Irish speech and debate students argued their way to the University with technique and style after earning the title of national champions in Dublin, Ireland.
Following the Irish Times Debate final competition in February, three privileged students won the chance to compete on a two-week tour of American universities.
Irish debaters Stephen Boyle and teammates John Gallagher and Christopher Kissane visited Eugene to take on three members of the third-best collegiate debate program in the United States: the UO Forensics Debate and Speech team. Boyle attends University College Dublin, and Gallagher and Kissane hail from Trinity College Dublin – home to the oldest student debating society in the world.
Coached by University graduate student Aaron Donaldson, the three debaters who went head-to-head with the Irish lads in 182 Lillis on Wednesday evening were political science majors Ben Dodds, Hailey Sheldon and Matt Rose.
“Just a couple years ago we had between eight and 10 people on the team, now we have upwards of 40,” Sheldon said about the growing debate team. “We have a wealth of information that we are ready to use.”
The topic of debate, “America’s occupation of Iraq benefits the Iraqi people,” was discussed in front of a public audience – a style of debating that is less common for most American student debaters.
“It will be really interesting to try to engage in the activity the way that they do it,” University debater Dodds said prior to the event. “They are used to speaking to rally audience support and we’re used to speaking to one judge; the game is certainly a lot more important in American style debate.”
Both the Cultural Forum and The Concerned Faculty for Peace and Justice, represented by professor emeritus Frank Stahl, sponsored the event. Stahl kicked off the evening at 7 p.m. in front of an audience of more than 100.
“There is a debating society on campus … who can bring to one forum both sides of a difficult issue and we hope, thereby, attract both peaceable folks and warriors into the same room where they can have it out in a peaceful and vigorous manner, and get both sides expressed,” Stahl said to the audience from the stair-isle of the auditorium.
Attendees heard six individual speeches: three in opposition from the UO team and three in favor from the Irish national team. The debaters were given 15 minutes to prepare their positions, which are determined by an event official in competitions. This means the opinions expressed by the two teams are not necessarily the personal beliefs of the individuals. The challenge is the ability to argue both sides with the same vigor.
In the hotel lobby of Phoenix Inn Suites on Tuesday, the Irish team spoke of the style differences between their home country and the U.S.
“(American debaters) tend to speak very fast and very technically. In Ireland, it’s much more about big ideas and persuasion than about trying to win,” said Gallagher, who sported a yellow ‘Go Ducks!’ T-shirt during the debate, to the audience’s approval.
During the debate audience members banged on tables in agreement or booed and hissed their disapproval. Afterward the students shook hands and took comments from the crowd.
“My aim tonight wasn’t to change somebody’s mind, it was to make them think about their opinion and to justify it for themselves. For me, that’s the purpose of debating,” Boyle said in the nearly empty auditorium.
The Irish will debate in Stockton, Calif. before boarding a plane Sunday to begin their long flight home.
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