BY EDISON MARTE SICAD
Contextualizing debate competitions
Debate competitions mostly, if not always, happen in a school setting. So far, I haven’t judged a debate match that is not school-related. Although there were debate tournaments organized by other institutions, still, the participants would carry the name of their school in joining said competitions.
I am pointing this out, despite it being obvious, because it encapsulates the main objective of debate competitions: to educate us all.
In other words, the discussion of issues must not only be informative; it must also be transformative. This would mean that when I judge, or coach, a debate, I take into consideration the hidden messages being conveyed that cannot be fully explained to the audience.
One example was when our school joined an Asian Parliamentary debate series. The propositions were given only during the day of the competition. It so happened that our debating team will tackle premarital sex and we were assigned to defend it. Imagine my apprehension as I listened to our debaters defend such a behavior, and winning the match!
No doubt they were very convincing. But somehow, what prevailed in me at that time was not about me being a good coach. I got bothered by the victory and asked myself, did I become a better teacher?
When logic and rhetoric go against inner beliefs and school philosophy, how will a coach, who is also a teacher, deal with it? How will a judge, who is also an educator, handle it?
In one of the matches, the issue was about cross-dressing. Meaning, the Affirmative side supported the idea that college students will be allowed to cross-dress in going to school as an expression of freedom, respecting their individuality.
The arguments were reasonable to a certain extent.
But the Negative side pointed out that such a policy can open a Pandora’s box. Such a policy can polarize students, teachers, and parents.
The Affirmative side won the match. The debaters were highly skilled, very persuasive. But I was in a dilemma because of the hidden message: it is ok to cross-dress in school.
An alternative debate idea
My professor in college suggested another format of debate match that may not be that competitive but very educational: the role of the opposing teams is not to destroy arguments per se, but to present a better solution to the panel of judges.
This format is almost like a research presentation with interpellation not only coming from the debaters but from the judges as well. As I said, this format may not work considering the number of teams involved and the difficulty of inviting judges that are well-versed with the different issues. Not to mention the time needed to better prepare each match. But when we talk about something that is very educational, this format has its strengths.
Example Three: Integrity
I am now referring to something that cannot be judged and cannot be found in the criteria for judging.
When I accompanied my debaters to Cebu for a national debate series, there was an incident that I fully regretted: I reprimanded (shouted) at one of my debaters in front of everyone. I realized that although my reasoning was valid, I should have also been respectful in pointing out his faults.
The other thing we have to take note is the term malinformation: it is information based on fact, but removed from its true context in order to mislead others to get the result we intended. The judges, the other debaters, and the audience cannot double-check everything that is being presented in a debate match. And by bluffing, a debater can sound credible and trustworthy.
In a way, when students join debate competitions, they will learn a lot about themselves and others. They will realize that there is more to things than meets the eye. And the beauty in the art of argumentation and debate is found within one’s passion to learn and one’s conviction that we can always learn with integrity, regardless of the outcome, regardless of the process./PN
