Debate Competition
1. How many members per team are allowed?
· A team should be composed of exactly three members. The position in the team whether Leader, Deputy, or Whip should be decided upon by the team before the debate.
2. When will the motions be announced?
· The motions, which are relevant to the theme of the event, will be announced one week before the competition but each team’s respective side to the motion will only be announced on the day of competition itself.
3. Is the reply speech different from the whip speech?
· Yes. The reply speech should focus solely on giving a biased judgement as to why people should support their position and so no summary and topic should be presented in the reply. On the other hand, whip speeches focuses on giving a summary of their sides position and arguments.
4. Can a speaker reject all of the POI’s raised during his/her speech?
· Yes. The speaker has the option to accept or reject POI’s however, it is highly advised for speakers to accept POI’s if he/she feels like his/her speech will not maximize the 6 minute time frame.
5. Can a team be disqualified because of improper decorum and foul words used in the debate?
· Yes. Any misbehaviour or improper decorum in debating should be pointed out to be deliberated by the judges and the project coordinators. However, if the misbehaviour is negligible and only exaggerated, the side that raised the complaint will be given a warning and will be subject to point deduction. Proper manners and sportsmanship should be observed throughout the competition.
6. If a speaker does not maximize the time frame for each speech, is he/she disqualified?
· No. Such action will only affect the adjudication.
7. What is the maximum time given to each speaker?
· A constructive speaker (all except the reply speakers) will have a maximum of six (6) minutes for their speech while a reply speaker will have a maximum time of only two (2) minutes. It is advised to maximize the time frame of each speech because it will affect the adjudication.
8. Who will be giving the reply speeches?
· The first speaker (leader) of the team and the second speaker (deputy leader) will be qualified to deliver reply speeches. This is to avoid giving the whip speakers consecutive debate speeches.
9. If a POI was accepted but was deemed inappropriate by the current speaker, will he/she be given point deduction if he doesn’t address the POI?
· A speaker can simply say that the POI is inappropriate however, if the adjudicators feels like the POI’s were not really inappropriate, it will affect the adjudication. It is advised to think wisely before choosing to accept a POI and whether a speaker should address it or not.
10. Is there any dress code for the competition?
· No. It is the option of the team if they will utilize uniform garments during the duration of the competition. However, I.D.’s should be at hand at all times.