This Blog has now moved to idebate.org/worlddebating - all future posts will be made there!

27 February 2009

EUDC 2009 Registration

Dear Debaters,
The opening of registration is nearly upon us! Read carefully the following:

1) Registration opens at opens on Monday March 2nd, 1200 GMT/UTC (British time, which is 1300 Paris, Berlin etc. 1400 Istanbul etc 1500 Moscow etc.)

2) The application form for the initial stage of registration will go live at that time at this web address: www.unionsociety.co.uk/EUDC09

3) You can get a copy of our registration policy and rules document from the same page in pdf format.

4) Registration closes at 1200GMT/UTC on Monday 9th March 2009.

5) Currency conversion will be set on 1200GMT/UTC Sunday 1st March.

6) Remember that the first registration from a country not already registered will
be automatically accepted.

All registration queries should be directed to convenor@eudcnewcastle09.com with "Registration" in the subject heading.

Cheers!

Russell & Oskar

26 February 2009

World Scholar's Cup

Dear Debate Community,

I'm writing to invite you to participate in the upcoming World Scholar's Cup for middle and high school students, to be held June 13-14 at Nanyang Girls School.

We are very grateful to our hosts at Nanyang Girls for all their help putting together the event. Teams will be housed together at the Concorde Hotel on Orchard Road, with easy access to shopping, food and entertainment; perhaps more importantly, the hotel staff is providing abundant practice space and study areas!

Debate is at the heart of the World Scholar's Cup: teams debate resolutions related to a different themed curriculum each year. This year's theme is The Fall of Empires. Within that theme, you'll learn subjects such as Sustainable Development, the Economics of Spectacular Collapse, the History of Empires on the Brink, and the Art of Decay and Decadence. You'll also watch two films: The Last Emperor and Serenity.

In addition to debate, the other three events in the World Scholar's Cup are an essay, a multiple choice challenge, and an exciting bowl-style public tournament, the Scholar's Quiz.

In case it helps, I'm attaching a poster containing some more information. Coaches and students interested in exploring the curriculum before deciding whether to participate might want to review the free, downloadable study guides at www.scholarscup.org--or watch the preview video there, which features footage from last year's World Finals in South Korea.

Afterward, you can register your teams directly at www.scholarscup.org. There is a registration fee of $49 USD per student, to help cover transportation costs and select meals and other incidentals throughout the competition; however, teams for whom this presents a significant obstacle can request a fee waiver.

We're already expecting participants from countries across Asia, Europe, and the United States; we'd be honored if you would join us as well. If you have any thoughts or questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.

I hope to see you many of you in Singapore--or at one of our regional practice scrimmages before that!

Best wishes,

Daniel

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Daniel Berdichevsky
Competition Director
The World Scholar's Cup
www.scholarscup.org