Denny Leinster Schools Debating Competition

HeyYou · 02-10-2005 3:18pm

Lots, lots of questions. This pleases Convenor, the god of convening things

But seriously:

1) Flashling: give it a go, it's not more terrifying than any other kind of debating, which are usually fun once you get over your nerves the first time.

2) Dearv: you're doing all the wrong competitions! Well, any Mace competition run by TCD or UCD will usually be good, but the other two are horrendous competitions. The Phil in TCD just don't have as good debaters or adjudicators as the L&H or the Hist; as a result, they can't really give decent worthwhile advice to the same level as Denny adjudicators can, and they frequently get adjudications wrong. You will of course be welcome at the Workshop regardless (once your teacher emails me beforehand, curses upon he who shows up without doing that) as our primary aim is to encourage all forms of debating in school. However, you should really consider stepping up into the big leagues and doing a real competition, run by people who know what they're doing and do it well.

3) The evil lime; there's a notice on the L&H board at the Wall in The Arts Block, have a read and put your name down. If you're new to adjudication and want to get involved that's fine; there's millions of old experienced debaters who you can learn from, that's why we get them to adjudicate with newbies.

Irwin

Dearv · 02-10-2005 4:14pm

HeyYou wrote:

2) Dearv: you're doing all the wrong competitions! Well, any Mace competition run by TCD or UCD will usually be good, but the other two are horrendous competitions. The Phil in TCD just don't have as good debaters or adjudicators as the L&H or the Hist; as a result, they can't really give decent worthwhile advice to the same level as Denny adjudicators can, and they frequently get adjudications wrong. You will of course be welcome at the Workshop regardless (once your teacher emails me beforehand, curses upon he who shows up without doing that) as our primary aim is to encourage all forms of debating in school. However, you should really consider stepping up into the big leagues and doing a real competition, run by people who know what they're doing and do it well.

Irwin

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually in our skool the mace and concern comps are for the experienced debaters!!!! they're the "BIG LEAGUES" as u so well put it!!!

Considerin they've been runnin for well over a decade each as well and have been really successful in gettin skools involved in debatin they cant be too bad!!

HeyYou · 02-10-2005 8:01pm

The Mace is all good, assuming it's the UCD or TCD Mace? No problems there. You're right in saying that Concern gets people involved in debating, that's true. However, here are the problems:

1) It's run by people who don't know debating and can't adjudicate as well as students who do it all the time, nevermind actually give decent advice.

2) The motions are only ever related to issues that Concern are, well, concerned with. This means that juicy issues like legalising prostitution, arming the gardai and the non-3rd world type things are all left out.

The Leinster Schools is now in its 22nd year of existence, and gets better every year. It's Ireland's largest non-sporting competition and is a huge amount of fun to be involved in. But, as I said, our primary aim is to encourage all forms of student debate: so if you want to come along to the workshop even if you have no intention of entering our competition we'll be delighted to have you along.

Irwin

Outcast · 02-10-2005 9:35pm

J Campion wrote:

I'm doin Denny, Mace, Concern and will probably get in some public speakin competitions too. Ah I do love TY!!! Flashling: ah go on, it's good craic, I did it last year, it's fairly daunting the first couple of times but it's worth it. Plus I'll be doin it. I rest my case. Do it!!!

Cool John, you're a debater. Rock on! How did you do last year?

We got a letter from The professional women of Ireland or something asking us to be in their competition. It's only for girls, you have only one speaker on a team of three and the adjudicators base their decision on diction and deportment. Sounds hilarious.

Anyone doing mental health?

Mr.D.Leprachaun · 02-10-2005 9:49pm

Has anyone called anyone else a master-debater on this thread yet? Please don't ban me.

the_red_cherry · 03-10-2005 10:25am

i' m on the school's debate team i don't know what competitions we'll be enetering yet definitely concern though and we'll see what else. i don't know why i torture myself like this though i am absolutely terrified of public speaking but it's like i think if i keep doing it it'll get easier it doesn't!!!

the evil lime · 03-10-2005 11:06am

It seems to me that the trick to all public speaking, debating, acting etc. is to stop giving a damn about anything, and everything, especially what may be going on in the heads of the audience. If only for a little while. It's always worked for me.

Flashling · 03-10-2005 7:51pm

I know exactly what you mean the red cherry! And after, you just hope and pray you didn't sound as stupid as you felt....I'm doing mental health Outcast! And I did the womens thing last year, it was as funny as it sounds! I was in the front row, and got spat on far too much by a girl telling us "we wouldn't be able to go see the polar bears in the zoo BECAUSE THEY'D ALL BE EXTINCT!" It was hilarious, yet....no, just hilarious!

Outcast · 03-10-2005 8:16pm

Flashling wrote:

....I'm doing mental health Outcast! And I did the womens thing last year, it was as funny as it sounds! I was in the front row, and got spat on far too much by a girl telling us "we wouldn't be able to go see the polar bears in the zoo BECAUSE THEY'D ALL BE EXTINCT!" It was hilarious, yet....no, just hilarious!

I did Mental Health last year but I'm not allowed this year coz I was in the National Final last year. Such a stupid rule! Mental Health is quite funny. Our first speaker (who was in CTYI) had this big story about her friend Grainne the bully but Grainne had never existed. You can do anything in the competition, make up stats or people, as long as you make Mental Health Ireland look good and say that 1 in 4 suffer frm depression.

That womens thing should be great. I'll have to resist the tempation to make a total mockery of it though.

J Campion · 08-10-2005 10:06pm

Congratulations to Irwin on a fantastically run day, well done. The FREE PIZZA was a great idea too. All in all a great day, very helpful.

HeyYou · 08-10-2005 11:52pm

Thanks a lot, it's always good to hear nice things back, I'm glad you got something out of it. Did you see my pizza tower? The empty pizza boxes stacked up were bigger than me...until they all fell over

Hope everyone who came along enjoyed it, I was delighted to see a few familiar faces there. Looking forward to seeing you all again when the first rounds kick off.

Irwin

Flashling · 09-10-2005 7:38pm

Yeah, it was really fun! And it gave me the biggest craving for mars bars.....I'm not complaining about the free pizza either!

Not related to the day at all, but why would a company call their own pizza company 4 star? IT MAKES NO SENSE. Why would they sell themselves short like that....?

Outcast · 11-10-2005 5:07pm

Do you have to be in TY to do that womens one?

TalkISCheap · 11-10-2005 10:34pm

I'm doing the Concern and the mental heath one. Oh, and the UCC PhilSoph one. And the UCC workshop. Hmmm... My poor, poor calendar...

HeyYou · 12-10-2005 8:47am

The UCC Philosoph convenor is really nice, should be a good competition.

Zounds · 16-10-2005 5:06pm

I am....I think

the_red_cherry · 20-10-2005 5:41pm

anyone from loretto college or newtown doing concern debates here? we're debating ye next

Love · 20-10-2005 11:07pm

Anyone debating in Trinity during the debate competitions, let me know, I'll probably be around so text me or something

HeyYou · 21-10-2005 11:03am

Just so you all know, the first round of the competition is starting on Monday October 24th. We're only holding four rounds in the first week, and the rest will be taking place after midterm. Make sure you keep an eye on the website over the next few weeks, and if you haven't got your application forms in yet please send them in asap. Best of luck!

Irwin

HeyYou · 02-11-2005 6:34pm

Hi all,

To anyone who has not yet sent entry forms in to us, please send them back as soon as possible. The next of the first rounds will be announced on Monday 7th November, with those debates taking place this following week as usual. Keep an eye on www.leinsterschoolsdebating.com for updates. And if you're from CUS, we haven't got a form yet, so send it in!

Irwin

HeyYou · 22-11-2005 6:50pm

Hi all,

The last of the Round One debates have been announced and will have taken place by December 1st; Round Two will kick off after Christmas. Anyone have any notable successes/ disasters in their first rounds?

Irwin

Outcast · 22-11-2005 7:34pm

I had a really good first round, very pleased. What was the standard like overall?

Lady penelopy · 01-12-2005 6:10pm

yay, got through to the second round, only one of the three teams from my school! my team was prop for "this house would put a nuclear power station in ireland". that bartley rock guy is hilarious!
so irwin, what can we look forward to in the next round? what sort of topics are we looking at?

Flashling · 01-12-2005 9:46pm

Well done! I'm not on the team for this round I'll be on the next one (assuming we get through) but I do have a mental health debate for tomorrow, so if anyone has any ideas on why mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin, share! *pleads in desperation*

Outcast · 01-12-2005 9:59pm

Just bull**** about someone with an eating disorder...

Flashling · 01-12-2005 10:05pm

Brilliant! Don't suppose you know if it's a public speaking competition or a debate?

Outcast · 01-12-2005 10:09pm

Public Speaking...people's mental health might be damaged by rebuttal.
Speaking slowly, prepared jokes and saying "Do you know L&G that more people commit suicide than are killed on the roads" are sure tickets to the final.

PurpleFistMixer · 01-12-2005 11:43pm

You could talk about that holistic stuff about how physical ailments are actually a manifestation of mental problems? Might sound a bit... airy, though.

HeyYou · 03-12-2005 12:10pm

Flashling wrote:

Well done! I'm not on the team for this round I'll be on the next one (assuming we get through)

What do you mean? Sounds like talk of substitution to me, and there'd have to be a VERY good reason for that if it's going to happen... Let me know what you mean.

As for the mental health stuff: there are links between excercise, healthy eating etc. and increased mental capacity and well-being, that's a little obvious though. Look up Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (psychology-type stuff), see if you can get anything out of that.

And yes, Bartley is hilarious, what's he been doing now? Good job to all the First Round particpants, Round Two starts after Christmas.

Irwin

jono087 · 04-12-2005 10:10pm

I did that mental health milarkey last year, just get the leaflets and paraphrase/elaborate on the points on 'em... worked for me:rolleyes:

Denny Leinster Schools Debating Competition

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