Waikato University hosts debating contest

21 May 2010

One hundred Aucklanders and Wellingtonians descended on the University of Waikato in mid-May for the annual McLeod Thropy North Island novice debating tournament.

The tournament has been referred to as McLeod Thropy ever since 2002 when an engraver misspelled the word trophy. Needless to say, the name stuck.

Usually held between debating societies at Auckland and Victoria universities, the tournament had a new competitor this year in the University of Waikato Debating Society, which in its first year of existence was given the task of hosting the tournament.

More than 120 competitors, adjudicators and supporters from the three universities were welcomed to the May 14-16 tournament with an address from the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Brad Morse, and the President of the Waikato University Law Students Association, Ben Gilbert.

Sixteen teams from Auckland University, 11 from Victoria University and five from Waikato University competed in four rounds of limited preparation debating, with moots such as 'this house would pay stay at home mothers' and 'this house would force invading nations to take refugees from occupied countries'.

Two Auckland and two Victoria teams went through to the semi-finals; the final was between two Auckland teams. The moot for the final was 'this house believes in the right of indigenous peoples to self government'. The affirmative team successfully defend this moot to come out as the victors of Thropy 2010.

Despite not taking home the Thropy, it was a successful weekend for the Waikato University Debating Society. The organising committee (Waikato students Ria Holmes, Cameron Harper, Prineshan Moodley), led by President Chamanthie Sinhalage, presented what was widely considered a very well-run Thropy tournament.

Deep in thought: Waikato University law students, from left, Mohammad Alobaidi, Jasper Pierce and Ammar Ayoub preparing for a debate at the McLeod Thropy North Island novice debating tournament held recently at Waikato.
Photo: Heather Meyrick.