If you were feeling a little mentally sluggish this weekend, a trip to the U of A to take in the debate tournament probably wouldn’t have helped your state of mind.
Students from 25 universities across Canada came to Edmonton over the weekend to debate some of the world’s pressing socio-political issues.
“The topics are all over the map,” said Emily Cliff, a U of A student and director of judges and volunteers. “The government is allowed to choose whatever topic they like.”
Anything from international relations to economics to mortgages; it was all debated over the weekend.
“Sometimes you get crazy topics like what should people do on Battlestar Galactica,” Cliff said.
The University of Alberta Debate Society hosted the 32 annual Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate Championships, a three-day event that featured 84 teams and 250 students.
“That’s impressive for an average university debate tournament,” Cliff said. “But it’s average for the nationals. It’s the biggest every year.”
Cliff said too many of the judges were from Alberta, so U of A debaters weren’t allowed to compete because of the conflict of interest. Prizes were awarded to the top five speakers, all breaking teams, the top three public speakers, the top three novice speakers and the top novice team.
To find out who won visit www.cusid.ca.
