DEBSOC - Putting Waikato on the map!

19 July 2010

During the mid-year break, four Law students from the University of Waikato (Chamanthie Sinhalage, Cameron Harper, Channy Mao and Prineshan Moodley) travelled to Auckland to compete in the prestigious Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship - fondly known as 'Australs'. Australs, held this year at the University of Auckland, is the second largest international debating tournament in the world. This year, it comprised of 300 top debaters and 100 top adjudicators from 100 Universities all around Asia and Australasia, and attracts some of the brightest young minds in the world.

Debates were held at the newly-constructed Business School between 30th June and 8th July, with participants hosted in style at the four-star SkyCity Hotel in central Auckland. The social events were not lacking either, as for eight nights, participants were treated to a glamorous opening ceremony on the waterfront, different and exciting parties all around Auckland every night, all capped off with a beautiful Championship Dinner at the Auckland Museum.

At debating tournaments, it is not only the debaters who compete, but the adjudicators too. The four students - all members of the newly founded University of Waikato Debating Society ('Debsoc') - were excited to compete as adjudicators at Australs. At the very bottom are 'trainee adjudicators' whose judgments are not binding due to inexperience. From there, the hierarchy extends to accredited adjudicators who sit on panels and deliver binding judgments, chairs of those panels, and finally and most prestigiously, solo adjudicators who are considered accomplished enough to adjudicate alone.

Although relatively new to the international debating scene, the Waikato adjudicators did not stop this from setting their sights high! Extensive practice sessions in the lead-up to Australs paid off as, following the test debate, written test and interview (quite the onerous process!), Cameron, Channy and Chamanthie were able to quickly accredit as bona fide adjudicators. Channy was also selected to chair two panels, with Cameron surpassing most and being selected as a solo adjudicator! Needless to say, Waikato were able to defy expectations and make their mark on Australs.

Waikato's presence was further grounded at Australs, first as the newest member institution of AIDA - the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Association - which extends across all of Asia and Australasia. This means it is now an internationally recognised University on the debating circuit. Second, as one of the public debates (on the topic "That New Zealand should become part of Australia") was chaired by Labour Party MP, and past member of the previous University of Waikato Debating Society, Jacinda Ardern. This was a fact noted with detail and to great applause in her introduction.

It is exciting to see what Debsoc has achieved, even at this stage of infancy. Their sights are now set on the prestigious national tournament - Joynt Scroll - set for 27th to 30th August at Victoria University. They will compete alongside some of the best debaters from Auckland, Victoria, Canterbury and Otago Universities, make their mark on New Zealand debating and no doubt make the University proud!

Debsoc: Chamanthie Sinhalage, Channy Mao, Cameron Harper, Prineshan Moodley