have to be told, though after losing cambridge schools final on split decisions two years running that chamber makes me angry

Debating

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