Tournament scrapbook - World Schools Debating Championships

World Schools Debating Championship - Washington DC 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Welcome Photos Argentina Australia Bangladesh Bermuda Botswana 

Canada Czech Rep. England Estonia Germany Greece Hong Kong India 

Indonesia Ireland Israel Japan Kuwait Lithuania Mexico Mongolia 

Montenegro Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Peru Philippines Qatar 

Romania Scotland Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea 

Sri Lanka USA Wales Reagan Building Thanks 

World Schools Debating 

Championship - Washington DC 

2008 

The largest WSDC ever held. 

Thirty-nine countries. 

America welcomes you all. 

WELCOME TO THE WSDC 2008 SCRAPBOOK 

Young people from all over the world came to Washington DC USA to 

disagree constructively, logically and in mutual respect. The great issues 

of the day were discussed and disputed with careful ears and thoughtful 

voices. Links were made, ideas were exchanged and a new network of 

friendships was created for the 21st Century. 

Huge thanks go to so many people, but especiallyt to our convener Phyllis 

Hirth. She had a dream of bringing the world of debate to the United 

States of America and to Washington DC. She made her dream a reality 

and we are all better off for that. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Welcome.html 

Page 1 of 2

World Schools Debating Championship - Washington DC 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 


Page 2 of 2

WSDC PHOTOGRAPHY 

12/3/08 9:55 AM 







WSDC PHOTOGRAPHY 2008 

SEE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED! 

Here are a number of photos taken by organizers and attendees at WSDC 2008. Some of it has 

been borrowed. We are not professional photographers but we like what we see. Many thanks 

to those who submitted photos, but especially to Claire Ryan of New Zealand who was so 

especially excellent in sharing her photos. 

Play Slideshow 

Subscribe 

Our Hotel - Hyatt Regency Crystal City 

WSDC 2008 group photo 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Photos.html 

Page 1 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Aaron Maniam Chief Adjudicator 

Washington, DC 

SWAG = stuff we all got registration 2 

Water on the way Phyllis Hirth opens WSDC 2008 


Page 2 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Piscataway nation opens WSDC 2008 

Chris Erskine on opening night 

Snake dance 

Michelle Rhee, DC Public Schools Chancellor, 

gives keynote speech 


Page 3 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Kiwi candid 

Boarding the buses 

Waiting for buses 

Incorporation meeting 

Team Slovenia with Piscataway representative 

Announcements for rounds in hotel 


Page 4 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Kit Sawers of NPPF and James Probert of 

English-Speaking Union 

Kit Sawers speaks to crowd about NPPF debate 

contest - see http://nppf.net/ 

Crowd at NPPF reception 

India (left) and Pakistan (right) before historic 

debate 

Anja Juvancic & Bojana Skrt from Slovenia 

Country exhibition smiles 


Page 5 of 16


Anja Juvancic & Bojana Skrt from Slovenia 

Country exhibition smiles 

12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Country exhibition Mongolia 

Country exhibition Mongolia & England 

Country exhibition Mongolia & Montenegro 

Country exhibition Kuwait 


Page 6 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Country exhibition England 

Country Exhibition Song Yoo Jin from Korea 

poses in the traditional “Hanbok” 

Country exhibition fellowship 

Country exhibition Canada 

Country exhibition Argentina 

Country exhibition international unity 


Page 7 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Country exhibition Romanian mating ritual 

Country exhibition music 

Country exhibition South Africa 

Country exhibition Sri Lanka 


Page 8 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Country exhibition dancing doll 

Country exhibition Slovakia 

Country exhibition Pakistan 

Country exhibition Israel 

Country exhibition international beauty 

Country exhibition international friends 


Page 9 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Country exhibition Mexico 

Country exhibition Ireland 

Country exhibition beautiful Kuwait 

New Zealand and Scotland 

9/11 memorial Scotland in kit 


Page 10 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

New Zealand mascot 

Country exhibition lovely Japan 

Peru’s mascot Mamani the alpaca Bild 226 


Page 11 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

party 

The Swing Team 

Break night party food 

9/11 memorial 

Announcing the break! 

Morning announcements 


Page 12 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

Council Meeting 

We make things happen 

New Zealand before semis 

Scotland before semis 

Scotland with fan Bob Corbett 

England before the finals 


Page 13 of 16


Scotland with fan Bob Corbett 

England before the finals 

12/3/08 9:55 AM 

New Zealand before the finals 

National Forensic League’s Scott Wunn with 

mysterious guest 

Judges on finals stage right 

Judges on finals stage left 


Page 14 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

5-4 for England Top Speaker 

Top ESL Speaker 

Second EFL Speaker 

Top ESL Team Greece 

EFL Champion Slovenia 


Page 15 of 16


12/3/08 9:55 AM 

England Number One 


Page 16 of 16

ARGENTINA 

12/3/08 9:56 AM 







ARGENTINA 2008 

TEAM ARGENTINA 

These five Argentineans have been debating for years, and trying to work 

hard and seriously… unfortunately, they didn’t really accomplish it. Franco, 

Nico, Brian, Andy, and Rocio are just regular people who enjoy doing what 

most people would, and have never climbed the mount Everest. They are 

smart, easy going, beautiful great people... well, they just try their best. 

Together with their Coach Dana they have been training, debating, and 

discussing this year’s most interesting and certainly not complicated motions 

until they just couldn’t have asked much more from their poor exhausted and 

overworked brains (which happened more often than not, and at a very early 

stage of each training session). Somehow, however, they managed to get 

here! 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Argentina.html 

Page 1 of 1

AUSTRALIA 

12/3/08 9:56 AM 







AUSTRALIA 2008 

TEAM AUSTRALIA 

Evan Goldman, coach 

Todd Golding, judge 

Erin O'Brien, judge 

Daniel Swain, debater 

Kellymaree Butler, debater 

Emily Chalk, debater 

Hugh Satterthwaite, debater 

Chris Bisset, debater 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Australia.html 

Page 1 of 1

BANGLADESH 

12/3/08 9:57 AM 







BANGLADESH 2008 

TEAM BANGLADESH 

Samiul Karim 

Sumaiya Anjum Kashfi 

Syeda Nazifa Tasnim 

Zubair Idris 

Nadiv Rahman 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Bangladesh.html 

Page 1 of 1

BERMUDA 

12/3/08 9:57 AM 







BERMUDA 2008 

TEAM BERMUDA 

Bermuda is a compact sub tropical island located in the Atlantic Ocean 

approximately 900 nautical miles east of New York City. Bermuda is the 

oldest British Colony still in existence and boast an interesting mix of British 

and Caribbean culture, from the ever helpful British Bobby who directs traffic 

in the ‘bird cage’ to the exotic and vibrant performances of our gombey 

dancers. Our traditional Sunday morning breakfast of codfish and potato 

fishcakes blends the two cultures deliciously! Bermuda has a population of 

approximately 67,000 inhabitants and takes up no more than 21 square miles 

but is packed full of keen and motivated debaters. 

Jacari Brimmer-Landy 

Jacari first became involved in debate when at 11 he entered into the Global 

Peace And Tolerence debate in Bermuda, a debate organized bythe United 

Nations. Ever since then he has been debating for both his school and his 

country, although this is his first trip to WSDC. He feels most comfortable as 

a third speaker as he enjoys listening to his opponents arguments before 

totally tearing them apart. 

Catherine Campbell 

Catherine Campbell, aged 16, first entered the debating world as a volunteer 

house speaker for a local interschool competition when she was 11. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Bermuda.html 

Page 1 of 2

BERMUDA 

12/3/08 9:57 AM 

Encouraged by her school coaches and several lawyer acquaintances, she 

began participating in the debates as well and has been engaged in many 

debating and public speaking competitions since. In her spare time, Catherine 

plays the piano and works as a sailing coach's assistant, a job that, among 

other things, entails herding small children into sailboats, and does not come 

with nearly enough danger pay. She enjoys reading other people's stories, and 

writing and illustrating her own. Catherine hopes to one day become either a 

lawyer for Greenpeace, or a journalist. 

Michelle Kelly 

Michelle Kelly was born on a beautiful, hot summer's day 17 years ago. 

Although she has always been a talker and argued quite a bit, it wasn't until 

six years ago that she found her calling as a debater and she hasn’t stopped 

since! She has represented her school at the Bermuda National Competition 

for six years and won best speaker twice. She has represented Bermuda 

twice at the World Schools Debating Championship and hopes that third 

times the charm. 

Nikki-Lynn Marshall 

Nikki Marshall has had an interest in debate since she was eight years old 

and competed in her first competition. Ever since she has seen debating as 

an opportunity to learn new things and challenge herself. Her other interests 

include reading, playing the piano, and participating in public speaking 

competitions. This year she also won the Youth Tourism Competition which 

allowed her to improve on her public speaking and has definitely helped with 

writing and structuring her debates! Debating is just something that she very 

much enjoys and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. 

Nicholas Rinehimer 

Nicholas became involved in debate 6 years ago, during his first year of senior 

school. Since his first debate in the Bermuda Nationals he’s been a 

consistent member of the debate club at Saltus Grammar School. He has 

traveled to both Canada and England with his debate coach Miss Hiles to 

take part in the IISPSC as well as competing nationally each November. 

Nicholas is entering his senior year of high school and plans to attend college 

in either Boston or New York to study chemical engineering and business. At 

his school he chairs the Student Council and runs the student newspaper. 

Outside of school he writes and directs movies and is constantly involved in 

the film scene on the Island. Whether he’s throwing his own premiere or 

working with the Bermuda International Film Festival, he’s always got 

something to do! 

Christianna Hiles - Team Coach 

Christianna is thrilled to participate in the World Schools Debate 

Championship in Washington D.C. as the coach for Team Bermuda. 

Christianna has coached debate at a middle and high school level for the last 

four years and is honoured to be able to extend this to a national and 

international level. Christianna is a high school teacher who specializes in 

English and Drama. When not coaching school and national debate, or 

marking copious AP literature essays she can be found on, in or near the 

water. 

Calvin Thomas - Adjudicator 

Calvin has been a member of the Bermuda Debate Society for a number of 

years but this is his first experience as an accompanying adjudicator. Getting 

involved in debate has helped Calvin fulfill a desire be give back to the 

community by representing Bermuda in this capacity. Involvement in 

Bermuda’s debate scene also serves as a great divergence from his computer 

geek duties at a leading property-catastrophe reinsurer. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Bermuda.html 

Page 2 of 2

BOTSWANA 

12/3/08 9:58 AM 







BOTSWANA 2008 

TEAM BOTSWANA 

Bokamoso Makole 

Bonolo Magowe 

Ruth Mulenga 

Wedu Mokobi 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Botswana.html 

Page 1 of 1

CANADA 

12/3/08 9:59 AM 







CANADA 2008 

TEAM CANADA 

Tim Abdulla, 

Born 16 long years ago on a cold winter night in snowy Winnipeg, Manitoba, 

Tim Abdulla began his first six years of life in a small town in rural Manitoba. 

Today, Tim attends St. John's-Ravenscourt School in the somewhat larger 

city of Winnipeg. When not debating, Tim enjoys sporadically napping, and, 

occasionally, when not sleeping, he can be coaxed into some kind of physical 

activity. 

Kees de Ridder, 

A French immersion student from William Aberhart High School in Calgary, 

Kees is pleased to be a part of the 2008 national debate team. Kees began 

debating in grade nine, and was hooked from the start. When he is not 

debating, Kees enjoys going to movies with friends, working as a swimming 

instructor, and snowboarding. Eventually, Kees hopes to pursue a career in 

law and politics. He enjoy a bit too much is Dutch ancestry. 

Sam Greene, 

A grade 11 student in St. John’s Newfoundland, Sam Greene is delighted to 

be a member of the national team. Since starting debate in the 8th grade, he 

has competed at the national and international levels in places as far flung as 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Canada.html 

Page 1 of 2

CANADA 

12/3/08 9:59 AM 

South Africa. Outside debate, Sam is an active jazz trumpeter and singer, and 

a member of several nationally acclaimed performing groups. Grandson of a 

sea captain, Sam looks forward to bringing a distinctive Newfoundland flavor 

to the team. 

David Miko, 

David Andrew Miko was born on March 5th, 1990 and is currently a grade 

twelve student at Westmount Charter School in Calgary, Alberta. When not 

prepping for World's or debating at various local and national tournaments, 

David can be found training his school's debate team, advocating on behalf 

of his school's students on the Student Council and overseeing yearbook 

construction as Editor-in-Chief. Since elementary school, David's dream has 

been to participate in the World's Championships, and this opportunity is one 

he waits for with great anticipation. After university David plans to pursue a 

career in law or politics. 

Daniel Lewis, 

Daniel is a grade 11 student at the Halifax Grammar School. He started 

debating in grade 8, and qualified for Junior Nationals at his first tournament. 

In grade 9 he began debating much more seriously, and has been traveling 

across the country debating since then. When not debating or participating in 

other academic pursuits, Daniel is training for cross country or middle 

distance track, competing at the provincial level. Daniel also enjoys 

backcountry skiing and orienteering. The areas of expertise that he brings to 

the team include military history and European football. 

Martin Poirier – Coach- 

It could not be a Canadian National Team without a token French Canadian. 

The coach is barely understandable in either National languages, but becomes 

somewhat more logical after consuming his daily dosage of red wine. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Canada.html 

Page 2 of 2

CZECH REPUBLIC 

12/3/08 9:59 AM 







CZECH REPUBLIC 2008 

TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC 

= Barbora "No. 1" Golanova 

Introducing the team's only superhuman debater, Barbora! She's been 

debating since she was, like, a toddler, and she probably spoke fluent English 

when her mother's pregnancy reached the second trimester. (She's firm on 

the stance that life doesn't begin at conception, though.) At first, we were kind 

of sour about the fact that in every single one of her speeches, she got twice 

as many style points as the whole rest of the team. (Summed up.) Then, we 

realized that even though we're real losers compared to her, we can at least 

try not to spoil to for her and do some decent cheerleading while she speaks 

- a task which we utterly failed in. We're so sorry that we couldn't keep the 

decorum and get you to the octofinals, Bara! 

Her immense interest in the human rights situation - and also, her sweetness - 

is probably the only thing that prevents her from rightfully blaming us. Instead, 

as her selfless nature commands her, she kindly takes all the blame on 

herself. 

We apologise. Really. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Czech_Rep..html 

Page 1 of 3


12/3/08 9:59 AM 

= Anna Hlavacova 

No matter what was happening, Anna was pushing us forward. Whether it was 

a debate preparation, a queue in front of the Victoria's Secret or an edge of a 

cliff. Her desire to win was so great that sometimes, actually, she attacked 

*both* teams argumentation respectively. 

Needless to say that with her years of experience and wealth of knowledge, 

she was regularly the best speaker. Well, she would have been... hadn't it 

been for Barbora. That's the drawback of being in one team with a prodigy, 

right? 

Her obsession with shoes and other fashion items remains her only known 

weakness. After all, that's the real difference between a robot and a human 

being, isn't it? A lipstick. 

= Martin "Mini" Dunaj 

Having been extraordinarily gifted, Martin somehow had to control the level of 

awesome put into an ordinary human. (Still no match for Barbora, though.) So 

he got himself dreadlocks. He, thus, started to attract a completely new group 

of people - as from that moment, it's not only girls who desire to hold him 

tight, but also police officers and members of the airport security staff. 

(There's a LOT of funny stories out there.) But unlike other charmingly 

handsome male members of the Czech National Team, he's also been born 

with intelligence - a lot of it, apparently (not enough to avert his dreadlocks 

idea, though) - and an astonishing sense for rhythm. 

If you ever see him on street, you'll recognize him instantly. He'll be the only 

badass rapper wearing a suit. 

= Simon "Shippy" Podhajsky 

This year's experiment hasn't gone very well. Even though Barbora tried her 

best to change his pointless arguing into rational argumentation, her attempt - 

as many others - was to no avail. That is not to say that he is not extremely 

cool in his very own way - depending on your definition of "cool", of course. 

So is his sense of humour - with the same definition clash. Yes, he's mad 

about those. And about economics. No-one has ever made so many idiotic 

claims about supply and demand, although his presence in the national team 

presents a clear example of an opportunity cost. 

That is not to say that nobody likes him. Quite upon the contrary! Of course, it 

depends on the definition of "contrary". It'd be downright wrong to claim that 

nobody dislikes him, anyway. 

After he wasn't able to sneak into the Irish preparation room and to pretend 

that he really is one of them - because look at the hair! - and just speaks really 

bad and incomprehensible English, the rest of the team stuck him into our 

coach's luggage, anyway. But it was too late at that point. 

= Andrea "Panda Watcher" Jamborova 

Last but definitely not least - the nicest of the nice. 

If I was asked to think of someone who'll negotiate the world peace one day, 

we'd have to say: Andrea. Her sensitivity, her ability to calm things down and 

not to lose her senses while doing this job was, at times, the only thing 

holding the Czech National Team together. Somehow, she managed to 

contain Bára's awesomeness, Anna's fortitude, Martin's intelligence and 

Shippy's twisted conception of humour - a task which truly requires some 

prowess. Also, she proved to be an indespensable guide - without her, we 

wouldn't be able to communicate in Washington D. C.'s language of majority. 

Spanish. 

And, her brilliant personality notwithstanding, she's a super-awesome debater, 

too, even though her modesty doesn't allow her to concede it. 

I'm not sure if she could make it, though, if she hadn't carried her love for 

pandas and other fluffy animals all along. 

= Anna "K" Kouznetsova 

What kind of a Czech organization would this be if it wasn't controlled by at 

least one Russian? Because say what you might, all that "sovereignty" talk is 


Page 2 of 3


12/3/08 9:59 AM 

just plain crap when met with our beautiful coach's iron stare. Her English is 

much better than the British average - and knowing that we could completely 

rely on her grammar has been much comfort to us. So was the fact that her 

assessment of the debates has never let us in any doubt - there was not a 

single time that her projected winner would actually win. 

But otherwise, her sacrifice can't be put into words. 

Oh my gosh, she even agreed to claim that Russia was to blame for the 

outbreak of Russian-Georgian war! That alone should prove that she was 

willing to do anything for us. 

That and the fact that she actually managed to get a visa. 


Page 3 of 3

ENGLAND 

12/3/08 10:00 AM 







ENGLAND 2008 

TEAM ENGLAND 

Seb Farquhar 

Seb’s distinguishing characteristics are that he almost shares a name with a 

character from Shrek, and that he has ‘unusually long thighs’. He is about to 

start Physics and Philosophy at university, but his career plans are centred on 

being a professional assassin, because he wants to be more like James Bond. 

James Fox 

James is one of life’s natural-born worriers; fears include bacon, hair 

straighteners, Seb and debating . In a few weeks, he will start studying 

Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a degree choice driven by his secret 

crush on Sarah Palin. 

Emily Pearce 

Debating is not the only field in which Emily represents her country; she also 

plays at scrum-half for the England Under-18 Women’s Rugby Team. Emily is 

very good at adding things up, so she would like to do Mathematics at 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/England.html 

Page 1 of 2

ENGLAND 

12/3/08 10:00 AM 

very good at adding things up, so she would like to do Mathematics at 

university. 

Ben Woolgar 

Ben is one of London’s leading socialites – when he’s not dining with the 

Beckhams, he’s hanging out with minor royals or preparing for Philosophy, 

Politics and Economics. He’s also had a bit part in the Harry Potter films. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/England.html 

Page 2 of 2

ESTONIA 

12/3/08 10:00 AM 







ESTONIA 2008 

TEAM ESTONIA 

Elise Saulus 

Kaspar Kelder 

Martin Kiik 

Sandra Sillaots 

Viktor Nikonov 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Estonia.html 

Page 1 of 1

GERMANY 

12/3/08 10:01 AM 







GERMANY 2008 

TEAM GERMANY 

Debaters: 

Belafi, Carmen; Murrhardt 

Deiss, Valerie; Korb 

Dressel, Leonie; Stuttgart 

Gilke, Jana; Backnang-Heinigen 

Seethaler, Franziska; Böblingen 

Coach: 

Laux, Sven; Bietigheim-Bissingen 

Judges: 

Hoeness, Angelika; Korb 

Heil, Klaus-Peter; Mutlangen 

Trefz, Birgit; Aspach 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Germany.html 

Page 1 of 1

GREECE 

12/3/08 10:02 AM 







GREECE 2008 

TEAM GREECE 

Alex Daskagiannis 

Christina Haremi 

Elena Georgantzis 

George Katritsis 

Pennie Douligeris 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Greece.html 

Page 1 of 1

HONG KONG 

12/3/08 10:02 AM 







HONG KONG 2008 

TEAM HONG KONG 

Annette Chau 

Benjamin Kindler 

Bryce Kam 

Jubi Yan-Lin Li 

Justina Lee 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Hong_Kong.html 

Page 1 of 1

INDIA 

12/3/08 10:03 AM 







INDIA 2008 

TEAM INDIA 

S. Pranav Kumar 

Sithara Rasheed 

Rajalakshmi Natarajan 

Shreya Murali 

Amrithavarshini 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/India.html 

Page 1 of 1

INDONESIA 

12/3/08 10:03 AM 







INDONESIA 2008 

TEAM INDONESIA 

Gesa 

Adlini Ilma Ghaisany Sjah, or Gesa, has the attention span of a sack of 

potatoes. She relieves her frequent boredom by playing bumper chairs, 

chucking stuff at people, and tripping over clowns on stilts. The reason for 

this is because she diverts all her brainpower (and she has a lot of it) to 

debating. And yes, we see this as the silver lining to a very, very dark cloud. 

Dwinta 

Anak Agung Sagung Dwinta Kuntaladara—“Dwinta” by her friends—hails from 

the Island of the Gods, Bali. Being true to her first speaker’s nature, Dwinta, a 

devout vegetarian, always needs quite an extensive amount of time to layout 

an opening to ANY story she is about to tell. But just hang in there; the story 

will be interesting, well… umm… most of the time that is. 

Mita 

Aria Danaparamita, a.k.a. Mita, hopes that one day the backwater town she 

comes from becomes a world famous destination. Her biggest dream is to 

become a Starbucks barista so she can get free coffee. Unfortunately, her 

inability to drop the tone of the end of her sentence and her tendency to use 

the word ‘like’ excessively stand as quite considerable obstacles to this 

aspiration of hers. “Like… you want like… coffee?” 

Chris 

Christian Leonardo has three main ambitions in life: own a Lamborghini, get 

married with whomever, and die in peace. We, on the other hand, are 

completely sure that he has a forth secret ambition in mind: perfect hair. That 

is why he is the one with the biggest hairspray can in the team. No, wait, 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Indonesia.html 

Page 1 of 2

INDONESIA 

12/3/08 10:03 AM 

correction: the ONLY one with a hairspray can in the team. 

Idan 

Wildan, or Idan, is the team’s beloved surname-less team captain. Nature 

apparently has a lifetime vendetta against him since he constantly has 

problem with the temperature. Because even though some like it hot and 

some like it cold, Idan simply likes it neither. This tall, handsome guy is very 

kind, but his pickup lines can get super cheesy. If he tries any of those lines 

on you, just walk away slowly and don’t make any sudden movement. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Indonesia.html 

Page 2 of 2

IRELAND 

12/3/08 10:04 AM 







IRELAND 2008 

TEAM IRELAND 

Hugh Burns 

I am 17 and i attend Pobailscoil Neasáin. I live in Baldoyle in the north side of 

Dublin city. My interests include calligraphy and skydiving. I hope to study 

history in university and wallow in unemployed despair thereafter. 

David Byrne 

I am a student of Catholic University School in Dublin. I'm 16 and my hobbies 

include debating and chess. I also like baseball and support the Mets. I hope 

to study law and work in the US in the future, but the job of Horatio in CSI 

seems like a cool alternative. 

Eoghan Hartigan 

I go to Catholic University School also and am 17. My interests include 

debating and sports. I like cricket, football and golf amongst others. Romantic 

poetry is also a hobby. For my future career, i'd like to be Rumpole of the old 

bailey or else just an ordinary barrister. 

Brian McCormick 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Ireland.html 

Page 1 of 2

IRELAND 

12/3/08 10:04 AM 

I am 17 and a student at Gonzaga College in Dublin. I like rugby and my other 

sporting interests include surfing, sailing and windsurfing. I also like to play 

guitar and bass. In College i hope to study law. 

Sian Ní Mhuire(captain) 

I'm 18 and i go to Newpark Comprehensive School. My interests include 

theatre, art, the Irish language, film and music. I hope to study and Central St. 

Martins next year and to then become a theatre director or playwright. 

Coaches Eoghan McSwiney and Jim McElroy. 

Judge Dick Wafer. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Ireland.html 

Page 2 of 2

ISRAEL 

12/3/08 10:04 AM 







ISRAEL 2008 

TEAM ISRAEL 

It all started when Denzel Washington finally made debating cool. Team 

Israel was inspired by the movie to change their training methods in order to 

mimic a 1980’s underdog sport movie. All debates were now undertaken with 

inspiring pump-it-up montage music in the background, and the team was 

only spared waxing their coach's car thanks to Yoni’s inability to drive more 

than four feet without crashing into a tree (a particularly impressive feat when 

you consider 70% of Israel is open desert). Team selection was also given a 

complete overhaul. Rather than choosing debaters based on level of skill or 

experience, the team was assembled in order to match well known 

stereotypes from the aforementioned movies. 

Filling the role of "crusty washed up coach" was almost too easy. Yoni Cohen 

had been a promising young debater with his whole life ahead of him, until 

that fateful day nearly ten years ago, when his cue cards spun out of control 

in the middle of a particularly nasty piece of analysis, instantly killing six 

members of the audience and giving the seventh a vicious paper cut. Now, 

with a final chance of redemption and armed with specially patented sticky 

cue cards, all that was left is to gather his Conquest Force of Lowly Servants 

(later to be renamed by his media advisor: “Peace Coalition of Willing Allies”). 

First off came Matan Lamdan, as “the useless kid with his finger up his nose 

that somehow ends up winning the final match”. Rather than being a debater 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Israel.html 

Page 1 of 2

ISRAEL 

12/3/08 10:04 AM 

by trade, Matan holds the Israeli record for most hotdogs stuffed into a mouth 

at one time. Yoni was swift to recognize the debating potential of anyone with 

such a big mouth and lust for public degradation. 

Next up was “the ditzy cheerleader”, Batzion Ben-David, who made the team 

thanks to her coach's somewhat iffy linear logic - "no one could possibly be 

that clueless, could they? Therefore, she must be a genius!". In all fairness 

though, Batzion is yet to lose a fashion debate. 

The role of "troubled kid who turns out to have a heart of gold" was given to 

Moshe Rosenchein, who was always a rather disturbed character, sitting in 

dark corners by himself during prep room and accusing his teammates of 

being capitalist pigs whenever they brought up economic arguments. Heartof-gold 

turn-up is still TBA. 

Vered Shpiro was cast as "the bright and annoyingly nerdy girl, who turns out 

to be really good at whatever sport the guys are playing". In the movies she 

also ends up with the dashingly good-looking captain who leads his team to 

victory, but unfortunately, that was the one role Yoni forgot to fill. 

Nevertheless, Benji Kalman’s spot on the team was never doubted, as in 

every sport movie worth its salt there's always one guy who's so completely 

hopeless he can barely run, let alone engage in real action. It almost seemed 

like Benji was born for this role, as to this day, after several years of 

international debating, he is still trying to decipher what on earth could 

"THBT" possibly mean. 

Asher Weill, the heartless businessman who wants to destroy the playing-field 

to make place for a new shopping mall, knows trouble and wacky times are 

afoot. If underdog movies are at all reliable, then this is indeed a team to be 

reckoned with, or, at the very least, laughed at. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Israel.html 

Page 2 of 2

JAPAN 

12/3/08 10:05 AM 







JAPAN 2008 

TEAM JAPAN 

Junichi Miyagawa 

Asuka Ishiwata 

Kaoru Kofukada 

Mika Kawakita 

Mika Seki 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Japan.html 

Page 1 of 1

KUWAIT 

12/3/08 10:05 AM 







KUWAIT 2008 

TEAM KUWAIT 

Al-Faraj, Ascia 

Dey, Sanhita 

Khalid, Kasifa 

Yeganeh, Fatima 

Varghese, Rohan 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Kuwait.html 

Page 1 of 1

LITHUANIA 

12/3/08 10:06 AM 







LITHUANIA 2008 

TEAM LITHUANIA 

From the left to the right (in the picture): 

Julija: A phenomenon in the Lithuanian debate world - a record-breaker in 

terms of WSDC attendance (this is her 3 rd Championship!). Tiny and fragile on 

the outside, she can outspeak anyone from the team and outeat all of them. 

The blonde of artistic nature has a passion for ping-pong, which often 

prevents her from working on cases. 

Lukas: A wellspring of jokes and overall wisdom. He loves macroeconomics 

and playing rugby; calls himself a nerd but comes up with a thousand and 

one creative excuses. If they reached the finals of WSDC, he would make it a 

fun debate and show all that he’s learned from watching British comedies. His 

motto: never take the blame on yourself. 

Kotryna: A gulp of fresh air - the only representative of the western part of 

Lithuania, patient about the rest of the team making fun of it. Student 

exchange in the USA, summer holidays all over Europe, university in Milan - 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Lithuania.html 

Page 1 of 2

LITHUANIA 

12/3/08 10:06 AM 

taking over the world is in her to-do list, and she will achieve it by means of 

either debating, or smiling, or usually both. 

Aiste (the coach): A proverb of work and responsibility. Hardly ever 

compliments the team’s performance but never gets tired of watching them 

try. A dictator in disguise. 

Dovile: A natural born prodigy - it took her a whopping whole year of 

debating experience to become a national topspeaker, do well in several 

international tournaments and make it to the WSDC. You can easily recognise 

her by an astonishing British accent, unbelievably wide scope of interests, 

ranging from physics to gastronomy, and true love for rock’n’roll. 

Justas: A voice of reason, a killer of the most sophisticated logics, but often 

helpless against time limits. A man of talent: proficient in painting, playing 

numerous musical instruments, and doing research. Always reaching for new 

heights, from rooftops to debate victories. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Lithuania.html 

Page 2 of 2

MEXICO 

12/3/08 10:06 AM 







MEXICO 2008 

TEAM MEXICO 

Team Mexico started its journey on September 2007. The English Speaking 

Union Mexico organized the first national contest, which was between schools 

in the capital city, Mexico City. After a week of training, the team was selected 

and those 5 Mexicans started their preparation for WSDC 2008. Guided by 

their coach Daragh Grant and with the help of ESU Mexico they have 

achieved the first Mexican participation in the contest. This is Team Mexico… 

Jesus Romo Morales (age 15) 

Jesus started debating a year ago, and debate has give him the opportunity to 

acquire lots of skills, analysis and most important to get to know many people 

from different places. He enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies 

and of course debating. He would like to know a lot of places and people in 

his life and expect to find happiness in whatever he does. He is looking 

forward being in Athens. 

Sigberto Alarcón (age 16) 

Sigberto started debating in September 2007. Besides spontaneously liking 

debating, he also believes it has developed critical thinking and analysis, 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Mexico.html 

Page 1 of 2

MEXICO 

12/3/08 10:06 AM 

which can always come in handy. In addition to debating, he also enjoys 

listening to music, hanging out with friends and meeting new people among 

other things. Sigberto is hopeful he will got to Athens in February and see his 

new friends once more. 

Aurea María Fuentes Morales (age 17) 

Aurea is a girl who loves debating (as almost every single person in this 

webpage). She thinks debate gives great analytical skills and brings people 

together in a very enjoyable way. One of the things she likes the most is 

dancing Flamenco; she has been dancing for 5 years now. She likes to listen 

to almost all kinds of music, from mariachi to pop. Aurea likes travelling and 

meeting new people who, she thinks, always have something to teach. 

Marco Vinicio Bárcena Rodríguez (18) 

As all the Mexican debate team, Marco was introduced in parliamentary 

debating in Sep 07. Most of the time he is arguing of political issues and this 

is a reason why he love to debate. Marco started to like international politics 

since he entered to high school, and he is really interested in the Latin- 

American political and economic situation. Also in the last years he has been 

organizing Community and service activities in his school and with and NGO. 

Marco would love to see you all in Greece but lets see what happens. 

Daragh Grant, Coach 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Mexico.html 

Page 2 of 2

MONGOLIA 

12/3/08 10:07 AM 







MONGOLIA 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Mongolia.html 

Page 1 of 2

MONGOLIA 

12/3/08 10:07 AM 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Mongolia.html 

Page 2 of 2

MONTENEGRO 

12/3/08 10:07 AM 







MONTENEGRO 2008 

TEAM MONTENEGRO 

Jelena Jelusic 

Milos Popvic 

Nevena Maric 

Rastko Pajkovic 

Sanja Radanovic 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Montenegro.html 

Page 1 of 1

NETHERLANDS 

12/3/08 10:08 AM 







NETHERLANDS 2008 

TEAM NETHERLANDS 

Team The Netherlands is among one of the first participating teams at the 

WSDC and of course present in Washington 2008. Enthusiastic speakers and 

an experienced coach are perfect ingredients for an exciting and fun 

tournament. The team consists of five speakers, being Olaf van Campenhout, 

Rooj Darweesh, Joris Vincent, Wybren Bosma and Anne van Bruggen. 

Jeannette Baljeu is coaching the team for the ninth time. Ard van der Steur, 

Eva Spoor and Scott Brugmans have joined the team as adjudicators and 

Alexander Zwagerman as shadow adjudicator. We are sure that this will be a 

great tournament and looking forward to it! During this event The Netherlands 

will make a bid for hosting the WSDC in 2010; we hope to welcome you all in 

The Hague. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Netherlands.html 

Page 1 of 1

NEW ZEALAND 

12/3/08 10:08 AM 







NEW ZEALAND 2008 

TEAM NEW ZEALAND 

Maria English (Captain) 

Maria English is 17 years old and hails from the sprawling metropolis of 

Dipton, New Zealand. She currently attends Samuel Marsden Collegiate 

School and her favourite things are netball, singing, volleyball, Cat Stevens, 

wind turbines and ice-cream. And debating. Her dream job is starring as an 

extra on Home and Away. 

Holly Jenkins 

Holly Jenkins is 17 years old and lives in the Hutt Valley, near Wellington, in 

New Zealand. Her hobbies include being generally enthusiastic, and talking to 

buskers. She would be an accomplished base jumper if she was not scared of 

heights. 

Ben Kornfeld 

Ben Kornfeld is a 17 year old from Auckland, New Zealand. He is of dubious 

origin and feels slightly out of place amongst debaters because he is the only 

who hates english classes, and takes science. Ben wishes he could convince 

debaters to play more paintball and also enjoys watching rugby because he'd 

be terrible at playing it. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/New_Zealand.html 

Page 1 of 2

NEW ZEALAND 

12/3/08 10:08 AM 

Tom Chen 

Tom (Geng) Chen is a 17 year old ethnic Chinese living in Hamilton, New 

Zealand. He is not an illegal immigrant. Geng is his gangsta name since it has 

two g's. Tom likes debating, economics, card (tricks and games), cycling, 

parkour, hiking, breathing and jedi powers. Tom also appreciates music of all 

kinds. 

Jennifer Savage 

Jen Savage is an 18 year old girl from small-town Wanganui (otherwise known 

as Wangavegas) in New Zealand. She votes in favour of old rock music, 

healthy food, witty humour, and pilates. Conversely, she hates spiders that 

jump, espresso, being disorganised, patent shoes, and too much serious 

debating! 

Coach: Julia Fetherston 

Assistant Coach: Kevin Moar 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/New_Zealand.html 

Page 2 of 2

PAKISTAN 

12/3/08 10:09 AM 







PAKISTAN 2008 

TEAM PAKISTAN 

Feroze Shah 

Mohammad Asadullah Tariq 

Rida Qadri 

Zeerak Ahmed 

Zeeshan Haider 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Pakistan.html 

Page 1 of 1

PERU 

12/3/08 10:10 AM 







PERU 2008 

TEAM PERU 

Team Peru 2008 is proud to be the 13 th Peruvian delegation to attend the 

WSDC. 

Arturo Montalvan enjoys debating under the influence of cough syrup and 

abusing his power as team captain. Known for his extreme dislike for sarcasm, 

under his administration the institutions of democracy were seriously tarnished. 

Karina Rodriguez is proudly vertically challenged. The voice of reason in our 

team, she took it upon herself to steer the team into wearing a uniform, failing 

miserably. Official Replyer of the 2008 National Peruvian Debate Team. 

Lucas Ghersi is proud to hold the largest head in Peru and a world-renowned 

majestic unibrow. His life goal is to speak without note cards. 

Gabriel Puliatti started debating as soon as he learned how to speak. He likes 

pizza and monetary deflation. He complains about women a lot… but we all 

know he can’t live without them. 

Stephanie Guin was supposed to be the observer for Team Peru. However, 

under dubious circumstances, our fifth team member disappeared (she has not 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Peru.html 

Page 1 of 2

PERU 

12/3/08 10:10 AM 

yet been found). A serious llama collector, she was in charge of the chullomanagement 

in our team. 

Giulia Ciliotta was an unexpected but pleasant addition to the Peruvian 

delegation which in the end wasn’t even her delegation as she turned out to be 

part of the Zimbabwean team or rather the famous Swing team. 

Luis González came to the WSDC as a Peruvian observer and is leaving as 

the Zimbabwean captain. He started debating only a year ago and found the 

opportunity of attending the WSDC to learn many things, make friends and as 

an extra plus, miss school. He hopes to attend the next championship. 

Sixto Ramos (Feo) loves solutions and not problems and would rather be the 

coach than a judge. He loves debate and is definitely a legend in the WSDC 

community. He has a part-time job as a joke recycler. 

Cristina Loayza. Ever since she was bitten by the debate bug in the WSDC in 

Lima in 2003, she became interested in judging, comparing her debaters to her 

butterflies and orchids. She finds debating to be the maximum art of listening. 

This 2008 World Tournament is her first WSDC but she believes it will not be 

her last. 

Paul Doherty got off at the wrong airport seventeen years in Lima, Peru. An 

Irishman with more Pisco in his blood than Guinness. He has been part of the 

Peruvian Debate Association since 2002. 

Mamani, our team mascot, is actually not a llama, but an alpaca. There’s a 

difference. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Peru.html 

Page 2 of 2

PHILIPPINES 

12/3/08 10:10 AM 







PHILIPPINES 2008 

TEAM PHILIPPINES 

Candice Kimberley C. Chung 

Kenneth Anthony Luigi S. Reyes 

Patricia Bianca S. Soriano 

Phillip U. Poon 

Valeri Filia D'Marie V. Inting 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Philippines.html 

Page 1 of 1

QATAR 

12/3/08 10:11 AM 







QATAR 2008 

TEAM QATAR 

Talal Burshaid a Qatari from the Qatar Leadership Academy is a former 

member of the Qatari National Equestrian team. Look out for him at the 2012 

Olympics in London! 

Tina Niaki an Iranian from Doha College wants to one day become a 

Neurosurgeon. She is the proud owner of an iPhone, speaks Bahasa Malay 

and can read Japanese. 

Fatima Hijran an Iraqi from Al-Bayan Independent School enjoys reading, 

swimming and studying for the IB. In the future she too hopes to become a 

Doctor and has begun plans to open a hospital with Tina. 

Vartan Shadarevian a Syrian is a budding economist who is about to start his 

A-Levels at Doha College. The youngest member of Team Qatar can always 

be seen smiling and is famous for his off-the-wall sense of humour. 

Ayesha Batley a Pakistani from Doha College hopes to study history and 

politics at university. She is a keen sportswoman and is looking forward to 

making friends from around the world at WSDC 2008. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Qatar.html 

Page 1 of 2

QATAR 

12/3/08 10:11 AM 

Coaches: Alex Just and Andrew Goodman 

Adjudicator: Jessica Prince 

Team Manager: Dr Hayat Maarafi 

Observers: Ammar Hijran 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Qatar.html 

Page 2 of 2

ROMANIA 

12/3/08 10:11 AM 







ROMANIA 2008 

TEAM ROMANIA 

Looking up undercover unit "Debate X" 

Requesting Operatives: 7789 "Vali" A.K.A. "UltraGirl" 

7582 "Raluca" A.K.A. "Wild Wings" 

8547 "Nae" A.K.A. "Hyper Runner" 

8552 "Mihai" A.K.A. "The Hammer" 

8201 "Sabin" A.K.A. "Sharp Shot" 

Level 6 Security clearance required to display full files. Displaying 

civilian descriptions: 

Valeria 

You may think that I'm an ordinary girl, but you'd better not jump to 

conclusions. I'm a surprising person that people enjoy having around, 

and I enjoy being around people. This may happen because I'm very 

balanced, and I always know how to make the best of every situation. 

I'm very active and I always like to discover new things. This is 

probably the reason why I enjoy debating so much, and why I always 

get a kick out of engaging in heated conversations, not only to prove 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Romania.html 

Page 1 of 2

ROMANIA 

12/3/08 10:11 AM 

my point, but also to improve from assimilating every point of view. I 

love music and traveling, and play a few sports. 

Raluca 

If I had to pick three words to describe myself I think I'd go with 

stubborn, impulsive and communicative. I can easily annoy people 

around me and I sometimes find myself saying some rather useless 

things, mostly because I’m frequently absent-minded. On the other 

hand, I’m an ambitious and hard-working person and I have a lot of 

goals for the future. I hate leaving things unfinished (unlike some 

people...). 

I consider myself friendly and therefore socializing is one of my favorite 

things to do. About my activities… sports, modelling and, of course, 

debating are my hobbies. I dream Bugatti Veyrons at night and would 

love a holiday in Las Vegas, so… wish me luck! 

Nae, 

I’m an optimistic kind of person; A little bit over-imaginative but downto- 

earth when it comes to debating (most likely only then). I’m a freerunner, 

love Japanese culture, anime and language, enjoy fighting, arts 

and rock music, am very interested in mysticism and have developed a 

fondness for dancing – in other words, hobbies out of the way. Thanks 

to my sanguine temper, I’m not the type of person who will start 

something and always finish it, as I get bored rather quickly, so I’ll only 

stick with something if I truly like it. 

My dream is to found a school where debating is used as a means of 

education. I love ice-cream and I suspect ice-cream has feelings for 

me as well. 

Mihai 

I’m usually an outgoing and laid-back type of guy and if I think people 

should live by “chill but never forget the thrills”. 

My favorite music genres are rap and hip-hop. ”I got lots of love for 

my [debate] team that is” – I care for and trust my friends just as they 

care for and trust me. I like many sports (basketball and swimming in 

particular) and winning. Winning's not a sport in itself you may say… 

Debate then. Need I mention competitive spirit? 

I also particularly enjoy discovering new things. The one thing I 

definitely loathe is nonsensical blabber – when people talk without a 

reason or knowing anything about the subject. 

Sabin 

I believe that being energetic, determined and friendly are some of my 

strongest virtues. I’m the kind of person that likes getting involved in 

various activities and am always willing to spend time and energy in 

order to achieve my goals. I sometimes turn into a perfectionist and 

become focused on optimizing all things around me. I do know how to 

lay back, though, and like being surrounded by my friends and having 

parties. I intend to travel a lot: for fun and self-development. I look 

forward to the WSDC as a horizon-opening experience. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Romania.html 

Page 2 of 2

SCOTLAND 

12/3/08 10:12 AM 







SCOTLAND 2008 

TEAM SCOTLAND 

As Mistress of the Team Scotland almanac, Joanna is given to producing 

rhetorical questions like ‘Did you know that there are 181,000 horses in 

Honduras?’. One might infer from this that north-east Scotland is not wellendowed 

with amusements for young people. 

To save paper, Natalie and Rachel have the same profile. They have, after all, 

had the same life. The two elements of Natchel lived ten miles apart in the 

south of England before being imported by Scotland at the age of nine. (We 

have lost the receipt so can't send them back and get a refund.) Since then, 

both components of Ratalie have lived a mere two hundred metres away from 

each other. They can be distinguished only by Rachel's prowess on the cello, 

in contrast to Natalie's musical ineptitude. 

‘I'm so glad that I play hockey, since otherwise I'd just be a debater, and that 

would make me such a loser.’ Lauren has recanted since uttering these words 

two years ago. 

Sandy's rugged manliness has been honed in the Highlands of Scotland 

through hill walking, rock climbing and skiing. Now he emerges from the 

heathery peat bog to experience the urbane sophistication of Washington DC. 

Photo shows, left to right: Natalie Smith, Lauren Pringle, Sandy Jackson, 

Joanna Farmer, Rachel Watson. 

The rest of the Scottish delegation is: 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Scotland.html 

Page 1 of 2

SCOTLAND 

12/3/08 10:12 AM 

George Molyneaux (coach) 

Irene McGrath (team manager / adjudicator) 

Diana Gotts (adjudicator) 

Patricia Slaven (adjudicator) 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Scotland.html 

Page 2 of 2

SINGAPORE 

12/3/08 10:12 AM 







SINGAPORE 2008 

TEAM SINGAPORE 

Jia Wei: Perhaps the best way to describe Jia Wei is by comparing him to a 

bamboo pole. An abnormally lanky-juvenile-demagogue of a bamboo pole. He 

also has dreams of someday being fit, getting a good haircut, pass 

Mathematics, and maybe even be borderline overweight. Well he can dream, 

can!t he? 

Beulah: Beulah lives by the eternal mantra that happiness is key. And thus in 

the happy, happy world that is Beutopia, everyone must walk around without 

shoes. We must always laugh at punchlines only 5 minutes after they!ve been 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Singapore.html 

Page 1 of 2

SINGAPORE 

12/3/08 10:12 AM 

said, and live in the misguided belief that Australia is a Scandinavian country. 

Rebecca: Meet our resident “Chicken Little”. Singapore is a food paradise, yet 

Rebecca responds to no temptations: she loves her greens and never fails to 

have a compact first-aid kit and her assortment of vitamins at hand. Diminutive 

in structure, feisty in style, that is Rebecca for you. 

Anish: Anish Kumar Hazra has been debating for the last 5 years. Though 

most people strangely don!t seem to mention it, he is exceedingly witty and 

thoroughly intelligent. When not debating, Anish indulges in his second passion 

– the stage. Some day, when he gets some spare time between taking over 

the country and losing some weight, he hopes to win an Oscar…or maybe a 

Tony. 

Ren Jie: Ren Jie is a 15 year old who is often accused of ingesting human 

growth hormones. This naturally led to the moniker of “bear” which has 

haunted him all his life. Fortunately the steroids appear not to have affected 

his intellect (or so he hopes) though he is given to spacing out at inopportune 

moments. 

Ngoei Wen-Qing: Coach 

Evelyn Woels: Team Manager 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Singapore.html 

Page 2 of 2

SLOVAKIA 

12/3/08 10:13 AM 







SLOVAKIA 2008 

TEAM SLOVAKIA 

Bullova, Marie 

Buza, Jan 

Gedeonova, Zuzana 

Vargova, Zuzana 

Vojciak, Juraj 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Slovakia.html 

Page 1 of 1

SLOVENIA 

12/3/08 10:13 AM 







SLOVENIA 2008 

About Team Slovenia 

Eva Nike Cvikl 

Along with debating, I love to learn new things and meet interesting 

people. I adore diversity. 

I have many hobbies, dominated by art, music and literature and I want 

to make use of every minute of my time. Debate taught me to present 

my beliefs clearly, consistently and with arguments. I hope I will never 

forget these skills of articulated communication. 

Filip Dobrani! 

Like many debaters I work hard, yet my philosophy is that if you work 

hard you have to play equally hard. I'm pretty into the club scene 

although I enjoy kicking back in a good jazz club with a rum-orangina in 

my hand. When I'm not debating or enjoying some good music I love to 

travel. In a way I'm obsessed with Europe's history and culture. Reading 

to me is a total release. My favourite authors include Marx (how very 

debatish) and Frank Herbert, while my current favourite book is entitled 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Slovenia.html 

Page 1 of 2

SLOVENIA 

12/3/08 10:13 AM 

What the f**k do we know. As for music, anything goes, I listen to 

everything from Diana Krall to Me first and the Gimme Gimmes. My 

obsession with music most probably stems from my 11 years of 

classical guitar playing. All in all, I am mysef. 

Jernej Jenko 

I am a keen debater and an aspiring medic. I hope to use the skills that 

I will acquire by debating in my medical career. I hope that as a result 

of debating my practice will be better and that my patients will have a 

better time visiting the doctor. I hope that my methods will one day 

improve medical practice world-wide. 

Anja Juvan!i! 

I began debating four years ago in my first year of high school and I can 

say that debate has become a major part of my life, even influencing my 

career choice, but most of all it has thought me that every problem and 

story have two sides. Debate is a lot of hard work but it pays off in 

experiences and the people you get to meet. My hard work certainly 

paid off, for me and my team hold the current title of Slovenian national 

champions, with me being the speakers’ vice champion. Beside debate 

I enjoy singing and dancing and my friends would call me a bit of a 

history buff. My goals in the future would be to be successful in college 

and in the university level debate and to peruse a rewarding carrier in 

my chosen field of work. 

!an !veplan 

I’m 17 years old and I just finished my second year of high school. I live 

in a small town with my parents and my older brother. I like debating 

because it is a fun way to learn about the world and learn how to 

express your opinion. Besides debating, I also have a keen interest in 

acting. I’ve stared in numerous plays and recently we shot an amateur 

film. 

BOJANA SKRT, COACH 

LIANA MIHOLIC, JUDGE 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Slovenia.html 

Page 2 of 2

SOUTH AFRICA 

12/3/08 10:14 AM 







SOUTH AFRICA 2008 

TEAM SOUTH AFRICA 

Bibi Bassa 

Caitlin Macleod 

Daniel Kaliski 

Ilon Price 

Mark Schoeman 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/South_Africa.html 

Page 1 of 1

SOUTH KOREA 

12/3/08 10:14 AM 







SOUTH KOREA 2008 

TEAM SOUTH KOREA 

Team South Korea Team Bio 

September 1, 2008 

We (Some) of team Korea stand under the team line that Minjae would like to 

have a baby—soon, because he is going to Yonsei University in the spring. 

The other four girls of the team will follow all the rules their benevolent 

coaches lay out, of course. Team Korea 2008 practiced mostly by debating 

with their coaches on when they were going to have lunch and by arguing (I 

mean, debating) over which Pringles flavor is the most superior. There is a lot 

of team love in the air, especially between roommates Dohyeong and Minjae: 

as a friendly reminder to the hotel employees, they will need a pink heart sign 

on their door (“Do Not Disturb”). Does Hyatt serve kimchi? If not, In Doritos 

We Trust while in DC. 

Debater #1: Ewon Baik 

Miss Baik attends Korea Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA) and wears bulky 

but beautiful traditional Korean dresses. Her vast experience in wearing these 

hanbok means she will be tying the dress ribbons for the other four girls. She 

should be ferociously finishing off her college applications now, but is instead 

going to chill with the rest of her degenerate teammates. Will Miss Baik return 

to the straight and narrow? (Unlikely.) We will see. 

Debater #2: Dohyeong Kwon 

One word: inexplicable. Three words: eats tea bags. Seven words: goes to 

Daewon Foreign Language High School. Oh, Dohyeong. He has a 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/South_Korea.html 

Page 1 of 2

SOUTH KOREA 

12/3/08 10:14 AM 

preoccupation with Snickers chocolate bars. This is his “last” debate 

tournament, just like all the others—ha, ha, ha. That also happens to be the 

sound his teammates make when he jokes around. So why is he inexplicable? 

And where do Snickers come from? (Nobody cares.) We will see. 

Debater #3: Youjin Jenna Song 

Miss Song’s roommates can sleep assured as she is armed against anyone 

daring to wake them up before noon with the intoxicating orange-scented “F- 

Killer.” She is unique as the only teenage member of Team Korea who does 

not live in Bundang (known as B-Town). Miss Song also goes to DFLHS, 

much to the chagrin of Mr. Kwon. She enjoys dancing, also much to the 

chagrin of Mr. Kwon. (He probably enjoys it too though.) Will WSDC find out 

why? (Probably—hint: country expo night.) We will see. 

Debater #4: Stephanie Char 

This Seoul International School (SIS) tadpole, also known as Miss Char or 

Captain O, has the astounding ability to write while she sleeps: this happens 

to be very useful for flowing after a sleepless night “researching.” This can be 

very deceptive during a debate. She is a great sinner but was accepted to the 

team under affirmative action for the underweight. Will she break the stigma 

of affirmative action? (Probably not—hint: she mostly consumes chocolate 

and fruit and chocolate containing fruit.) We will see. 

Debater #5: Matthias Minjae Yoo 

Meticulous Minjae Yoo from Hanguk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS) has 

had many unexplainable mood swings recently—perhaps in anticipation of 

WSDC? An anonymous amphibian speculated that it was due to a secret 

lover, or possibly because he tried pepperoni pizza for the first time yesterday. 

Fuzzy Minjae would like to have a baby (did I already mention that?). He also 

came up with the team motto that “Being thin is a sin.” Will this motto stick? 

(Well…) We will see. 

Coach #1: Peejay Garcia 

Coach Peejay, when he is not hauling Dohyeong over the coals for his 

excellent humor, hauls the rest of the team over the coals for their similarly 

excellent speeches. But he also buys them food. Sometimes he provides 

them with sustenance indirectly—the kids recently liberated the Almond 

Peppero stashed behind the front desk. (Sorry—at least it wasn’t the Nude 

Peppero.) Peejay is the Paragon of freedom (in the form of reserving an aisle 

seat in the plane). The teammates quite adore him: hopefully he will cook sea 

urchins for them in return. 

Coach #2: Roger Hatridge 

Coach Poger (Wait, but that R looks nothing like a P!) Patridge (or an H for 

that matter), the true Dear Leader out of many, is not sarcastic at all. No, 

really. We are not lying. We don’t lie, because that’s a sin (just like being thin). 

The teammates quite adore him: hopefully he will take them to the local 

hospital if they ever get sea urchin poisoning. On a side note, pear lovers 

beware: grocery stores are likely to be devoid of that luscious fruit within a 

couple of days. 

Much love from the “Land of Morning Calm” (especially during rush hour in 

downtown and uptown and midtown Seoul), and see you all in Washington! 

Caution: this team biography was written in a dark (some ecofriendly debater 

turned the lights off) cold (but then turned on too much A/C) room among half 

empty bowls of black bean sauce noodles and fried dumplings and used 

chopsticks. That might account for the faint tantalizing aroma you have been 

noticing but been too self-conscious to mention for the past couple of 

minutes. It’s okay. Team Korea has that feeling sometimes, too. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/South_Korea.html 

Page 2 of 2

SRI LANKA 

12/3/08 10:15 AM 







SRI LANKA 2008 

TEAM SRI LANKA 

Sandaruwani De Silva (Age 17) 

"Hi, I'm Sandaruwani De Silva from Bishop's College, Colombo. Unfortunately 

I've got a name which is A)too long and B)pretty impossible to pronounce...so 

feel free to call me 'Sanda'. I've been debating for nearly 3 years now and it's 

become a huge part of my life, specially after World School's last year. It 

definitely feels great to be able to come back to this tournament and do 

something that I really love! Cheers!" 

David Rajasingham (Age 17) 

I'm David Rajasingham, currently doing my 2nd year of A/Ls at S. Thomas' 

College, Mount Lavinia, a secondary school. I got involved in debating back in 

2006, when I joined my school's debating society. I've really enjoyed the 

experiences its brought: not just debating itself, but getting to know about a 

lot of stuff I'd never heard about and meeting different people. 

Prawira Saldin (Age 18) 

Hi, I’m Prawira Saldin from S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. I’m happy to 

be a part of this team and this experience. Apart from debate I love Eating, 

sleeping, watching the EPL(still hoping that Arsernal will win) Gaming and 

yeah staring at the sky in sheer amazement. This is my second worlds and I 

hope it will be a blast. 

Tharindra Gooneratne (Age 17) 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Sri_Lanka.html 

Page 1 of 2

SRI LANKA 

12/3/08 10:15 AM 

Tharindra Gooneratne (Age 17) 

Hi I'm Tharindra and I'm from Ananda College, Colombo, a secondary school. 

Obviously, debating and public speaking have been my passions since I was 

small. I'm looking forward to taking part in this year's WSDC championships in 

the States and getting to meet some great debaters from across the globe!! 

Looking forward to a great tournament! 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Sri_Lanka.html 

Page 2 of 2

USA 

12/3/08 10:15 AM 







USA 2008 

TEAM USA 

Julia Cline: Originally from Canada but currently living in Bethesda, Maryland, 

this is Julia’s first championship. In addition to debate, Julia is fond of playing 

oboe, the colour blue, field hockey, and soccer, as well as skiing and running. 

Crystal Lee: Perhaps the shortest member ever to compete as Team USA at 

155 cm, Crystal Lee enjoys standing on chairs to reach the top of the 

chalkboard during team discussions, eating good food, and labouring over her 

latest Beethoven concerto. 

Katie Monson: I'm the only member of Team USA who doesn't live on one of 

the two coasts. I'm proud to hail from Iowa, a state that even my own 

countrymen can seldom locate correctly. I've been debating American style 

debate for 5 years and am the captain of my school debate squad. I also 

enjoy practicing and perfecting vocal music and playing and coaching soccer. 

Nikhil Gupta: Nikhil Gupta has been debating for 4 years. When he’s not 

arguing with competitors, family, or friends, he enjoys listening to Indian 

music, playing his oboe, and overusing commas. He also loves the outdoors, 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/USA.html 

Page 1 of 2

USA 

12/3/08 10:15 AM 

eating more good food than Crystal, and his home, Washington DC. 

Alex Hertz: The funniest member of team USA, Alex has debated Lincoln- 

Douglas style debate for four years and is the instructor of his high school 

varsity debate team. He is an adept debater, filmmaker, scuba diver, and 

guitar player, in that order. 

Coach: Cynthia Woodhouse 

Manager:Phyllis Hirth 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/USA.html 

Page 2 of 2

WALES 

12/3/08 10:16 AM 







WALES 2008 

TEAM WALES 

Cerith M Evans is 18 years old and has just finished studying his A levels in 

History, Geography, Politics and Product Design. He hopes to read History at 

university this October. He has been involved in debating for two years, and is 

an active member of the European Youth Parliament as well as a member of 

Team Wales. Besides his passion for debating, he is a keen sportsman, 

playing rugby for his local team as well as enjoying surfing and skiing. On a 

final note, he supports change we can believe in! 

Ellen Robertson is 18, which is the legal drinking age in most sensible 

countries. She has been debating for two years, mainly because her friends 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Wales.html 

Page 1 of 2

WALES 

12/3/08 10:16 AM 

won’t argue with her any more. Ellen has just finished studying A levels in 

History, English, Maths and Biology, and will be studying Law at Oxford 

University in October. Ellen also competed in South Korea last year, and 

looks forward to another incredible experience in Washington D.C. 

Jon Worgan is 18 years old and the sole object of Ellen’s desires. He started 

debating last year and comes from what is indisputably the best place in 

Wales – Abergavenny (population 5). Although it’s amazing, he can’t wait to 

get out of Wales to Durham University to study Law. When not debating, he 

runs, jumps and throws all over the UK, competing in the decathlon and triple 

jump. This is his first international debating competition. 

Eleanor Francis is 16 years old and started debating last year. She enjoys 

socialising and seahorse breeding, which takes up much of her spare time. 

Eleanor will be going back to school at the end of the tournament to study A 

levels in English, Religious Studies, Drama and History, which she hopes will 

be awesome. 

James Staniforth likes surfing, books, Japan, and making forts out of 

cardboard boxes. He was born debating Marxist theory with his midwife. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Wales.html 

Page 2 of 2

RONALD REAGAN BUILDING 

12/3/08 10:16 AM 







RONALD REAGAN BUILDING 

THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF US 

The Ronald Reagan Building and International 

Trade Center is owned and operated by the U.S. 

General Services Administration. It represents the 

collaborative efforts of the U.S. Government, 

educational institutions, trade associations, and 

the private sector to provide a world-class forum 

and unlimited resources for international business 

development. Our mission is to promote 

opportunities for global trade, commerce, 

communications, and international cultural 

exchange. 

In addition, the International Trade Center serves 

as the official World Trade Center Washington, 

DC, as designated by the World Trade Centers 

Association (WTCA)—one of the world’s leading 

international organizations supporting 

international business. The not-for-profit and 

non-political WTCA comprises over 300 World 

Trade Centers in nearly 100 countries. 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Reagan_Building.html 

Page 1 of 1

Thanks 

12/3/08 10:17 AM 

Welcome Photos Argentina Australia Bangladesh Bermuda Botswana Canada 

Czech Rep. England Estonia Germany Greece Hong Kong India Indonesia 

Ireland Israel Japan Kuwait Lithuania Mexico Mongolia Montenegro 

Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Peru Philippines Qatar Romania Scotland 

Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka USA Wales 

Reagan Building Thanks 

Thanks 

Special gratitude to... 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Thanks.html 

Page 1 of 1

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

SEARCH BLOG 

FLAG BLOG 

Next Blog» 

WSDC 2008 

News about the World Schools Debating Championships held in Washington, DC in September 

2008. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 

Kuwait Schools Debate League Lands a Major Sponsor 

Welcome 

From 

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20081008092415/Exx 

onMobil%20Supports%20the%20Kuwait%20Debate%20League 

ExxonMobil Supports the Kuwait Debate League 

ExxonMobil Exploration sponsors the Kuwait Debate League's Trip to 

Washington D.C. 

Kuwait - October 8, 2008 - Today, ExxonMobil Exploration and 

Production Kuwait Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, a 

global leader in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry, announced 

its support of the Kuwait Debate League and their participation in the 

World Schools' Debating Championship (WSDC) held in Washington 

D.C. from September 5th - September 15th 2008. 

The WSDC is a global competition for high school debaters. The 

Championships take place each year in a different country, hosted by 

a national debating body. Recent venues include Sydney, London, 

Johannesburg, Singapore and Lima. All debates take place in English. 

Each country can submit a squad of 3-5 students under 19 years of 

age in full time education in that country to debate social, moral and 

political issues. Past patrons of the Championships include Tony Blair 

and Nelson Mandela. 

ExxonMobil believes in investing in the communities in which it works. 

This is not only a key corporate pillar but it is part of a larger 

commitment to be an active corporate citizen and a good global 

neighbor. "In the Middle East, and in the Gulf region in particular, we 

have concentrated on actively contributing to education, health and 

See current WSDC 2008 Scrapbook at 

http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/We 

lcome.html 

Welcome to the World Schools Debating 

Championships – Washington, D.C. 2008 

website This site has been created to 

enable you to keep abreast of what 

happened. 

Our headquarters 

Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan 

National Airport 

2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy. 

Arlington, VA 22202 

+1 703 418 1234 

You can also find the schedule of events 

here. We will be filling in the details as they 

happen. I promise you we will do 

everything possible to make it a wonderful 

memory of your debating experience. 

Sincerely, 

Phyllis Hirth 

Convenor, WSDC 2008 

! 2008 (69) 

Blog Archive 

! October (3) 

Kuwait Schools Debate League Lands a 

Major Sponsor... 

http://wsdc2008.blogspot.com/ 

Page 1 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

have concentrated on actively contributing to education, health and 

community programs," commented John Hoholick, President of 

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Kuwait Limited. "When we 

were approached by the British School of Kuwait, which also acts as 

the agent for WSDC, to sponsor a member of their debate league we 

were happy to learn more about their initiatives. After meeting Ascia 

Al-Farraj, captain of the Kuwait Schools' Debating League (KSDL) and 

Emma Bowie Director of KSDL we saw their commitment to the 

league and we knew that this was an important project to support." 

"During our stay in Washington D.C., we were involved in probably 

the most intense and competitive school event in the world. At this 

year's competition 41 teams have registered for the 2008 WSDC. As 

well as competing against other nations, the KSDL represented their 

country at several official functions where they were called upon to 

meet with ambassadors and other dignitaries. The whole experience 

was an unforgettable one for the team. It truly is a life-changing 

event, and I would like to thank ExxonMobil for the generosity that 

they have shown in support of our team." commented Emma Bowie, 

Director of the Kuwait Schools' Debating Championship. "It's safe to 

say that our team did an excellent job, and I hope we get more 

students to join us in the future." 

ExxonMobil has a long history of supporting and improving 

educational programs. In all countries, basic education is necessary to 

spur development and economic growth. In 2007, ExxonMobil 

directed more than $70 million to education worldwide. 

Posted by Alfred Charles Snider at 8:06 AM 0 comments 

Friday, October 3, 2008 

WSDC Recignized by World Trade Centers Globally 

WSDC Recignized by World Trade 

Centers Globally 

India Attends WSDC for First Time 

! September (45) 

! August (21) 

Visitors 

Recent Visitors 

Burlington's Blogosphere 

Click to get FEEDJIT 

Recent Page Views 

Live Traffic Feed 


Burlington, Vermont arrived on "WSDC 

2008" 

Singapore arrived from google.com.sg 

on "WSDC 2008: Meet Aaron Maniam, 

Chief Adjudicator" 

Surabaya, Jawa Timur arrived from 

google.co.id on "WSDC 2008: Video of 

Grand Final WSDC 2008" 

Bangkok, Krung Thep arrived on 

"WSDC 2008: Video of Grand Final WSDC 

2008" 



2008" 

New Delhi, Delhi arrived from 

google.com on "WSDC 2008: Conduct 

Forms, Airport Travel, Observers, Country 

Exhibition" 



2008" 



2008" 

Washington, District of Columbia 

arrived from google.com on "WSDC 2008" 

Auckland arrived from 

schoolsdebate.com on "WSDC 2008" 

Students from England and New Zealand at final debating 

competition hosted by WTC-DC 


Watch in Real-Time 

Options>> 

From 

http://world.wtca.org/portal/site/wtcaonline/template.MAXIMIZE/m 

enuitem.123e0d353e56e5d80d6665b631208a0c/? 

javax.portlet.tpst=072f2c5fd18c843efe8326fbbd8ec13e_ws_MX&ja 

vax.portlet.prp_072f2c5fd18c843efe8326fbbd8ec13e_viewID=epipr 

oxybanner&javax.portlet.prp_072f2c5fd18c843efe8326fbbd8ec13e 

_epiproxyrealurl=http%3A%2F%2Fworld.wtca.org%2Fnews%2Fcur 

rent%2Fpage7.shtml&javax.portlet.prp_072f2c5fd18c843efe8326fb 

bd8ec13e_epiproxymethod=get&beanID=1028340186&viewID=epi 

proxybanner&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=token&javax.portlet.endC 


About Me 

Alfred Snider 

Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics 

at the University of Vermont. Proponent of 

Page 2 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

proxybanner&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=token&javax.portlet.endC 

acheTok=token 


all forms of debate. Director of the World 

Debate Institute. 

View my complete profile 

WTC-DC hosts world class debating competition 

High school students from 39 nations participate 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – WTC-DC, the Ronald Reagan Building and 

International Trade Center, sponsored the final round of the 2008 

World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) September 15, an 

event that featured talented high school-aged scholars from 39 

nations. The final debate, which examined a possible expansion of UN 

Security Council membership, culminated the ten-day tournament in 

dramatic fashion with Team England narrowly edging out Team New 

Zealand to claim top honors. 

The WSDC was founded in 1988 as a vehicle for youth to engage in 

meaningful dialogue. Each year the championships are held in a 

different international city hosted by a national debating body. Recent 

venues have included Sydney, Johannesburg, Singapore, and Lima. In 

recent years, the WSDC has held its closing sessions in the Israeli 

Knesset, the English Parliament and Australia’s Old Parliament House. 

This year, student delegations from Argentina to Zimbabwe flocked to 

Washington, D.C. to learn about American culture first-hand and to 

benefit from the unique perspectives and world views of their fellow 

competitors. 

Posted by Alfred Charles Snider at 7:20 PM 0 comments 


From 

http://www.indiaedunews.net/International/India%5Fenters%5FW 

orld%5FSchools%5FDebating%5FChampionships%5F5932/ 

India enters World Schools Debating Championships 

September 08, 2008 

New Delhi: Five students from recognized schools in Chennai will 

represent India for the first time ever in the World Schools Debating 


Page 3 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

represent India for the first time ever in the World Schools Debating 

Championships (WSDC) to be held in Washington DC, USA from 

September 5 - 15, 2008. 

Started as a unique training session by Ramco Systems, the selected 

students for the first time will make India proud and stand up on the 

debating stage. 

39 countries will be participating in the internationally acclaimed 2008 

WSDC. 

S. Pranav Kumar (Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Sr. Sec. School, K.K. 

Nagar, Std. IX), Sithara Rasheed (Sri Sankara Sr. Sec. School, Adyar, 

Std. XI), Rajalakshmi Natarajan (Sri Sankara Sr. Sec. School, Adyar, 

Std. XI), Shreya Murali (Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Sr. Sec. 

School, Nungambakkam, Std. IX) and Amrithavarshini (Padma 

Seshadri Bala Bhavan Sr. Sec. School, Nungambakkam, Std. IX) will 

represent the Indian team. 

India's first debate will be against Slovakia, followed by Bermuda, 

Pakistan, Australia, Mexico, Japan, USA and South Korea. 

Coached by Andrew Fitch, a renowned debater from the English 

Speaking Union, UK and managed by Ms. Padmini, Principal - Arsha 

Vidya Mandir the five students have had series of training modules 

preparing them for the championship. 

Ramco Systems will sponsor the entire visit of the students and 

coaches. 

Speaking on the occasion Mr. P.R. Venketrama Raja Vice Chairman, 

Managing Director & CEO, Ramco Systems said, "Events like these 

provide students an excellent opportunity to go international and 

interact with the best coaches and students from other prestigious 

schools. Ramco Systems is proud to sponsor this historic event for 

the first time in India which is aimed to give a wonderful platform for 

students to debate. Structure Debating helps our children to think 

logically and put forward their point of view with grace and elegance. 

Our children are our future and we need to put in our efforts for our 

country's better tomorrow". 

Coach Andrew Fitch, English Speaking Union added, "Its going to be a 

real challenge for the team but our team is all geared up and I think 

the sky is the limit for them." 

39 teams have registered for the 2008 WSDC in Washington DC. Few 

of the participating countries are Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, 

Canada, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, 

India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New 

Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South 

Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, United States, Zimbabwe etc. 

The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) is a global 

competition for high school debaters. The Championships take place 

each year in a different country, hosted by a national debating body. 

Recent venues include Sydney, London, Johannesburg, Singapore, 

Lima and in 2006 Cardiff, Wales. 

All Debates take place in English. Each country can submit a squad of 


Page 4 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

All Debates take place in English. Each country can submit a squad of 

3-5 students under 19 in full time education in that country to debate 

social, moral and political issues. Post patrons of the championships 

include Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela. 

The aims of the World Schools Debating Champions are to achieve 

excellence in debating, to encourage debating throughout the world, 

to promote international understanding and free speech. 


Monday, September 29, 2008 

Last Call for Changes to WSDC 2008 Scrapbook 

The scrapbook is at 


Please suggest changes by the 15th of October, and at that point 

it will go to pdf and the website will be frozen. 

Pictures, spelling errors, more and/or better text, all suggestions 

are welcomed. 

Email to alfred.snider@uvm.edu 



Video of Grand Final WSDC 2008 


Page 5 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

This House would expand the permanent membership of the UN 

Security Council. 

New Zealand proposes, England opposes. 5-4 decision for 

England. 

J. Scott Wunn of the USA National Forensic League serves as 

chair. 


Sunday, September 21, 2008 

Quarterfinal - Scotland vs. Canada 

This House regrets holding the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 


Page 6 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Scotland defeated Canada 4-1 in this quarterfinal match at the 

World Schools Debating Championships 2008 held in Washington 

DC in September. 


Tab Error - Filip Dobranic of Slovenia is EFL Top 

Speaker 

From CA Aaron Maniam: 

We've checked the tab and it is now official that Filip is the top EFL 

speaker (ranked 43rd overall). There was indeed a software error so 

while the round 4 scores were included in the team total, they did not 

get reflected in the individual tab. I'll do my best to work with future 

adjudication teams to rectify this glitch on future tabs. 

Claire will be sending the revised rankings to all the team managers 

for their info. 

Tuna - would it be possible for you to please do up a certificate for 

Filip, on his new top speaker status, and convey this through Bojana? 

Bojana - this was a tabbing error for which I deeply apologise. I 

would like to get Filip a new award, that he can keep as a reminder 

of his achievement. I can do this from Singapore and mail it to you. 

Could you let me know the best address to send the parcel to? 

Thanks everyone for your patience, 

Aaron 


Team Qatar Proud of Performance 


Page 7 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

From http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/printArticle.asp? 

cu_no=2&item_no=242844&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id 

=16 

Team Qatar sets world record at international debate contest 

Publish Date: Sunday,21 September, 2008, at 01:33 AM Doha Time 

Just and the team members talking to the media yesterday 

By Ourouba Hussein 

THE first Qatar National Debate team set a new world record for a 

team making its debut at the World Schools Championship by coming 

19th at the international event that concluded in Washington DC, 

recently. 

Senior instructor and programme manager Alex Just told reporters 

that the five-student Qatari team won four of their eight debates, and 

finished 19th in the 2008 World Schools Debating Championships 

(WSDC), ahead of teams from established debating countries like 

Kuwait, India, Germany, Japan and the USA. 

“Team Qatar won preliminary debates against high school debaters 

from Botswana, Japan, Zimbabwe and Montenegro, which is a new 

world record for a team making its debut at the tournament,” he 

explained. 

Qatari member of the group Talal Burshaid speaking about the 

competitions, said the team had four prepared debates and four 

extempore ones. ‘Delivering emergency aid in any humanitarian crisis’ 

was the first prepared topic which the Qatar team won against the 

Botswana team. 

The Qatar team debated against team England in the second 

prepared topic, which was about scientific research. 

“It was a close debate. England won the 2008 WSDC, but the 

members of the winning team said one of their hardest debates was 

the one they ran against Qatar,” he said. 

Just pointed out that team England had five-and-a-half years of 

debating experience, while the Qatar team had started practicing 

some 10 months ago. 

He said that the Qatari team competed in two debates against each 

of A, B, C and D teams, and recorded their best performances against 

the A teams. “That made the judges say that the Qatar team has 

done very well.” 

The five students said they have learnt a lot from the trip and 

debates. 

Burshaid said he learned not to underestimate or overestimate rival 

teams, but to just give his best. 

Fatima Hijran spoke about gaining more knowledge related to 


Page 8 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Fatima Hijran spoke about gaining more knowledge related to 

business, ethics and science. 

Tina Niaki cited her gains as exchanging of ideas and acquiring more 

knowledge. 

All the team members agreed that taking part in WSDC made them 

learn how to defend their position, form their own opinions and 

respect others’ opinions. 

The team members described the competition ambience as funny and 

enjoyable and declared their willingness to participate in the next 

WSDC which will be held next year in Greece, if they win the 

selection process in Qatar. 


Saturday, September 20, 2008 

WSDC Semifinal Debate Now Online - New Zealand vs. 

Scotland 

New Zealand proposition, Scotland opposition. 

This House would drop all US sanctions on Cuba. Semifinal round 

at WSDC 2008 in Washington DC USA. The debate was won by 

New Zealand 7-0. 


Friday, September 19, 2008 

Official Team Results from WSDC 2008 


Page 9 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

From Chief Adjusicator AARON MANIAM: 

Final Ranking Prelim Ranking Prelim Wins Prelim Judges Points 

1 England 3 8 21 6169.5 

2 New Zealand 1 8 23 6237 

3 Greece 10 6 18 6091.5 

4 Scotland 12 5 15 6144.5 

5 South Africa 2 8 22 6147.5 

6 Canada 4 7 21 6160 

7 Israel 6 7 19 6075 

8 Ireland 9 6 18 6172 

9 Pakistan 5 7 19 6116.5 

10 Singapore 7 6 19 6138 

11 Australia 8 6 18 6196.5 

12 Slovenia 11 6 16 5981 

13 South Korea 13 5 15 6028.5 

14 Wales 14 5 14 6044 

15 Hong Kong 15 5 14 6035.5 

16 Netherlands 16 5 14 5917.5 

17 Argentina 17 5 13 5853.5 

18 Sri Lanka 18 4 12 5999.5 

19 Qatar 19 4 12 5882.5 

20 Slovakia 20 4 10 5756 

21 Bangladesh 21 4 9 5990.5 

22 Peru 22 3 11 5982.5 

23 Kuwait 23 3 11 5851.5 

24 Botswana 24 3 10 5879.5 

25 Germany 25 3 9 5965.5 

26 USA 26 3 9 5935 

27 Mexico 27 3 9 5793 

28 Czech Republic 28 3 6 5747 

29 India 29 2 10 5795.5 

30 Montenegro 30 2 7 5813.5 

31 Zimbabwe Swing Team 31 2 7 5713 

32 Philippines 32 2 6 5970 

33 Estonia 33 2 6 5858.5 

34 Indonesia 34 2 6 5857.5 

35 Lithuania 35 1 8 5930 

36 Bermuda 36 1 7 5878 

37 Romania 37 0 4 5779.5 

38 Mongolia 38 0 0 5556.5 


Page 10 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

39 Japan 39 0 0 5465.5 


Thursday, September 18, 2008 

WSDC Scrapbook Almost Done 

See it at http://debate.uvm.edu/debateblog/wsdc/Welcome.html 

Please check your page and pictures. It is not too late to send me 

either a new photo or your write-up. I want to fiond some errors, 

because I know they are there. 

I am still looking for photos of: 

Break Night Party 

9/11 Memorial 

England holding their trophy. 

Other photos you might feel are of interest. Just attach them to 

an email and send them along. 

More to come. 


Wednesday, September 17, 2008 

Video - Slovenia vs. USA on NATO Membership for 

Georgia 


Page 11 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

This was a special round that had to be made up when round four 

for these two teams could not take place because of an accident. 

This was held after round eight. Slovenia won the debate 3-0. 

This House would admit Georgia into NATO. 


Tuesday, September 16, 2008 

The Road to the 2008 Championship 

Thanks to Colm Flynn for the octas bracket design. 


Prelim Records from WSDC 2008 


Page 12 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Here are the prelim records from WSDC 2008 in Washington. 

Country Wins Judges Points 

1 New Zealand 8 23 6237 

2 South Africa 8 22 6147.5 

3 England 8 21 6169.5 

4 Canada 7 21 6160 

5 Pakistan 7 19 6116.5 

6 Israel 7 19 6075 

7 Singapore 6 19 6138 

8 Australia 6 18 6196.5 

9 Ireland 6 18 6172 

10 Greece 6 18 6091.5 

11 Slovenia 6 16 5981 

12 Scotland 5 15 6144.5 

13 South Korea 5 15 6028.5 

14 Wales 5 14 6044 

15 Hong Kong 5 14 6035.5 

16 Netherlands 5 14 5917.5 

17 Argentina 5 13 5853.5 

18 Sri Lanka 4 12 5999.5 

19 Qatar 4 12 5882.5 

20 Slovakia 4 10 5756 

21 Bangladesh 4 9 5990.5 

22 Peru 3 11 5982.5 

23 Kuwait 3 11 5851.5 

24 Botswana 3 10 5879.5 

25 Germany 3 9 5965.5 

26 USA 3 9 5935 

27 Mexico 3 9 5793 

28 Czech Republic 3 6 5747 

29 India 2 10 5795.5 

30 Montenegro 2 7 5813.5 

31 Swing 2 7 5713 

32 Philippines 2 6 5970 


Page 13 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

33 Estonia 2 6 5858.5 

34 Indonesia 2 6 5857.5 

35 Lithuania 1 8 5930 

36 Bermuda 1 7 5878 

37 Romania 0 4 5779.5 

38 Mongolia 0 0 5556.5 

39 Japan 0 0 5465.5 



England Wins WSDC 2008 

On a 5-4 decision England in opposition has defeated New 

Zealand in the grand finale at the Ronald Reagan Building and 

International Trade Center in Washington DC USA. 

The motion was 

This House would expand the number of permanent members of 

the UN security council. 

More details coming, along with full slate of awards and lots of 

photos. 

Videos will also be coming soon along with a few surprises. 



New Zealand meets England in Finals 


Page 14 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

In the semifinals at the World Schools Debating Championship in 

Washington DC USA, the results are: 

New Zealand 7-0 over Scotland 

England 5-2 over Greece 

The final is tomorrow afternoon at the Reagan Center. 

The motion was: This House would have the United States lift 

economic sanctions on Cuba. 



The Bracket 


Quarterfinal Results from Washington 


Page 15 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

New Zealand charges ahead 

Scotland, England with comfortable 

wins 

Greece Squeaks into semifinals 

This House regrets holding the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 

New Zealand defeats Ireland 4-1 

Scotland defeats Canada 4-1 

England defeats Israel 4-1 

Greece defeats South Africa 3-2 

Semifinals will feature: 

1. New Zealand vs. 12. Scotland 

3. England vs. 10. Greece 

The round will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at 8 PM. 


Quarterfinal Matches Coming Up This Afternoon 


Page 16 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

But what would the headlines be? 

How about: 

2007 Finalist Singapore is out of the 

competition 

England, Canada squeak through on 3-2 

decisions 

Lower seeds advance -- Greece 10, Scotland 

12, Ireland 9 

New Zealand wins 5-0, now 9-0 for the 

competition 

There is a lunch break now and we will be back with the results 

of the quarterfinals later today. 


Octafinal Results 

Read over the phone by Aaron Maniam, Chief Adjudicator: 

THBT heads of government should be required to have a 

parliamentary majority in order to govern. 

New Zealand defeats the Netherlands 5-0 

Ireland defeats Australia 4-1 

Canada defeats South Korea 3-2 

Scotland defeats Pakistan 4-1 

England defeats Wales 3-2 

Israel defeats Slovenia 5-0 

South Africa defeats Hong Kong 3-2 


Page 17 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

South Africa defeats Hong Kong 3-2 

Greece defeats Singapore 3-2 

A new bracket will be coming soon. 


Older Posts 

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) 


Page 18 of 18

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

SEARCH BLOG 

FLAG BLOG 

Next Blog» 

WSDC 2008 


2008. 


Preview of the Final Round Venue 

Welcome 



lcome.html 





happened. 






+1 703 418 1234 






Sincerely, 

Phyllis Hirth 


! 2008 (69) 

Blog Archive 

! October (3) 

See a 360 degree look at the room we will be using, the Atrium 

http://wsdc2008.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-12T13%3A41%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20 




Page 1 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

See a 360 degree look at the room we will be using, the Atrium 

Hall, before set-up at 

http://www.itcdc.com/view_event.php?r=4&v=5 





! August (21) 

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is owned and operated by 

the U.S. General Services Administration. It represents the collaborative efforts of the 

U.S. Government, educational institutions, trade associations, and the private sector to 

provide a world-class forum and unlimited resources for international business 

development. Our mission is to promote opportunities for global trade, commerce, 

communications, and international cultural exchange. 

In addition, the International Trade Center serves as the official World Trade Center 

Washington, DC, as designated by the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)—one 

of the world’s leading international organizations supporting international business. 

The not-for-profit and non-political WTCA comprises over 300 World Trade Centers 

in nearly 100 countries. 


WSDC 2008 Scrapbook is Taking Shape 

As we construct the WSDC 2008 scrapbook we will be posting it 

so that people can find errors, help identify photos and to see 

who has turned in their photos and bios and who has not. 

Visitors 








2008" 









2008" 



2008" 




Exhibition" 



2008" 



2008" 







Options>> 

We are already learning a lot. For example, we now know the 

difference between a kimono and a hanbok and will make that 

change. Some teams have found grammatical and spelling errors 

in their bios and we will be fixing that. 

About Me 

Alfred Snider 

We also need photos from the break night party and the 9/11 

memorial. Feel free to send thm to the editor listed below. ANy 

and all photos are welcome. 

If you are still not in the book, email information and photos to 





Page 2 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

If you are still not in the book, email information and photos to 

alfred.snider@uvm.edu . 




See the current version at 



Octas & Quarters Results Coming Today 

We hope to have octas and quarters results moments after they 

are received by the tab out at UDC. 

Check back for them. 



The Road to 2008 World Championship 


Page 3 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Thanks to Colm Flynn of http://worlddebating.blogspot.com/ 


Friday - Octas & Quarters at Univ. of DC 

FRIDAY AT UNIVERSITY OF DC 

Leave from lobby at 9 AM 

Transfer at Metro Center, take RED Line car marked “Shady 

Grove” 

Get off at UDC/Van Ness stop. 

As we leave the UDC/Van Ness metro stop there will be a student 

there with a large red umbrella who will direct people. We will 

make one turn at another red umbrella, then walk into the 

auditorium building, which is 46 East first floor auditorium. 

In auditorium by 10 AM 

Pairings and motions at 10:30 AM 

11:30 AM-12:30 PM Octafinals 

12:30-1 PM Adjudication and feedback 

Lunch 1-2 PM 

Announce quarterfinals 2 PM 

Quarterfinals start by 3:15 PM 

4:15-5 PM Adjudication and feedback 

5 PM leave UDC 


Video Coverage for Hong Kong-Lithuania Debate 


Page 4 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Some members of Team Hong Kong 

See the video at 

http://media.hometownannapolis.com/flash/080910debate.html 

Thanks to Shannon Lee Zirkle 

Multimedia and Video Producer 

Capital Gazette Communications, Inc. 

2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401 

443-482-3131/ szirkle@capitalgazette.com 



2008 WSDC Break 

Unofficial results read over the phone. 

From Washington DC USA here is the break as announced by our 

convener Phyllis Hirth at The Sports Bar in Crystal City: 

PLACE COUNTRY WINS BALLOTS 

1. New Zealand 8-23 

2 South Africa 8-22 

3 England 8 21 

4 Canada 7 21 

5 Pakistan 7 19 

6 Israel 7 19 


Page 5 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

6 Israel 7 19 

7 Singapore 6 19 

8 Australia 6 18 

9 Ireland 6 18 

10 Greece 6 18 

11 Slovenia 6 16 

12 Scotland 5 15 

13 South Korea 5 15 

14 Wales 5 14 

15 Hong Kong 5 14 

16 Netherlands 5 14 


Break Coming Tonight! 

The tab room is compiling the results now. 

In a make-up round Slovenia is prop and USA is opp on the 

motion: 

This House would admit Georgia to NATO. 

After the debate these results will be factored in (both teams are 

fighting for a slot in the break rounds) and the announcement will 

be made at the break party at the SPORTS BAR very close to the 

hotel. 

Check back for the latest. We will post the break minutes after it 

is available. 


Tuesday's Country Exhibition Meant Lots of Fun! 


Page 6 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

The WSDC 2008 Country Exhibition was held Tuesday evening in 

the hotel and was an unqualified success. Thirty-two countries 

exhibited their culture, history, geography, music, interests, flags, 

fashions and a whole lot more. Friendships were made and others 

solidified. 

Students, judges and coaches were invited to come and share 

their culture. The call for the event was: 

In order to facilitate the sharing of cultures and histories that is such 

an important part of the World Schools Debating Championship the 

tournament will be sponsoring a “Country Exhibition.” 

The idea is for each delegation to bring some items from their 

country to share with others. Each country will be given a table for 

their display, and all tournament attendees will be invited to stroll 

around the room and see as well as share. People can alternate 

between being at their country tables as well as strolling around and 

visiting the tables of other countries. 

You should consider bringing flags, pictures, objects, handicrafts and 


Page 7 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

You should consider bringing flags, pictures, objects, handicrafts and 

whatever else you think tells the story of your country. People are 

invited to come in their national dress as well as bring music and 

perhaps even feel free to dance. Please include information about 

debating in your country. Bring things that open the possibilities of 

sharing, telling stories and communicating what life is like in your 

country. Of course, the most important thing that you can bring to 

the country exhibition is you, a living representative of your country. 

The fun was had and the cultures mingled at the event. Everyone 

had a great time and it was a high point of the WSDC 2oo8. 

Photos of the event can be seen at: 


We suggest you play the slide show to see the fun. 


Bickel & Brewer Foundation Holds Reception 


Page 8 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Kit Sawers of NPPF (left) and James Probert of the English- 

Speaking Union 

The Bickel and Brewer Foundation hosted a wonderful reception at 

WSDC 2008 on Monday night. The purposes were to congratulate 

all the students and coaches on their achievements and to inform 

them that the National Public Policy Forum debate contest has 

now been opened to high schools students from every country in 

the world. The contest features written debates followed by oral 

debates later on. There are large cash prizes and trips to New 

York City available. The context is sponsored by the Bickel and 

Brewer Foundation in association with New York University, the 

National Forensic League and the National Association for Urban 

Debate Leagues. The international segment is also being 

implemented with the assistance of the International Debate 

Education Association, the English-Speaking Union and the World 

Debate Institute at the University of Vermont. 

Snacks were served along with soft drinks to students along with 

beer and wine to adults. At the end of a long day of competition 

the students, coaches and judges were ready to socialize and 

share their stories, listened to Kit Sawers' presentation and then 

asked her many questions privately about the contest. 

The website for the event is at http://nppf.net/ 

Here is some information from the website: 

The National Public Policy Forum (NPPF) is the only national contest 

that gives high school students the opportunity to participate in 

written and oral debates on issues of public policy. Founded in 2001 

by the Bickel & Brewer law firm, the NPPF is designed to supplement 

the research and oral advocacy skills developed in policy debate with 

another – that of written advocacy. 

Jointly administered by the Bickel & Brewer Foundation and New York 

University, the NPPF has grown exponentially since its inception. 

Hundreds of high school students participate each year, competing for 

more than $30,000 in awards and scholarships, an all-expense-paid 

trip to New York City and the “Bickel & Brewer Cup.” 

New for the 2008-2009 competition, NPPF now invites schools from 

around the world to compete. All teams, regardless of their origin, 

are considered alike; simply follow the same, easy instructions on the 

“Contest Rules” page. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

QUALIFYING ROUND 

How is the Qualifying Round judged? 

Members of the NYU debate team will read each paper and rank it 

accordingly based on this form: Judge's Ballot. Papers that receive 


Page 9 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

accordingly based on this form: Judge's Ballot. Papers that receive 

the highest overall scores will advance to the Elimination Rounds of 

competition. 

What makes a good Qualifying Round essay? 

There is no specific way to write a great qualifying round essay, but 

here are some successful essays from last year: Team A Team B 

How do I confirm that my entry has been received for the Qualifying 

Round? 

After submitting the paper to sem@bickelbrewer.com, you will receive 

a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours. 

GENERAL 

Is this tournament more like public forum or policy debate? 

The NPPF is unlike any other form of debate. While the NPPF bases 

its topic on the current NFL Policy/Team Debate topic, it welcomes 

debaters from across the spectrum of debate and forensic events. 

Thus, the competition is judged on factors including, but not limited 

to, well-founded arguments, effective communication and grammar. 

Is a school required to have a debate program or team in order to 

compete? 

No, the NPPF is open to all high schools, whether an actual debate 

team exists or not. Participants and teachers might want to consider 

making the NPPF a class project. In the past, we have had people 

from many different events (student congress, Lincoln-Douglas 

debate, etc.) make it to the Finals in New York. 

Is there a maximum team size? 

No, however, each team member listed must have contributed to the 

essay. Once teams reach the final rounds in New York, only three 

students and two coaches per school will receive an all-expense-paid 

trip from the NPPF. Traveling team members must be on the team 

roster and must have participated in the previous rounds of written 

work. For further details, please review the Contest Guidelines. 

My school has a large debate team. Can multiple teams from a school 

enter the contest? 

No, only one entry is allowed per school. 

What happens when a submitted essay exceeds the word limit? 

The Affirmative/Negative Constructive papers should be no more than 

2,800 words, not counting the title page or the works-cited pages. 

Affirmative Rebuttal papers should be no more than 1,700 words, not 

counting the title page or the works-cited pages. Negative Rebuttal 

papers should be no more than 1,400 words, not counting the title 

page or the works-cited pages. (We will use the Microsoft Word 

counting 

tool.) Any text over the word limit will be deleted before arguments 

are sent to the judges. 

How and when do teams find out if they have made it to the 

Elimination and Final Rounds? 

All teams who advance to the Elimination and Final Rounds will be 

notified via e-mail. The schools that make it to the initial Elimination 

Round will be notified Wednesday, November 5, 2008; the Elite Eight 


Page 10 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Round will be notified Wednesday, November 5, 2008; the Elite Eight 

participants will be notified on Wednesday, January 7, 2009; and the 

Final Four participants will be notified on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. 

Debate arguments are continually evolving. What happens if a major 

event requires updates and/or changes to the argument once the 

essays are submitted? 

Debate teams are allowed to update any evidence utilized throughout 

the Elimination and Final Rounds, as long as the argument remains 

the same. For specific questions about any needed changes, e-mail 

the contest director at krs@bickelbrewer.com. 

Does the NPPF have any affiliations with the NFL? 

Yes, Scott Wunn (Executive Director, NFL) and Scott Deatherage 

(Executive Director, NAUDL) are both members of our Advisory 

Board. In addition, the NPPF is a sponsor of both the NFL and the 

NAUDL. 

If you still have questions, just e-mail krs@bickelbrewer.com! 

NPPF Advisory Board 

Will Baker 

Director of Debate 

New York University 

William A. Brewer III 

Partner 

Bickel & Brewer 

Jim Copeland 

Secretary Emeritus 

National Forensic League 

Jenny Heidt 

Debate Coach 

Westminster Schools 

Dave Huston 

Debate Coach 

Colleyville Heritage High School 

John Sexton 

President 

New York University 

Alfred “Tuna” Snider 

Professor of Forensics 

University of Vermont 

Melissa Maxcy Wade 

Director of Forensics 

Emory University 

Scott Deatherage 

Executive Director 

National Association for Urban Debate Leagues 

Scott Wunn 



Page 11 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 


National Forensic League 



Standings After Four Rounds 

Loading buses in the morning 

See individual results at 

http://debate.uvm.edu/wsdc08results.html 

FOUR WINS 

Australia 

Canada 

England 

Ireland 

New Zealand 

Pakistan 

Singapore 

South Africa 

THREE WINS 

Argentina 

Bangladesh 

Israel 

Peru 

Scotland 

Slovakia 

Wales 

TWO WINS 

Botswana 

Czech Republic 

Germany 


Page 12 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Germany 

Greece 

Hong Kong 

Mexico 

Netherlands 

Sri Lanka 

South Korea 

Qatar 

ONE WIN 

Bermuda 

Kuwait 

Lithuania 

Montenegro 

Philippines 

Slovenia 

ZERO WINS 

The rest of the pack, and good luck to them! 


Rounds 3 & 4 Results 

Thanks to Claire Ryan for these results. 

Rounds 3 and 4 

Round 3 Prepared Debate 

This house would ban the use of unethically obtained data in 

scientific research. 

PROPOSITION TEAM OPPOSITION TEAM 

South Africa 3 Japan 0 

Singapore 3 Montenegro 0 

Canada 3 Mongolia 0 

England 3 Qatar 0 

New Zealand 3 Bangladesh 0 


Page 13 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Slovakia 0 Ireland 3 

South Korea 3 Estonia 0 

Argentina 2 Indonesia 1 

Peru 0 Kuwait 3 

Bermuda 0 Greece 3 

Israel 3 Romania 0 

Mexico 1 Scotland 2 

Swing 0 Hong Kong 3 

India 1 Pakistan 2 

Botswana 0 Australia 3 

Czech Republic 0 Slovenia 3 

USA 1 Germany 2 

Wales 2 Netherlands 1 

Lithuania 1 Philippines 2 

Bye: Sri Lanka 

Round 4 

Impromptu motion: 

This house believes that humanities courses should be part of 

every 

undergraduate programme. 

PROPOSITION TEAM OPPOSITION TEAM 

Japan 0 New Zealand 3 

Montenegro 0 England 3 

Indonesia 0 Peru 3 

Sri Lanka 0 Canada 3 

Kuwait 1 Slovakia 2 

Bangladesh 0 South Africa 3 

Estonia 1 Israel 2 


Page 14 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Qatar 0 Singapore 3 

Greece 2 South Korea 1 

Romania 1 Argentina 2 

Ireland 3 Bermuda 0 

Hong Kong 1 Mexico 2 

Scotland 3 Swing 0 

Australia 3 India 0 

Pakistan 3 Botswana 0 

Slovenia USA (postponed) 

Germany 1 Czech Republic 2 

Netherlands 0 Lithuania 3 

Philippines 0 Wales 3 


Sunday, September 7, 2008 

Round One & Two Results 

WINNING TEAMS ARE MARKED IN BOLD WITH BALLOTS NEXT 

TO THEM 

ROUND ONE 

PROPOSITION TEAM OPPOSITION TEAM VENUE 

Israel South Africa 2-1 GMU 

Philippines Singapore 3-0 GMU 


Page 15 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Philippines Singapore 3-0 GMU 

Romania Hong Kong 3-0 GMU 

Slovenia England 2-1 GMU 

Greece New Zealand 2-1 GMU 

Bermuda Slovakia 2-1 GMU 

Scotland 2-1 South Korea GMU 

Czech Republic Argentina 3-0 GMU 

Mongolia Peru 3-0 GMU 

Pakistan 3-0 Wales GMU 

Sri Lanka 3-0 Lithuania GMU 

Canada 3-0 USA GMU 

Japan Montenegro 3-0 GMU 

Qatar 2-1 Botswana GMU 

Netherlands 2-1 Mexico GMU 

Bangladesh 2-1 Zimbabwe GMU 

Indonesia Ireland 3-0 GMU 

Estonia Australia 3-0 GMU 

Germany 3-0 Kuwait GMU 

Bye: India 

Round 2 – Impromptu Debate – SUNDAY PM 


South Africa 3-0 USA GMU 

Singapore 3-0 Slovenia GMU 

Canada 2-1 Greece GMU 

England 2-1 Hong Kong GMU 

New Zealand 3-0 Estonia GMU 

Montenegro Netherlands 3-0 GMU 

South Korea 2-1 Romania GMU 

Argentina Pakistan 3-0 GMU 

Peru Sri Lanka 2-1 GMU 

India Bermuda 3-0 GMU 

Israel 2-1 Scotland GMU 

Wales 3-0 Germany GMU 

Lithuania Bangladesh 2-1 GMU 

Kuwait Czech Republic 2-1 GMU 

Zimbabwe Botswana 3-0 GMU 

Mexico 3-0 Mongolia GMU 

Japan Qatar 3-0 GMU 

Australia 3-0 Indonesia GMU 

Ireland 2-1 Philippines GMU 

Bye: Slovakia 


Adjudication Briefing Parts One & Two 


Page 16 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Part One is a briefing by Aaron Maniam, chief adjudicator, and 

part two is a discussion for newer judges. From WSDC 2008 in 

Washington. Thanks to Steve Llano of St. John's University for 

filming these. 


Opening Banquet a Stirring Affair 


Page 17 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Convener Phyllis Hirth 

Some of what happened at the opening banquet at WSDC 2008 

was to be expected. The fellowship was hearty and genuine and 

the food was excellent. We were warmly welcomed by convener 

Phyllis Hirth and executive Chris Erskine. But there were surprises 

in store for all. 

Michelle Rhee was one of those surprises. She 

is the chancellor of the DC Public Schools 

system. She gave a remarkable speech in that 

she acknowledged that she led one of the worst 

school systems in the nation and faces huge 

challenges, but she noted that her first priority 

was improving teacher quality in the system. 

She talked about the bad conditions in DC 

schools and acknowledged that ceilings were 

literally falling in. She acknowledged that she was in the presence 

of many future world leaders and asked them to remember that a 

quality education with quality teachers has to be the foundation of 

national and community development. Her remarks were 

unscripted but excellent, and she showed outstanding public 

speaking ability. An incredibly busy person, she had delayed 

picking up her two young children so that she could be the 

keynote speaker at WSDC 2008. 

Here is her bio: 

Chancellor Michelle Rhee was appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty June 

12, 2007. She leads D.C. Public Schools, a district numbering 50,000 

students and 144 schools. In the Mayor’s search for a change agent 

for schools in the District, experts in education recommended Ms. 

Rhee, who had already transformed many urban public school 

systems through her work with The New Teacher Project (TNTP). 

Chancellor Joel Klein, whose work in New York City’s public schools is 

a model for effective change, said of her appointment that it was “the 

choice D.C. needs, given that, year in and year out, they have not 

gotten results.” Results drive the Chancellor every day. Whether she 

is developing effective measurements to track student achievement 

and teacher quality; talking with principals and teachers in one-onone 

meetings; developing new measures to hold herself and staff 

accountable for their roles in student achievement; traveling 

throughout the community to engage parents and other stakeholders 

in our schools; establishing partnerships with neighborhood 

organizations; meeting with business leaders as she transforms a 

broken organizational structure into one that works for students and 

families; or ensuring that needed repairs are completed to create 

physical learning environments serve students, Chancellor Rhee’s 


Page 18 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

vision rests on results. 

She had these results in mind when she founded The New Teacher 

Project (TNTP) in 1997, and it is now a nationally recognized leader in 

understanding and developing innovative solutions to the challenges 

of new teacher hiring. As Chief Executive Officer and President, she 

partnered with school districts, state education agencies, non-profit 

organizations, and unions, to transform the way schools and other 

organizations recruit, select, and train highly qualified teachers in 

difficult-to-staff schools. Her work implemented widespread reform in 

teacher hiring, improving teacher hiring in Atlanta, Baltimore, 

Chicago, Miami, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia. Thanks to 

TNTP, 23,000 new, high-quality teachers were placed in these schools 

across the country. 

Ms. Rhee’s commitment to excellence in education began in a 

Baltimore classroom in 1992, as a Teach-for-America teacher. The 

lesson she learned at Harlem Park Community School informs her 

mission today: with the right teacher, students in urban classrooms 

can meet teachers’ high expectations for achievement, and the 

driving force behind that achievement is the quality of the Educator 

who works inside it. 

Chancellor Rhee currently serves on the Advisory Boards for the 

National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ); the National Center for 

Alternative Certification (NCAC); Project REACH of the University of 

Phoenix’s School of Education. She is an Ex-Officio Member of the 

Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. Chancellor Rhee’s expertise on 

education is also informed by a Bachelor’s degree in Government 

from Cornell University, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from 

the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

The next big surprise was the appearance of a group from the 

Piscataway nation to represent and communicate about the native 

people of America. While our convener Phyllis Hirth is proud to be 

very pro-American and a patriot, she made sure that world guests 

were greeted and educated by the original people of this land. 

They talked about their culture and language, about remaining in 

balance with the land and the animals and also about community, 

conflict and celebration. The indigenous music, dances and stories 

of this land were shared with the audience. 


Page 19 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

of this land were shared with the audience. 

Symbolic dances were performed and songs were sung. A good 

portion of the crowd was engaged in the snake dance as well as 

the war dance. The war dance was introduced as one of the ways 

that native peoples solved their conflicts, with the other being a 

long game of stick ball, but that formal war was rarely engaged 

in. I am sure many of us will remember the stirring rendition of 

the war dance given by one of the Mongolian debaters after a bit 

of training. Watch out opponents! Hopefully someday we can 

replace wars with stick ball games, or perhaps debates! 


Results from Round Zero 

Botswana over Japan 3-0 

Slovakia over India 2-1 

Sri Lanka over Mongolia 3-0 

Bangladesh over Qatar 2-1 



Tropical Storm Hanna at WSDC 


Page 20 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Hurricane Hanna had become a tropical storm by the time it hit 

Washington, DC, but it still had an influence on things. 

The day trips to Washington had to be canceled and there were 

some fun activities scheduled for them, and they seemed to be 

having a lot of good times. I did drive out to buy some 

tournament supplies and I can assure you that when Phyllis urged 

people to stay indoors it was a good piece of advice. The drive 

was perilous and visibility was very difficulty. I got back to the 

hotel and decided that I would, indeed, stay indoors for the rest 

of the day. The forecasts indicated as much as 5-7 inches of rain 

this afternoon. 

Outside my window it was coming down as sheets of rain. 


Round Zero Motion 

Team Bangladesh before Round Zero. they debated.... 


Page 21 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Team Qatar, seen just before Round Zero 

Round Zero is the round held before the tournament in which all 

of the teams who receive byes debate each other. 

The motion: this House would ban government funding from being 

given to faith based initiatives. 


Botswana Japan Hotel Potomoc 1 

Slovakia India Hotel Potomoc 2 

Mongolia Sri Lanka Hotel Potomoc 3 

Qatar Bangladesh Hotel Potomoc 4 

Results coming later today. 



Registration Underway, Zimbabwe Drops 


Page 22 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Geetha and Jana pose with CA Aaron at the registration desk 

Registration is underway and the global schools community is 

greeting, hugging, exchanging stories and even buying a drink or 

two. The hotel is truly beautiful and the rooms are excellent. 

Zimbabwe dropped their team, which is creating some challenges 

for Aaron Maniam. If there is a swing team in the area, now 

would be a good time for them to call Tuna at 802-238-8345. 

Today is the day for a number of friendly matches as teams try 

and get in some last practices. The theory seems to be find 

someone who is on the opposite side of one of the prepared 

motions and debate against them. BUT, coaches have told me 

that they want to debate against teams who WILL NOT disclose 

the arguments made to the team they will actually be debating. 

There is a strategy to even a friendly practice debate. 


WSDC 2008 Blog - The World Tunes In 

As of 5:50 PM 

Washington 

time: 

South Korea [3%] 

Argentina [3%] 

Japan [2%] 

Kuwait [2%] 

Czech Republic [2%] 

Indonesia [2%] 

South Africa [2%] 

Germany [2%] 

Pakistan [2%] 

Israel [2%] 

Hong Kong S.A.R., China [1%] 

Qatar [1%] 

European Union [1%] 

Peru [1%] 

United States 

[35%] 

United 

Kingdom 

[11%] 

Slovenia [6%] 

Canada [4%] 

Netherlands 

[3%] 


Page 23 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:52 AM 

Peru [1%] 

Egypt [1%] 

Cyprus [1%] 

Australia [1%] 

Ireland [1%] 

Estonia [1%] 

Macedonia [1%] 

Greece [1%] 

Bermuda [1%] 

Lithuania [1%] 

Singapore [1%] 

India [1%] 

Mexico [1%] 

Slovakia [1%] 

New Zealand [1%] 

Bangladesh [1%] 


Newer Posts 


Home 

Older Posts 


Page 24 of 24

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

SEARCH BLOG 

FLAG BLOG 

Next Blog» 

WSDC 2008 


2008. 


Live Blogging from WSDC 2008 Washington 

I drive to Washington today, and I 

will be at the WSDC for the 

duration. 

by round. 

As they say: 

Stand by for live reports and 

pictures from the tournament, and 

learn about it as it happens, round 

Welcome 



lcome.html 

The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) is a truly global 

competition for high school debaters. The Championships take place 

each year in a different country, hosted by a national debating body. 

Recent venues include Sydney, London, Johannesburg, Singapore, 

Lima and in 2006 Cardiff, Wales. 

All debates take place in English. Each country can submit a squad of 

3-5 students under 19 in full time education in that country to debate 

social, moral and political issues. 

Past patrons of the Championships include Tony Blair and Nelson 

Mandela. 



New Zealand Squad off to Worlds 

From http://www.debating.org.nz/2008/09/02/nz-squad-off-toworlds 





happened. 






+1 703 418 1234 






Sincerely, 

Phyllis Hirth 


Blog Archive 

From NZ Nationals 2008 

NZ Squad off to Worlds 

September 02nd, 2008 | Category: 

Uncategorized 

The 2008 World Schools’ Debating 

! 2008 (69) 

! October (3) 




Page 1 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

squad consists of: 

The 2008 World Schools’ Debating 

Championships starts soon in 

Washington D.C. The New Zealand 





- A team of five debaters (Maria English, Holly Jenkins, Jen Savage, 

Ben Kornfeld, and Tom Chen) 

- Two coaches (Julia Fetherston and Kevin Moar) 

- Two adjudicators (Claire Ryan and Jeremy Johnson) 

The team leaves NZ this afternoon, and the tournament starts on 

September 5. 

As news filters in from Washington over the next couple of weeks 

we’ll be updating the website with all the news. 

New Zealand’s draw is below. Affirmatives on the left, negative on the 

right. 

Round 1: This house supports military intervention to deliver 

emergency aid in humanitarian crises 

Greece v New Zealand 

Round 2: Impromptu 

New Zealand v Estonia 

Round 3: This house would ban the use of unethically obtained data 

in scientific research 

New Zealand v Bangladesh 


Japan v New Zealand 

Round 5: This house would make the directors of multinational 

companies personally liable for environmental abuses committed by 

their companies in the developing world 

New Zealand v Scotland 


Singapore v New Zealand 

Round 7: This house believes that governments have a duty to bail 

out failing financial institutions 

Slovakia v New Zealand 


New Zealand v Indonesia 

New Zealand has a pretty tough draw, with debates against last 

year’s winning team and runner-up team. Greece have also been 

strong performers in recent years, and some describe Indonesia as 

the sleeping giants of the schools debating world. 

! August (21) 

Visitors 








2008" 









2008" 



2008" 




Exhibition" 



2008" 



2008" 







About Me 

Options>> 

All the very best to the team! 


Alfred Snider 

Follow Team Canada on their Blog 





Page 2 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 




Letter of encouragement from Canadian prime minister Harper 

From http://blog.canadadebate.ca/ 

September 3rd, 2008 by Daniel Lewis 

Today we finished the last day of preparation before we leave for 

Washignton tomorrow morning. All the hours we have spent writing 

briefing papers, reading the Economist and prepping cases comes 

down to now. This is the culmination of it all. As you can imagine, as 

Tim wrote yesterday, the feeling amongst the Team is one of 

anticipation, restlessness, excitement and slight anxiety. However, I 

think I speak for each one of us when I say that as we approach the 

climax of our journey, all the time we spent was most definitely 

worth it. 

Today we discussed and practiced the finals motion. This is inherently 

a tough debate, as the resolution “THW expand the permanent 

membership of the UN security council” is fairly open, and there is a 

lot of room to define. For the opposition case especially, there are 

many ways to go, and we explored them today. We also had a 

practice preparation period for the impromptu debates. We are 

starting to come together as a team. I think that after these four 

days of debate, we are finally shaking the rust off and hitting our best 

form. We are thankful for all of the practice time we have had, as 

stressful and tiring as it may have been, and feel ready for the task 

ahead of us. 

Bring on the world. 


Pairings With Venues 


Page 3 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

From WSDC 2008 Organizing Committee: 

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 

WASHINGTON DC 

Preliminary Round Draw 

VENUE KEY, INCLUDING ADDRESSES, ON THE LAST PAGE. 

All rounds that are GMU AM 10:30 AM start, GMU PM 2:30 PM 

start. 

All rounds at other locations (schools) are approximately the 

same, but will start in synchrony with the class schedule of that 

school. 

Round 0 – Impromptu Debate (Bye Round) – SATURDAY 1 PM 


Botswana Japan Hotel 

Slovakia India Hotel 

Mongolia Sri Lanka Hotel 

Qatar Bangladesh Hotel 

Round 1 – Prepared Debate – SUNDAY AM 

This house supports military intervention to deliver emergency aid 

in humanitarian crises. 


Israel South Africa GMU 


Page 4 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


Philippines Singapore GMU 

Romania Hong Kong GMU 

Slovenia England GMU 

Greece New Zealand GMU 

Bermuda Slovakia GMU 

Scotland South Korea GMU 

Czech Republic Argentina GMU 

Mongolia Peru GMU 

Pakistan Wales GMU 

Sri Lanka Lithuania GMU 

Canada USA GMU 

Japan Montenegro GMU 

Qatar Botswana GMU 

Netherlands Mexico GMU 

Bangladesh Zimbabwe GMU 

Indonesia Ireland GMU 

Estonia Australia GMU 

Germany Kuwait GMU 

Bye: India 

Round 2 – Impromptu Debate – SUNDAY PM 


South Africa USA GMU 

Singapore Slovenia GMU 

Canada Greece GMU 

England Hong Kong GMU 

New Zealand Estonia GMU 

Montenegro Netherlands GMU 

South Korea Romania GMU 

Argentina Pakistan GMU 

Peru Sri Lanka GMU 

India Bermuda GMU 

Israel Scotland GMU 

Wales Germany GMU 

Lithuania Bangladesh GMU 

Kuwait Czech Republic GMU 

Zimbabwe Botswana GMU 

Mexico Mongolia GMU 

Japan Qatar GMU 

Australia Indonesia GMU 

Ireland Philippines GMU 

Bye: Slovakia 

Round 3 – Prepared Debate – MONDAY AM 





Page 5 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


South Africa Japan GMU 

Singapore Montenegro GMU 

Canada Mongolia GMU 

England Qatar GMU 

New Zealand Bangladesh GMU 

Slovakia Ireland GMU 

South Korea Estonia GMU 

Argentina Indonesia GMU 

Peru Kuwait GMU 

Bermuda Greece GMU 

Israel Romania GMU 

Mexico Scotland A = C. Milton Wright HS 

Zimbabwe Hong Kong A = C. Milton Wright HS 

India Pakistan B = Patrick Henry HS 

Botswana Australia B = Patrick Henry HS 

Czech Republic Slovenia C = Eastern HS 

USA Germany C = Eastern HS 

Wales Netherlands D = Eastern HS 

Lithuania Philippines D = Eastern HS 


Round 4 – Impromptu Debate – MONDAY PM 


Japan New Zealand GMU 

Montenegro England GMU 

Indonesia Peru GMU 

Sri Lanka Canada GMU 

Kuwait Slovakia GMU 

Bangladesh South Africa GMU 

Estonia Israel GMU 

Qatar Singapore GMU 

Greece South Korea GMU 

Romania Argentina GMU 

Ireland Bermuda GMU 

Hong Kong Mexico A = C. Milton Wright HS 

Scotland Zimbabwe A = C. Milton Wright HS 

Australia India B = Patrick Henry HS 

Pakistan Botswana B = Patrick Henry HS 

Slovenia USA C = Eastern HS 

Germany Czech Republic C = Eastern HS 

Netherlands Lithuania D = Eastern HS 

Philippines Wales D = Eastern HS 

Bye: Mongolia 

Round 5 – Prepared Debate – TUESDAY AM 

This house would make the directors of multinational companies 

personally liable for environmental abuses committed by their 

companies in the developing world. 


Page 6 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


Zimbabwe Qatar GMU 

Montenegro Mongolia GMU 

England USA GMU 

Wales Slovenia GMU 

South Korea Israel GMU 

Kuwait Canada GMU 

Argentina Greece GMU 

Peru Philippines GMU 

Romania Indonesia GMU 

Estonia Bermuda GMU 

Sri Lanka Bangladesh GMU 

New Zealand Scotland A = Indian Creek HS 

Hong Kong Singapore A = Indian Creek HS 

Australia South Africa B = Patrick Henry HS 

Ireland Pakistan B = Patrick Henry HS 

Mexico India C = Eastern HS 

Botswana Slovakia C = Eastern HS 

Netherlands Czech Republic D = Eastern HS 

Lithuania Germany D = Eastern HS 

Bye: Japan 

Round 6 – Impromptu Debate – TUESDAY PM 


Greece Kuwait GMU 

USA Peru GMU 

India Japan GMU 

Mongolia Zimbabwe GMU 

Slovenia Argentina GMU 

Israel Wales GMU 

Philippines South Korea GMU 

Indonesia Estonia GMU 

Bermuda Sri Lanka GMU 

Bangladesh Romania GMU 

Canada England GMU 

Scotland Hong Kong A = Indian Creek HS 

Singapore New Zealand A = Indian Creek HS 

Pakistan Australia B = Patrick Henry HS 

South Africa Ireland B = Patrick Henry HS 

Qatar Montenegro C = Eastern HS 

Slovakia Mexico C = Eastern HS 

Czech Republic Lithuania D = Eastern HS 

Germany Netherlands D = Eastern HS 

Bye: Botswana 

Round 7 – Prepared Debate – WEDNESDAY AM 

This house believes that governments have a duty to bail out 

failing financial institutions. 


Page 7 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


Slovakia New Zealand GMU 

Greece Peru GMU 

Indonesia Wales GMU 

Montenegro Kuwait GMU 

Bangladesh England GMU 

Mongolia Argentina GMU 

India South Korea GMU 

USA Botswana GMU 

Philippines Israel GMU 

Japan Zimbabwe GMU 

Slovenia Mexico GMU 

Hong Kong Lithuania A = Indian Creek HS 

Germany Canada A = Indian Creek HS 

Singapore Estonia B = to be announced 

Scotland Romania B = to be announced 

Ireland Sri Lanka C = Eastern HS 

South Africa Czech Republic C = Eastern HS 

Pakistan Netherlands D = Eastern HS 

Australia Bermuda D = Eastern HS 

Bye: Qatar 

Round 8 – Impromptu Debate – WEDNESDAY PM 


New Zealand Indonesia GMU 

Peru Slovenia GMU 

England Philippines GMU 

Wales Qatar GMU 

Argentina Montenegro GMU 

South Korea Mongolia GMU 

USA India GMU 

Botswana Israel GMU 

Zimbabwe Slovakia GMU 

Kuwait Japan GMU 

Mexico Greece GMU 

Hong Kong Germany A = Indian Creek HS 

Lithuania Canada A = Indian Creek HS 

Estonia Scotland B = to be announced 

Romania Singapore B = to be announced 

Sri Lanka South Africa C = Eastern HS 

Czech Republic Ireland C = Eastern HS 

Bermuda Pakistan D = Eastern HS 

Netherlands Australia D = Eastern HS 

Bye: Bangladesh 

INFORMATION ABOUT HOST SCHOOLS 


Page 8 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

GMU = George Mason University 

Fairfax Campus 

4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 

Sunday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday those wishing to see 

debates should come to SUV 2, also known as Student Union 2. 

Hotel = Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport 



703 418 1234 

Andrew Colley 

acolley@indiancreekschool.com 

Indian Creek HS 

1130 Anne Chambers Way 

Crownsville, MD 21032 

410-849-5151 

9-10 Tues-Wed 4 teams 2 rooms 

Wants a workshop 

Rebecca Dovi 

RDovi@hanover.k12.va.us 

Patrick Henry High School Ashland VA 

804-263-1626 

MONDAY & TUESDAY, FOUR TEAMS, TWO ROOMS. 

Lunch supplied. 

Ginnie Bullis 

Ginnie.Bullis@hcps.org 

C. Milton Wright High School 

1301 N. Fountain Green Rd. 

Bel Air, MD 21015 

MONDAY = A 

Eastern Senior HS 

1700 East Capitol St. NE 

WASH DC 20003 

202-698-4500 

William Chiselom william.chiselom@dc.gov 

698-4590 

4 ROOMS MON-TUES-WED 



Sri Lanka has High Expectations at WSDC 08 


Page 9 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

From 

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080824/Mirror/sundaytimesmirror_625 

5.html 

Under debate 

By Natasha Fernandopulle, Pix by Saman Kariyawasam 

The Debater's Council along with the Moot Court and Debating 

Society of the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo organised 

a series of three workshops which included one for the students of 

the Law Faculty, another for the adjudicators and one for school 

children. The latter was held at the Faculty of Law on August 15 

where around 120 students from various school between the ages of 

16 and 18, participated. 

Speaking to Gehan Gunatilleke who is part of the Debater's Council, 

he said that this is "an independent society of past and present 

debaters where the main functions are providing services which 

include adjudication, training and also the selecting of the world 

schools debating team." And he went on to say that they got 

together around two years ago to form this council for those who 

were out of university, adding, "we hope to become a national level 

organisation at some point." 

The style followed at these workshops were, the British Parliamentary 

and World Schools format and they were conducted by Sam Block 

and Mhairi Murdoch. And the main sponsors for these workshops 

were the Neelan Thiruchelvam Trust and Our World English School. 

Sam Block, was ranked as Best Speaker at the World Universities 

Debating Competition 2008, which was held in Assumption, Thailand. 

The main purpose of having him here for the workshops was with the 

purpose of coaching the team from Sri Lanka who will be participating 

in the World Schools Debating Competition. And speaking to the four 

members of the team they seemed quite confident about doing well 

at the competition which is to be held in the US this year. 

"They have been enjoying themselves, they get involved and seem 

very eager," said Sam, adding that the seniors have done some 

debating prior to this workshop. "Some are a little apprehensive but 

have done pretty well." He went on to say that the students have 

said they have gained a lot, which he was happy to hear. 

David Rajasingham (17), who is the captain of the team and a 

student of S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia said, "I got interested in 

debating when one of my schoolmates Prawira introduced me to it - 

this was in 2006," and in terms of the plus points of debating he 

says, "you tend to know much more and are forced to research." 


Page 10 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

says, "you tend to know much more and are forced to research." 

With regard to the World Schools Debating Competition, in the US, he 

says, "from what we've heard, we have a fairly good chance." 

Adding to this, Prawira Saldin (18), also a student of S. Thomas' 

College said, "It would be great if we can reach the quarter finals or 

the semis" he said, adding, "there's a possibility we could get far." 

And what got him interested in debating, was, watching movies 

where lawyers litigate, "I thought debating would help me be like 

these lawyers." 

A student of Ananda College, Tharindra Gooneratne (17) said it all 

started for him because, he likes to speak in public and debate." With 

regard to the workshops, "I gained a lot in terms of style," and went 

on to say he learnt how to build up arguments in a way a judge and 

audience would respond. 

"I used to be fascinated watching the seniors debate at the inter 

house debates," said Sandaruwani de Silva (17), a student of Bishop's 

College who started debating in the junior school. "This workshop 

goes in to detail," Sandaruwani said, adding, "they told us their 

experiences on how debates are judged," and that this will help them 

at international competitions. 

Both Mhairi and Sam had learnt to debate at Cambridge and taught 

debating as well at the summer school. At this programme there had 

been people from all around the world. They have worked with a vast 

age group of people from the ages of seven to 47 years. And they 

are both involved with Our World English School which conducts the 

Global Young Leaders Course. "It's been largely positive," Mhairi said, 

considering, "lots of them have not done debating," as she spoke to 

us during the break of the workshop she conducted for the juniors. 

"Most of the people have said something in front of the audience," 

adding, "it seems to be quite successful." 

A student of Musaeus College, Kalani Kulathilaka (16) participated in 

the workshop for juniors and said she debates in school and said, "I 

was forced to join but once I did I started simply loving it and it has 

become one of my passions." Through the workshops, "They have 

taught us how to analyse, get used to the British Parliamentary style, 

present your arguments and how to prove yourself," adding, "It 

boosts up your public speaking skills." 

Another one of the juniors, Ganatharan (15) from Hindu College 

commented on the way the workshops were conducted, in terms of 

how, "it was something different because our way of teaching in 

schools is different," adding that, "the basics and concepts were the 

same but there was practical work," which helped. And he went on to 

say, "debating is a skill that comes in handy even after leaving school 

and can be used for anything." 



German Team on the Way 


Page 11 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

From http://www.schoolsdebate.de/wsdc08.htm 

Debaters: 

Belafi, Carmen; Murrhardt 

Deiss, Valerie; Korb 

Dressel, Leonie; Stuttgart 

Gilke, Jana; Backnang-Heinigen 

Seethaler, Franziska; Böblingen 

Coach: 

Laux, Sven; Bietigheim-Bissingen 

Judges: 

Hoeness, Angelika; Korb 

Heil, Klaus-Peter; Mutlangen 

Trefz, Birgit; Aspach 

Contact for Germany (Team Manager): 

Hoeness, Angelika; 71404 Korb 


No Hurricane Threat 


Page 12 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

There are some hurricanes about, but none threaten Washington 

DC during the upcoming WSDC tournament. 

Just to help we have now installed a weather forecast on the 

website. 

From the National Weather Service: 

Saturday 

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of 

rain 70 percent. 

Saturday Night 

Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. 

Sunday 

Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. 

Sunday Night 

Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. 

Monday 

Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. 



Here Comes Romania! 

From http://wsdcro.wordpress.com/2008-delegation/ 

Also in the picture, but unfortunatelly not able to attend: Andrei 

Georgescu, Eveline Dicu, Iulian Maier and Catalina Secreteanu. 


Page 13 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Georgescu, Eveline Dicu, Iulian Maier and Catalina Secreteanu. 

The Team: 

Debaters: 

Mihai Alexandrescu 

Raluca Tudoroiu 

Sabin Ciornea 

Nicolae Sovaiala-Ionescu 

Valeria Burdea 

Coach: David Moscovici 

Adjudicatiors: 

Simona Mazilu 

Alexandra Neacsu 

Gelu Hanganu 

Serban Pitic 

HISTORY OF THE ROMANIAN WSDC TEAM 

Starting with WSDC 2004, Germany, 

where the pioneering team for Romania, into the Worlds 

Championship consisted of members: Alexandra Neacsu, David 

Moscovici and Andreea Militaru, coached by Mrs. Simona Mazilu. 

WSDC 2005 Calgary, Canada 

The Team composed by Alexandra Neacsu, David Moscovici and 

Andreea Militaru had another go at the Championship and achieved, 

after 4 victories out of 8 rounds, the great standard of being only one 

half of a point away from breaking into the octo-finals and winning 

1st place in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) section, which 

was awarded to Slovenia. Also at this edition of the championships, 2 

back-up members qualified to pariticipate on the team: Ana Rus and 

Serban Pitic. 

WSDC 2006 Cardiff, Wales, UK 

In 2006 the national selection chose a team of 5: Serban Pitic, Ana 

Rus, Simona Olteanu. Alexandra Oprea and Anca Onutan. The team 

managed to win 2 victories out of 8 in the rounds. Mr Gelu Hanganu 

participated as a coach and Mrs. Simona Mazilu was the adjudicator 

in the Romanian Delegation. 

WSDC 2007 Seoul, South Korea 

The 2007 Team Romania consisted of: Valeria Burdea, Raluca 

Tudoroiu Andreea Geacu, Iulian Maier and Maria Tanase. The selected 

coach for the 2007 WSDC team Romania was David Moscovici. Also 

Alexandra Neacsu participated alongside Simona Mazilu as a judge in 

the championship. 


Sunday, August 31, 2008 

Team Slovenia Does Television in the USA 


Page 14 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Anja, Filip, Jernej, Eva and Zan visit with Alfred Snider about 

their experience in the Slovenian debate program, their selection 

to the World Schools team and their upcoming competition in the 

World Schools Debating Championship in Washington, DC. 

Our apologies as 40 seconds of dead air begin the program. 

From http://flashpointtv.blogspot.com/2008/08/366-sloveniadebate-in-vermont.html 


Qatar Team Upbeat for World Schools Championship 

Alex Just (left) with the team members speaking to mediapersons 

at the Qatar Debate Centre on Thursday 

From http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp? 

cu_no=2&item_no=238790&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id 

=16 


Page 15 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Qatari team upbeat 

Publish Date: Sunday,31 August, 2008, at 01:43 AM Doha Time 

By Ourouba Hussein 

Members of the first Qatari team to take part in the World School 

Debating Championship have expressed hope of doing well in the 

event scheduled to be held in Washington DC next month. 

Prior to their departure on Friday, the five-member team and their 

coach spoke about their training, their debating team to represent 

Qatar on the world stage. 

The programme director Alex Just said that the national team would 

be the second Arab team after Kuwait to participate in the 20-year 

history of the competition. The team was trained in London and its 

members were selected following a debating competition among 

Qatar schools. 

Just said the team would attend a pre-competition training in New 

York, and workshops with American students. Later, they will take off 

to Washington DC where the contests will be held from September 5- 

15. 

He said that the team had a month to practise for the first round of 

the competition. Each of the members is required to carry out 

researches about a certain topic. 

“If they get through the first round to the second, they will be given 

two hours of practice for the topic which could be political, social or 

economical. 

“They will have to be prepared to argue about anything,” he added. 

The five members of the Qatar national debating team said they were 

looking forward to visiting the ‘Dream Land’, and meeting people from 

40 different countries participating in the competition. They also 

expressed how proud they were to be the first to represent Qatar in 

the competition. 

Talal Burshaid, a 17-year-old Qatari , explained that the training was 

helpful since he has got political aspirations and interests in 

international relations. 

Vartan Shadarevian said debating encourages the expression of point 

of views, teaches leadership skills and the ability to argue both sides 

before taking a side, and increases one’s understanding of the other 

side. 

Tina Niaki, a 17-year-old Iranian, said debating teaches objective 

thinking and the desire to know more about the world. 

Aysha Batley, a 17-year-old Pakistani, stressed debating opens up 

the mind and structures the way one thinks, speaks and discusses. 

‘Participating in the debating competition is like going on a world 

tour,” she said. 


Announcement from J. J. Rodriguez 


Page 16 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Dear WSDC community; 

As you prepare to converge on Washington I find myself stuck on the 

left coast and surrounded by a never ending stack of research. Now 

that the draw has been released I am sure you empathize. 

Unfortunately, I will not have the opportunity to see the culmination 

of your work this year. It is with great regret that I announce I will 

not be attending the event as one of your chief adjudicators. My 

duties here have unfortunately and quite suddenly left little room for 

debate. 

Fortunately, I leave you in the extremely competent hands of Chief 

Adjudicator Aaron Maniam who will be aided by a very gifted panel 

including Chris Erksine, Claire Ryan, James Probert, Kris Ade, and 

Irene McGrath. Being surrounded by people whose competence 

renders me unnecessary is a very good thing. 

I very much looked forward to being able to chat with you 

throughout the tournament. Since I won't get to do that, here is a 

wee bit of unsolicited advice. You will discuss provocative issues, 

disagree with adjudicators, win some debates, and lose some others. 

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, the competitive spirit gives way 

to the collective one. I have enjoyed my time with this community 

because of the welcoming spirit it embraces. I have lifelong friends 

from the WSDC despite my brief sojourn with you. So, as you debate 

to the very best of your ability also remember to take advantage of 

this truly rare opportunity. I will miss the people more than any 

debating I participated in during my eight years as a competitor or 

ten years as a coach. As one of my students is fond of saying, people 

before trophies. Have fun and best of luck. 

J. J. 

J.J. is a law student and a visiting assistant professor of 

communication studies at Loyola Marymount University where he 

also serves as a coach for the university’s growing debating 

program. Before working at LMU, J. J. was a public school 

teacher. In that capacity, he served as the Director of Debate for 

the Southern California Debate League, a member of the 

Executive Council of the California High School Speech Association 

and an official for the National Forensic League. 

As a debater, J.J. was a grand finalist at the World Universities 

Debating Championships and a number of other national and 


Page 17 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Debating Championships and a number of other national and 

international tournaments. Since then he has been involved with 

the WSDC as the Team USA coach in 2005 and 2006 and a 

member of the Chief Adjudicator’s Panel in 2007. He has also 

been a member of the Executive Committee since 2006. He has 

chaired the Learning Materials Working Group and currently chairs 

the Debate Administration Working Group. 


How the Draw Was Done 

From Aaron Maniam: 

As in previous years, the draw was done blindly through an 

assignment of codes to teams. The only thing the code told the 

organisers was which quartile a team was in (quartiles were assigned 

to countries based on their performance in the last three WSDC's). 

The codes were swapped for country names only after the entire 

draw was formulated. 

This process helped to check against potential bias and guaranteed 

randomness of the pairings within the constraints of ensuring that 

teams meet a good cross section of opponents, and as far as possible 

have approximately equal numbers of Prop and Opp rounds, for both 

prepared and impromptu debates. 

Good luck to all teams! 


Saturday, August 30, 2008 

WSDC 2008 Draw 


Page 18 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 

WASHINGTON DC 

Preliminary Round Draw 

Round 0 – Impromptu Debate (Bye Round) 


Botswana Japan Hotel 

Slovakia India Hotel 

Mongolia Sri Lanka Hotel 

Qatar Bangladesh Hotel 

Round 1 – Prepared Debate 

This house supports military intervention to deliver emergency aid 

in humanitarian crises. 



Philippines Singapore GMU 

Romania Hong Kong GMU 

Slovenia England GMU 

Greece New Zealand GMU 

Bermuda Slovakia GMU 

Scotland South Korea GMU 

Czech Republic Argentina GMU 

Mongolia Peru GMU 

Pakistan Wales GMU 

Sri Lanka Lithuania GMU 

Canada USA GMU 

Japan Montenegro GMU 

Qatar Botswana GMU 

Netherlands Mexico GMU 

Bangladesh Zimbabwe GMU 

Indonesia Ireland GMU 



Page 19 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


Germany Kuwait GMU 

Bye: India 

Round 2 – Impromptu Debate 


South Africa USA GMU 

Singapore Slovenia GMU 

Canada Greece GMU 

England Hong Kong GMU 

New Zealand Estonia GMU 

Montenegro Netherlands GMU 

South Korea Romania GMU 

Argentina Pakistan GMU 

Peru Sri Lanka GMU 

India Bermuda GMU 

Israel Scotland GMU 

Wales Germany GMU 

Lithuania Bangladesh GMU 

Kuwait Czech Republic GMU 

Zimbabwe Botswana GMU 

Mexico Mongolia GMU 

Japan Qatar GMU 

Australia Indonesia GMU 

Ireland Philippines GMU 

Bye: Slovakia 





South Africa Japan GMU 

Singapore Montenegro GMU 

Canada Mongolia GMU 

England Qatar GMU 

New Zealand Bangladesh GMU 

Slovakia Ireland GMU 

South Korea Estonia GMU 

Argentina Indonesia GMU 

Peru Kuwait GMU 

Bermuda Greece GMU 

Israel Romania GMU 

Mexico Scotland A 

Zimbabwe Hong Kong A 

India Pakistan B 

Botswana Australia B 

Czech Republic Slovenia C 


Page 20 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Czech Republic Slovenia C 

USA Germany C 

Wales Netherlands D 

Lithuania Philippines D 




Japan New Zealand GMU 

Montenegro England GMU 

Indonesia Peru GMU 

Sri Lanka Canada GMU 

Kuwait Slovakia GMU 

Bangladesh South Africa GMU 

Estonia Israel GMU 

Qatar Singapore GMU 

Greece South Korea GMU 

Romania Argentina GMU 

Ireland Bermuda GMU 

Hong Kong Mexico A 

Scotland Zimbabwe A 

Australia India B 

Pakistan Botswana B 

Slovenia USA C 

Germany Czech Republic C 

Netherlands Lithuania D 

Philippines Wales D 

Bye: Mongolia 


This house would make the directors of multinational companies 

personally liable for environmental abuses committed by their 

companies in the developing world. 


Zimbabwe Qatar GMU 

Montenegro Mongolia GMU 

England USA GMU 

Wales Slovenia GMU 

South Korea Israel GMU 

Kuwait Canada GMU 

Argentina Greece GMU 

Peru Philippines GMU 

Romania Indonesia GMU 

Estonia Bermuda GMU 

Sri Lanka Bangladesh GMU 

New Zealand Scotland A 

Hong Kong Singapore A 


Page 21 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Hong Kong Singapore A 

Australia South Africa B 

Ireland Pakistan B 

Mexico India C 

Botswana Slovakia C 

Netherlands Czech Republic D 

Lithuania Germany D 

Bye: Japan 



Greece Kuwait GMU 

USA Peru GMU 

India Japan GMU 

Mongolia Zimbabwe GMU 

Slovenia Argentina GMU 

Israel Wales GMU 

Philippines South Korea GMU 

Indonesia Estonia GMU 

Bermuda Sri Lanka GMU 

Bangladesh Romania GMU 

Canada England GMU 

Scotland Hong Kong A 

Singapore New Zealand A 

Pakistan Australia B 

South Africa Ireland B 

Qatar Montenegro C 

Slovakia Mexico C 

Czech Republic Lithuania D 

Germany Netherlands D 

Bye: Botswana 


This house believes that governments have a duty to bail out 

failing financial institutions. 


Slovakia New Zealand GMU 

Greece Peru GMU 

Indonesia Wales GMU 

Montenegro Kuwait GMU 

Bangladesh England GMU 

Mongolia Argentina GMU 

India South Korea GMU 

USA Botswana GMU 

Philippines Israel GMU 

Japan Zimbabwe GMU 



Page 22 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 


Hong Kong Lithuania A 

Germany Canada A 

Singapore Estonia B 

Scotland Romania B 

Ireland Sri Lanka C 

South Africa Czech Republic C 

Pakistan Netherlands D 

Australia Bermuda D 

Bye: Qatar 



New Zealand Indonesia GMU 

Peru Slovenia GMU 

England Philippines GMU 

Wales Qatar GMU 

Argentina Montenegro GMU 

South Korea Mongolia GMU 

USA India GMU 

Botswana Israel GMU 

Zimbabwe Slovakia GMU 

Kuwait Japan GMU 

Mexico Greece GMU 

Hong Kong Germany A 

Lithuania Canada A 

Estonia Scotland B 

Romania Singapore B 

Sri Lanka South Africa C 

Czech Republic Ireland C 

Bermuda Pakistan D 

Netherlands Australia D 

Bye: Bangladesh 


Next - THE DRAW 


Page 23 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

From Claire Ryan: 

Greetings everyone. 

With delays in confirming the exact number of teams, the draw has also been delayed. 

However, it is now understood that there are 39 teams in the competition - waiting to 

find out who will debate whom and when. 

Chief Adjudicator Aaron Maniam will release the draw on 30 August 2008 at midnight 

USA Eastern Time, and it will be posted both on the http://wsdc2008.blogspot.com/ and 

http://www.schoolsdebate.com/blog/ sites. I'll also try to post it here. 

The odd number of teams means there will be a bye for a team in each round and 

therefore a bye round (the famous Round 0). 

We're all looking forward to the draw when it emerges in a few hours and good luck to 

everyone as they prepare. 

Claire Ryan 

Secretary, 

Executive Committee, 

WSDC Ltd 


Thirty-nine Teams in the Draw, Released at Midnight 

USA Eastern Time 

With Montenegro and Botswana in the draw, a huge field is ready 

to find out who debates who and when. 

Chief Adjudicator Aaron Maniam will release the draw tonight at 

midnight USA Eastern Time, and will be posted on the World 

Schools website and here. 

The odd number of teams means there will be a bye in each 

round and a bye round (Round 0). 

Get it here and good luck. 



Page 24 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Bermuda Salutes Home Team 

Team Bermuda: Catherine Campbell, Nikki-Lynn Marshall and 

Michelle Kelly, with Blake Sonnenfeld in the middle at the front. 

The three girls are hoping to make the Island proud when they 

compete alongside Jacari Brimmer Landy and Nicholas Rinehimer 

in the Debating Championships in Washington D.C. next month. 

From 

http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.j 

sp?articleId=7d886af3003000b&sectionId=60 

Article published August 13. 2008 11:43AM 

No debate, here is Bermuda's school team for world championships 

By Nadia Arandjelovic 

Five local students will head to the United States capital next month 

to compete in an international debating competition. 

Students Nikki Lynn Marshall, Michelle Kelly, Jacari Brimmer Landy, 

Catherine Campbell and Nicholas Rinehimer make up this year's 

Bermuda Debate Team and will be going to Washington D.C. for the 

World Schools Debating Championships. 

The group will be up against 45 different countries from Argentina to 

Zimbabwe and will debate a handful of social, moral and political 

issues, explained team coach Christianna Hiles. 

The team has been training regularly for the past few months, 

sometimes two to three times a week, in order to prepare arguments 

for the known debate topics. 

The most challenging part of the competition, however, will come 

later on when the debaters are given impromptu topics. 

The teams will be left in a room with a dictionary and an almanac 


Page 25 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

The teams will be left in a room with a dictionary and an almanac 

and have only an hour to prepare their case. 

"This is part of the real challenge and the best way for students to 

really test themselves," explained Ms Hiles, who is joined by veteran 

debate coach Gladstone Thompson. 

Apart from the obvious challenges involved, debater Nikki-Lynn 

Marshall, 16, is looking forward to the experience. 

"I am looking forward to meeting everybody from the other countries 

and learning something new," she said, "because basically we all get 

the same topics but it's interesting to see how each team interprets 

them differently." 

Miss Marshall said the Bermuda team was known for being nice, 

however, shouldn't be underestimated in the competition. 

"Team Bermuda is really known for being a really nice team, but we 

really go because we want to put Bermuda on the map," she said. 

"Most of these people at these competitions have never heard about 

Bermuda and it's nice to tell them a little bit about us and let them 

know that we are good debaters." 

Miss Marshall has been competing with the Bermuda Debate Team for 

a year and a half, but admits she has competed with Bermuda High 

School and Consumer Affairs since she was eight years old. 

"I first started debating when my school picked me for a competition 

and ever since then I've still always debated," she said. 

"It broadens my knowledge, helps me learn new things, helps me 

with public speaking and it's going to help get me into a good 

college," she said. 

Miss Marshall, an aspiring lawyer, believes debating will also help her 

in a future career and told The Royal Gazette: "I really enjoy arguing 

and public speaking and persuading people to see my point of view 

and I really see myself in this profession." 

The debaters, sponsored by the National Debate Society, will be in 

Washington D.C. from September 5-15. Supporters can track their 

progress on the Debate Society's website. 


Pakistan Prime Minister Salutes Debaters on Way to 

WSDC 


Page 26 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

From http://thepost.com.pk/CityNewsT.aspx? 

dtlid=180336&catid=3 

Associated Press of Pakistan 

LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the 

government is taking concrete measures for the youth's development 

and 'Youth Policy' will be introduced soon. 

He was talking to a delegation of students, who are to visit 

Washington DC US for an international debate contest. 

"Youth are our valued asset and their abilities and talent must be 

fully utilised for the progress and development of the country," he 

said. 

The prime minister acknowledged that Pakistan's talented youth have 

always earned a good name in the world. 

He hoped that the students designated to contest the international 

debate competition would be successful in their mission. 

The prime minister was also given a briefing on the occasion. He was 

told that the international debate contests were annually participated 

by highly intelligent students from 30 to 40 countries in the world. 

Pakistan has also been attending this event annually. All the 

participants have been trained by the Pakistan Debating Society, he 

was informed. The prime minister left for Islamabad, after an 

overnight stay in the provincial metropolis. 


Friday, August 29, 2008 

29 Countries Access WSDC Website in Two Days 


Page 27 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Twenty-nine nations have signed into the WSDC 2008 website 

since it was launched on 27 August 2008 at 5:14 PM ET. 

Stories have included: 

Conduct Forms, Airport Travel, Observers, Country ... 

More Judges Welcome! 

Soon Up - The Draw 

Meet Alfred Snider, Director of Tournament Operati... 

Teams Link Up With Their Embassies in Washington 

Tour Options for the Free Day 

Tuesday Night - Prepare for the Country Exhibition... 

WSDC Alcohol Statement 

Schedule Update 

Meet Aaron Maniam, Chief Adjudicator 

Hotel Information 

Traffic from countries includes: 

Country Page Views for Map Area: 

United States [14%] 

United Kingdom [11%] 

Canada [9%] 

Ireland [7%] 

Israel [7%] 

Slovakia [7%] 

Philippines [5%] 

South Africa [5%] 

Indonesia [2%] 

Netherlands [2%] 

Hong Kong S.A.R., China [2%] 

Malaysia [2%] 

Qatar [2%] 

Greece [2%] 

China [2%] 

Germany [2%] 

Slovenia [2%] 

Romania [2%] 

Mauritius [2%] 

Singapore [2%] 

India [2%] 

Czech Republic [2%] 

Peru [2%] 

Bangladesh [2%] 



Page 28 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

Conduct Forms, Airport Travel, Observers, Country 

Exhibition 

From convener Phyllis Hirth (PhyllisHi@aol.com): 

You need to sign and return to me the Code of Conduct forms which 

you can find as Annex three to the WSDC Rules at: 

http://www.schoolsdebate.com/guides.asp 

You will find the form at the end of the Word document 

rules_word.doc 

You can scan and email to me or post to: 

Phyllis Hirth 

29 Forest Blvd 

Ardsley, NY 10502 

I need them before the championships begin. If you have not signed 

you can not participate. 

Remember that students need their parents or guardian to sign too, 

so please try not to leave it to the last minute. 

Travel from the Airports….. 

For those of you coming into Dulles International Airport, the best 

transport to the hotel is the Super Shuttle(supershuttle.com) or 800- 

622-2089. The fee quoted to me is $26 for the 1st person and 

$10/person after that. The van will fill any empty spaces with other 

passengers. You can also hire your own van for up to 10 people for 

$120. 

For those of you coming to Baltimore Washington International 

Airport, you can also use the same contacts for the Super Shuttle. 

The rate is $44 for the 1st person and $12/person after that. Same 

as with Dulles, you can hire your own van for up to 10 people for 

$104. The young and hearty among you can take the MARC train to 

Union Station for $6. From Union Station take the Metro red line to 

Metro Center and change to the blue line to Crystal City. Then call 

the hotel (703-418-1234) and they will send the shuttle for you. 

There has been some confusion on the rate for observers. The fee of 

$1600 is for double occupancy. Unfortunately, we are overbooked at 

the moment and I am not able to give single occupancy to anyone 

who was billed $1600. My apologies for the confusion. 


Page 29 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

On one of our evenings we are planning a County Exhibit Night. 

Please bring something for your table to show the delegates 

something special about your country. Please, no food. The hotel will 

not let us serve anything they do not prepare for fear of litigation 

(remember this is the US, the most litigious nation in the world). This 

is also a night for those of you with any talents, or talents you think 

you have, to express yourselves for the benefit of the delegates. 

Please don’t disappoint me on this. I look forward to learning a little 

more about each of you and about your culture. More details are at 

http://wsdc2008.blogspot.com/2008/08/tuesday-night-prepare-forcountry.html 


More Judges Welcome! 

WANTED – JUDGES FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 

This September the World Schools Debating Championship will be 

held in and around Washington, DC. The dates are September 6- 

14 2008. Thirty-eight nations will each be sending one team to 

the competition, and one team will be named world champion. 

Last year the tournament was in Seoul, Korea and Scotland 

defeated Singapore in the final round. 

Each debate has three judges, and we are recruiting judges to 

add to those already assembled. We hope that you can judge one 

or more of these debates. You can indicate when you are 

available when you come to judge training. 

The contest takes place in the World Schools format. The format 

is easy to understand and the evaluation criteria are fairly 

straightforward. We will be providing basic judge training and 

orientation. You can find the rules at 

http://www.schoolsdebate.com/guides.asp . 

All judges must attend the Judge Training session that will be 

held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis 

Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202 on Saturday September 6 

starting at 9 AM. The training will be completed in the early 


Page 30 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:53 AM 

starting at 9 AM. The training will be completed in the early 

afternoon. 

Preliminary debates will then take place on Sunday September 7, 

Monday September 8, Tuesday September 9 and Wednesday 

September 10. The octafinals and quarterfinals will be held on 

Friday September 12, the semifinals on Saturday September 13 

and the finals on Sunday September 14. 

Preliminary debates are usually staged with one in the morning 

and one in the afternoon. Lunch will be provided on debating 

days. We will provide transportation from the Hyatt Regency 

Crystal City in the mornings of each debating day and you will be 

returned to the Hyatt after the debates. 

The debates themselves are of unusually high quality and should 

provide a stimulating academic experience. New judges will be 

assigned to “shadow judge” and then will be used in a formal 

judging capacity. While we are unable to compensate you, we can 

promise some excellent debates. 

If you have debate experience as a coach or student and would 

like to take this opportunity to judge at a world-class event, 

please contact our chief adjudicator, Aaron Maniam, at 

aaronmaniam@gmail.com . Please provide him with some brief 

information about your debating experience. He will then be ready 

and waiting for you when you arrive at judge training. 


Newer Posts 


Home 

Older Posts 


Page 31 of 31

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

SEARCH BLOG 

FLAG BLOG 

Next Blog» 

WSDC 2008 


2008. 

Friday, August 29, 2008 

Soon Up - The Draw 

Welcome 



lcome.html 





happened. 

The finishing touches are being put on the draw for prelim 

debates at the WSDC 2008. Teams around the world are 

anxiously waiting for this announcement so they can target their 

opponents and focus on the assigned side for the prepared 

motions. 

The draw would already be up but for finalizing who will be in it. 

It is imperative that the draw contain all teams attending and 

that non-attendees are not included. This means that the status 

of each and every team must be finalized, registration complete, 

and fees paid. Teams have had to get visas, arrange sponsors 

and many other things. 

This is the place where you will get the draw first. Keep checking 

back. 

By the way, Montenegro needs to email alfred.snider@uvm.edu 






+1 703 418 1234 






Sincerely, 

Phyllis Hirth 


! 2008 (69) 

Blog Archive 

! October (3) 




Page 1 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

By the way, Montenegro needs to email alfred.snider@uvm.edu 

about their status. 


Thursday, August 28, 2008 

Meet Alfred Snider, Director of Tournament Operations 






! August (21) 

Visitors 







Alfred C. Snider is the Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics 

at the University of Vermont. He teaches courses in debate, 

argumentation, persuasion and rhetorical analysis. He is the 

Director of the World Debate Institute and the Lawrence Debate 

Union. 

"I heard that Phyllis could use some help and I have long been an 

admirer of the WSDC format. I have previously coached the 

Slovenian team and I am interested in the future of global 

competition in this format," he recently said. 

Prof. Snider has spent the last thirty-six years promoting debate 

and critical communication as an alternative to violence and 

conflict as well as a method for achieving real democracy and a 

true civil society. He has done formal debate training in twentytwo 

countries and has trained debaters from over thirty-five 

nations at the World Debate Institute’s sessions in the USA, Korea 

and Slovenia. He has directed the debate program at international 

conferences in Turkey, Estonia and Slovenia attended by scholars 

from over thirty-five nations. 


2008" 









2008" 



2008" 




Exhibition" 



2008" 



2008" 







About Me 

Options>> 

Prof. Snider has received every major award given to debate 

educators in the USA, including the Pelham Coach of the Year 

award, the Don Brownlee Service to Debate award, the 

Ziegelmueller Debate Coaching award, the Slappey Diversity in 

Debate award, the Douglas Dedication to Debate award and the 

Jacobsohn Service to Debate award. His work in promoting debate 

Alfred Snider 



Page 2 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Jacobsohn Service to Debate award. His work in promoting debate 

has also brought him awards from Emory University, the 

University of Utah, Cornell University, Binghamton University, the 

University of South Carolina as well as from the National Forensic 

League and the Cross Examination Debate Association. 





Prof. Snider had published six books on debating in the last five 

years and during his career has edited or written over fifty 

volumes about debating and for debaters. He is the host of the 

television program Flashpoint that has over three hundred and 

sixty episodes and deals with political and social issues. He 

maintains one of the world’s busiest debate websites, Debate 

Central (http://debate.uvm.edu), and is the editor of Global 

Debate (http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com ). He has pioneered 

using the Internet and new media for debating. 

Prof. Snider has served as President of the USA’s Cross 

Examination Debate Association and for the last six years has 

been the Director of Operations for the National Forensic League’s 

national high school speech and debate championship, attended 

by over five thousand people and lasting one week. He has 

directed dozens of debate tournaments in different parts of the 

world. 


Teams Link Up With Their Embassies in Washington 

Canadian embassy in Washington 

Many visitors to WSDC will find that they have familiar folks to 

welcome and host them. The organizing committee sent letters to 

every embassy in Washington inviting them to join us at the 

tournament and especially to link up with their own team. 


Page 3 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Many embassies responded and contacts have been made. Some 

embassy officials are coming to WSDC official events, some are 

holding receptions and welcomes for the teams at their 

embassies, some will be watching debates and one is even 

arranging a White House visit for their team. 

If you would like to contact your embassy and need information 

about how to do so, please email alfred.snider@uvm.edu and 

indicate the name of your country. We have a data set of all 

embassies. 


Tour Options for the Free Day 

Tour Options for Thursday, September 11, 2008 

Option 1: Monticello 

Cost: $40.00 

“I am as happy no where else and in no other society, and all my 

wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello”. After a 

delightful two and one half hour ride into the foot hills of the Blue 

Ridge Mountains, it is easy to see why Thomas Jefferson was so 

fond of his home in Albemarle County, Virginia. Virginia is not 

only the “Birthplace of a Nation” but its capital, Richmond, was 

also the capital of the confederacy. It is the birthplace of eight of 

our historical presidents. Thomas Jefferson was the 2nd Governor 

of Virginia, the First United States Secretary of State, and its 3rd 

President. Touring the architectural masterpiece of his home with 

all its objects, people, and stories will help you know what life 

was like for Jefferson’s’ family and slaves. Enjoy the unique 

horticulture and beautiful gardens for a truly memorable day. 

Option 2: Jamestown 

Cost: $50.00 

Jamestown Virginia was the 1st colony established in the new 

world. A trip to nearby Colonial Williamsburg will allow you to 

immerse yourself in a restored and reconstructed typical 18th 

Century community. Here you can explore the daily lives, 

government, and commerce of Virginia residents in 1783. This is 

also a two and one half hour ride through beautiful Virginia to 

another world where the wealthy and slaves of the era lived, 

worked, and played. 


Page 4 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Option 3: Gettysburg 

Cost: $40.00 

Two hours through Maryland will bring you to Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. On July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, Gettysburg was where 

thousands fought and died in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. 

There are over 1,000 monuments over 40 miles of scenic avenues 

to explore as you tour the site of one of the darkest spots in the 

history and development of the United States of America. An 

experience tour guide will join you on the bus to lead you through 

this experience. 

Option 4: Mt. Vernon 

Cost: $10.00 

The home of George Washington is a little closer to our hotel. We 

will travel via metro and bus to Mount Vernon on the shores of 

the Potomac River. George Washington was the Commander in 

Chief of the Revolutionary Army and our 1st President. You will 

experience what life was like for Washington’s family and slaves 

in a setting of Rolling Meadows and gardens surrounded by a deep 

border of woods and wide vistas of the Potomac. Mount Vernon 

also boasts a hands on education center where, at one exhibit, 

you can make George age through time. 


Wednesday, August 27, 2008 

Tuesday Night - Prepare for the Country Exhibition 


Page 5 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

WSDC COUNTRY EXHIBITION 

In order to facilitate the sharing of cultures and histories that is 

such an important part of the World Schools Debating 

Championship the tournament will be sponsoring a “Country 

Exhibition.” 

The idea is for each delegation to bring some items from their 

country to share with others. Each country will be given a table 

for their display, and all tournament attendees will be invited to 

stroll around the room and see as well as share. People can 

alternate between being at their country tables as well as strolling 

around and visiting the tables of other countries. 

You should consider bringing flags, pictures, objects, handicrafts 

and whatever else you think tells the story of your country. 

People are invited to come in their national dress as well as bring 

music and perhaps even feel free to dance. Please include 

information about debating in your country. Bring things that 

open the possibilities of sharing, telling stories and communicating 

what life is like in your country. Of course, the most important 

thing that you can bring to the country exhibition is you, a living 

representative of your country. 

Because of the strict rules of the hotel you may NOT bring food or 

beverages into the country exhibition. We know that this may 

constrain you a bit, but these are the conditions under which we 

are able to use the hotel for the tournament. 


WSDC Alcohol Statement 


Page 6 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Underage Drinking in the United States - Phyllis Hirth, Convenor 

Since there was so much confusion about what the legal drinking 

age was in South Korea, I wanted to make sure that everyone 

was well informed of the rules and regulations in the United 

States. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 states 

that the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 years 

old is a misdemeanor. This is something that is taken very 

seriously in the states and all 50 states and the District of 

Columbia have adopted this policy. For those of you who might 

consider buying liquor for consumption by minors, a word of 

warning. Our courts are much harder on such unfortunates than 

they are on the minors. We really do have mothers sitting in jail 

for serving minors, not their own children, liquor in the privacy of 

their own home. Should you get caught either as a minor drinking 

or an adult contributing to the delinquency of a minor, you go into 

our legal system. There is nothing I can or will do to help you in 

such circumstances. It is expensive, confining, and down right 

scary, and you will be on your own. Should any such drinking 

come to the attention of the Conveners of World Schools Debating 

Championships, we are legally bound to report it to the 

authorities. Those same people will be forced to leave the 

tournament instantly at their own expense. 


Schedule Update 


Page 7 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Fri 9/5 Registration 12:00 to Midnight 

Sat 9/6 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Adjudicators Meeting 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM 

Debaters Tour 10:00 AM to 4:00PM 

Picture at Jefferson Memorial 4:00PM 

Opening Banquet 7:00 PM 

Sun 9/7 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Buses leave for GMU at 8:30 

Rounds 1 & 2 at GMU 10:00 to 4:43 Lunch provided 

Return to hotel 5:30 

Mon 9/8 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Buses leave for venues 8:30 

rounds 3 & 4 Lunch provided 

return to hotel 5:30 

Bickel and Brewer reception at Hyatt at 6:00 

Tues 9/9 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Buses leave for venues 8:30 



Country Exhibition Night at Hyatt 7:00 

Wed 9/10 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Buses leave for venues at 8:30 



Break night party 7:00 


Page 8 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Break night party 7:00 

Thurs 9/11 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Tour Day Buses leave at 8:00AM 

Return to Hyatt by 5:00 

Fri 9/12 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Octa's and Quarters at DC University at 10:00 

Sat 9/13 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Council Meeting at Hyatt at 10:00 

Semi Finals at Hyatt at 8:00PM 

Sun 9/14 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Council Meeting 10:00 

Finals at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center 

2:30PM 

Closing banquet 7:00 

Mon 9/15 Breakfast 6:30 to 9:00 

Departures. 


Meet Aaron Maniam, Chief Adjudicator 

Aaron Maniam - Chief Adjudicator 


Page 9 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

Aaron Maniam - Chief Adjudicator 

Aaron is a civil servant in Singapore's Strategic Policy Office and 

previously served as First Secretary (Political) in Singapore's 

Embassy in Washington DC. He was a founding Committee 

Member (1999-2003), Vice President (2003-2005), President 

(2005-July 2006) and subsequently Advisor (2006-2007) of 

Singapore's Debate Association. He won the European Debating 

Championships (2000) and other inter-varsity competitions during 

his university days and chaired Oxford's Debates Selection 

Committee, which comprises the university's top eight debaters. 

He also convened Oxford's annual inter-varsity debating 

competition, attended by over 80 international teams, in 1999. 

Aaron was a WSDC debater in 1997, an adjudicator in 1999 and 

2004, and co-coach in 2003. He has served on working groups to 

streamline the Code of Conduct for WSDC adjudicators as well as 

a "Vision Group" to explore how to broaden the WSDC's global 

ambit. A published poet, his first collection Morning at Memory's 

Border was published in 2005 and was one of three books 

shortlisted for the 2006 Singapore Literature Prize. 


Hotel Information 

Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport 



+1 703 418 1234 

WSDC 2008 in Washington D.C. is pleased to offer excellent 

accommodations throughout the competition. The tournament 

hotel is conveniently located next to public transportation that will 

allow you to access the city and all it has to offer. Here are a 

couple of things to keep in mind about accommodations: 

(1)Your registration includes lodging in double rooms from 

September 5-15, 2008. 

(2)For additional nights before or after, we can offer you the 

same rate the tournament is paying. We must inform the hotel 

ourselves though. At check in, you will provide arrange payment 


Page 10 of 11

WSDC 2008 

12/3/08 9:54 AM 

ourselves though. At check in, you will provide arrange payment 

for your extra nights with the hotel. So, please let us know if you 

need extra nights. 


Newer Posts 

Home 



Page 11 of 11

Tournament scrapbook - World Schools Debating Championships

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?