by Rachael Slivka
Assistant Features

 Although many Wesleyan students like to argue, a few students are actually putting that talent to some good use.

This past weekend, the Wesleyan Parliamentary Debate Society [PDS] sent 3 teams to Vassar College participate in their first tournament of the year. Over 15 colleges, including such notable names as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia participated in these events. While the results of the tournament are not yet known, Wesleyan did place second in the trivia contest.

The students who went this weekend found it to be a positive experience.

“It was really challenging. People were really serious about it,” said Masha Rubanovskay, secretary of PDS. “It’s such a good social experience because you meet interesting people from all different kinds of schools.”

PDS has had an excellent team for the past 50 years and even had a team win on the national level about 6 or 7 years ago, said the Debate Society’s President, Stu Sherman ’03.

However, after the win at nationals, the team, which consisted of only seniors, fell apart when those members graduated. Last year, two seniors, Lyndon Oh ‘01 and James Sullivan ’01, decided they wanted to restart debate at the University, after having experienced Parliamentary Debate while studying abroad at Oxford and Cambridge.

Parliamentary Debate is a specific type of debate based on the British Parliamentary System. The American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) describes this form of debate as “an off-topic, extemporaneous form of competitive debate which stresses rigorous argumentation, logical analysis, quick thinking, breadth of knowledge, and rhetorical ability over preparation of evidence.”

Parliamentary Debate differs from Lincoln Douglas, a form similar to presidential debate, which is often followed in high schools.

“We don’t come in with topics. Ten minutes before the round starts, you make up a case,” said Rubanovskay. “It only matters how you debate and what your arguments are versus what your standpoint is.”

Each team in a debate is made up of two people. One team is on the opposition side, while the other is on the government side. The government side proposes a case and then both sides argue if that point is valid. Both sides take turns making speeches.

“It’s really very competitive. You get downright bitter sometimes. You can really get into it,” said PDS Treasurer Evan Fitzpatrick ’04, who attended the past tournament.

“But then at the end it’s very sportsmanlike and you become friends with your opponents because you realize that there are two sides to every argument. That’s what I like about it most. You can understand both sides of every argument.”

Coupled with the thrill of the argument itself, Sherman said he enjoys the stimulation of the debate, regardless of the final outcome.

“I actually enjoy the academic stimulation of debating,” Sherman said. “While many teams on the circuit are all about winning, I really enjoy learning and debating the topics more than the actual competitive aspect. It’s really fun to argue even if you don’t agree with the side you must take. It also allows me to take what I learn in class and read in the newspaper, and apply it to something other than writing a paper.”

The Parliamentary Debate Society has competed in debate tournaments throughout New England and as far as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Top schools throughout the country compete in these competitions, including all the Ivy League universities.

Last year the team attended three tournaments and this year they hope to go to many more, as there are tournaments held almost every weekend. Sherman hopes to try send representatives to a tournament at least every other weekend.

Though the team only received $270 in funding this year from the WSA, they are actually receiving special funding from the Dean’s office.

Fitzpatrick attributes part of the team’s success to the help of the Administration.

“[The Dean’s office] thinks that the debate team adds to the academic prestige and image of Wesleyan. They figure if we have some successes in tournaments, they can tell kids who apply that we have a debate team and that it’s successful,” Fitzpatrick said.

The team, formerly called the Woodrow Wilson Debate Society, changed their name after they found that it confused people who were not sure what school they were representing.

“We have thrown around the idea of renaming it the Michael Bay Memorial Debate Team or the Dar Williams Debate Society,” said Sherman.

For those interested in the debate team, they meet weekly on Tuesday nights at 9:30 in PAC001.