Otago University Debating Society

The Otago University Debating Society (OUDS) was established in June 1878 and is the oldest society of the University of Otago,^[1][2][3] the first university to be founded in New Zealand. Echoing trends in Australia and the United States (the University of Sydney Union was founded in 1874 and Harvard's debating union in 1880), in the latter decades of the nineteenth century debating was seen as an important talent for New Zealand's thought leaders,^[4][5] and was one of the three sports in the New Zealand University Games from 1902.

Prominent members of OUDS during its early years included Alfred Richard Barclay (one of its first vice-presidents),^[6] William Downie Stewart, Jr. (1898–1900),^[7] Harry Bedford (1900–1901)^[8] who as a 25-year-old policial novice entered Parliament in 1902 with the highest individual vote that had ever been recorded in New Zealand,^[9] John Callan (who won the Joynt Challenge Scroll in 1905)^[10] and Ossie Mazengarb (c.1910).^[11]

OUDS is one of the five societies in the New Zealand Universities Debating Council,^[12] through which members compete in domestic, national and international tournaments. In conjunction with members from the Otago University Rugby Club, OUDS members formed the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) in 1890 because it felt that university students needed strong representation. OUSA has become a strong advocate for student rights.

Tournaments

Bluff Cup

The Bluff Cup is the weekly internal tournament held between teams of debaters at OUDS. Each team name is based on a South Island locality. The Bluff Cup itself was donated in 1988 by the team that won the OUDS championship in that year, Team Bluff. In 2016 Nathaniel Brown, Grace Belworthy and Emily Williams won the final.

University Games

University Games (also known as "Easters") is the first national debating tournament of the year, competing for the Officer's Cup.^[13] OUDS has been a regular competitor at the tournament (usually sending the maximum of five teams) ever since the first event in 1902.^[14] The tournament is held in the first mid-semester break. Teams of two speakers are given five minutes' preparation time. University Games 2010 was held in Invercargil.^[15][16]

Claytons

Claytons is an amateur tournament for debaters who have not spoken at more than two national tournaments. It is held annually between OUDS and the University of Canterbury Debating Society and has sometimes included teams from Waikato University (as in 2011). Traditionally Otago and Canterbury alternate as hosts of the event with adjudicators from other University debating societies, such as Victoria, travelling to adjudicate debates at Claytons for the purpose of accrediting trainee adjudicators.

Teams of three speakers are given 30 minutes preparation time before each debate. A round of debates is held in a pool format and teams with the best records in terms of wins and speaker points from those debates advance to the semi-finals and finals of the tournament. The 2006 competition, hosted by OUDS was in Waimate, South Canterbury and was won by a team from Canterbury. The 2007 tournament, held in Christchurch, was won by Otago. In more recent history Otago won the 2011 and 2012 tournaments also held in Waimate. Both of these were Otago-Otago finals. In 2013 Canterbury won the Claytons final in a 5-4 split decision which gave rise to the Goodall paradox.

In 2014, 2015 and 2016 Claytons has been healed at the Raincliff Anglican Youth Camp. In all three of these years Otago-Otago finals occurred.

As a tournament Claytons is noted for its unique social nature compared to other debating tournaments held in New Zealand. Participating debaters socialise in the same common area and sleep in the same living quarters over the entire tournament. At other tournaments, teams from different societies are often housed in different hotel rooms and do not have a focal social commons. Claytons is also unique in that it takes place at a scout camp. Debates are held in sleeping rooms, the main room and outside.

Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships

The Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships more commonly known as "Australs" is a week-long competition held in the break between university semesters. Debates are held over a range of international topics. Australs follows a traditional debating format: three team members with eight preliminary rounds. Topics are impromptu with half an hour of preparation time allowed.

The 2010 Australs was hosted by the University of Auckland Debating Society. OUDS sent seven teams and six adjudicators. William Chisholm was a grand final adjudicator.^[17] In 2011 Australs was held in South Korea. Otago sent two teams and three adjudicators. The Otago One team (Purdon, Bunn, Hunt) broke in 15th place to the double-octo finals. In 2012 Otago sent five teams and four adjudicators to Australs hosted by Victoria University of Wellington.

In 2013 the Otago University Debating Society was successful in a bid to host the 2014 Australs.^[18]

Joynt Scroll

Joynt Scroll (otherwise known as New Zealand University Prepared Debating Championships or "Winters") is a three team member fully prepared debating competition. Joynt Scroll is New Zealand's oldest and most respected national university debating tournament, and is New Zealand's second oldest sporting competition. In 2011 the Otago One team (Kieran Bunn, William Cheyne and Paul Hunt) made it to the semi-finals of the competition, only to be defeated by the eventual winners, Victoria Two. William Cheyne was named as Captain of the NZ Prepared Debating team (an honorary team made up of the best speakers of the tournament) that year. In 2012 Otago One (Nicholas Gavey, Kieran Bunn, Paul Hunt) finished as runners up.^[19] In 2013, Otago One once more reached the semifinals at Joynt Scroll 2013 (Patrick Dawson, Kieran Bunn and John Brinsley-Pirie),^[20] with speaker Kieran Bunn named as best speaker of the tournament and John Brinsley-Pirie named as 1st reserve to the New Zealand Team. In 2015, Otago One (Alice Sowry, John Brinsley-Pirie and Jamie Tocher) once again made the final. At the 2016 Otago Joynt Scroll (Hosted by the University of Canterbury) One (Paul Hunt, Joe Ascroft and Jamie Tocher) again made the final and lost to the University of Auckland. Joe Ascroft was chosen as second reserve and Jamie Tocher chosen as first reserve for the championship team.

World Universities Debating Championship

OUDS has sent teams to the World Universities Debating Championship. In 2013 Otago sent three teams, all of whom 'broke' or qualified, for the 48 team knock out rounds. The Otago A team of Alec Dawson and Kieran Bunn made it into the top four teams and competed in the grand final (ultimately won by the Monash B team). In the 2014 Worlds in Chennai, Otago sent two teams, once again breaking both teams into the knock out rounds. Unfortunately both teams were knocked out in the octo-finals. Otago University has traditionally been very supportive of the OUDS WUDC campaigns.^[21][22]

OUDS Executive

OUDS has a ten-person executive composed of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Sectary, Development Officer (Senior), Development Officer (Junior/ First year) Social Officer, Equity Officer, Publicity and Sponshership Officer and Schools Officer. An additional Women's portfolio also exists.

The current President of the society is: Joe Ascroft

Past Presidents include: Alice Sowry (2016), Katarina Schwarz (2015), John Brinsley-Pirie (2014), Paul Hunt (2012–13), Louis Chambers (2010–11) and William Chisholm (2009).

OUDS Alumni

1988 OUDS members

• Michael Laws writer, broadcaster and politician^[23]
• Chris Carter, politician and gay equality campaigner^[24]
• David Pine singer and diplomat
• David Cunliffe leader of the opposition
• Grant Robertson politician
• Holly Walker politician^[25]
• Thomas Jeffery Parker zoologist^[26]

Rhodes Scholars

OUDS alumni include a number of Otago University's Rhodes Scholars who have also held executive positions in the society. Recent OUDS recipients of the award include:

• Damen Ward, Rhodes Scholar 1999.
• Sally McKechnie, Rhodes Scholar 2000^[27]
• Chris Curran, Rhodes Scholar 2001 ^[28]
• Rachel Carrell, Rhodes Scholar 2002^[29]
• Holly Walker, Rhodes Scholar 2007^[30]
• Louis Chambers, Rhodes Scholar 2012, president of OUDS 2010/2011 ^[31][32]

Sponsorship

OUDS is financially supported by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Otago, Gallaway Cook Allan Lawyers and the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago.

Dunedin Schools Debating

Dunedin Schools Debating is an organisation run by OUDS debaters and teachers from Dunedin secondary schools. It was established in 2013 to administer a regular high school debating competition, in both Junior (Year 9 and 10) and Senior (Years 11-13) divisions. It is the first time Dunedin school students have been able to compete in a regular debating competition.^[33]

Media profile and public debates

OUDS has a long coverage relationship with the Otago Daily Times going back at least as far as 1894.^[34] The ODT has recently covered public debates held by OUDS featuring high-profile speakers on controversial contemporary issues. These include debates about mining and deep-sea oil drilling in New Zealand^[35][36] and alcohol age legislation.^[37]

OUDS has been featured regularly in the Otago University student magazine, Critic (magazine), since the magazines inception in 1925. From 2010–2011 Critic had a regular feature column called "Debatable" where two writers would argue the affirming or negative case on a moot.^[38]

References

External links

• OUDS website