7:30 Report - 12/01/2000: Students give sharp edge to debating competition

The 7.30 Report


	Transcript 12/01/2000 Students give sharp edge to debating competition MAXINE McKEW: Well, this doesn't apply to the likes of Geoffrey Robertson, but the prospect of standing up in front of strangers and speaking about world affairs is enough to strike fear in the hearts of most people. But for almost 800 young adults from 30 countries, the challenge of winning a war of words lured them to Sydney for the World University Debating Championships. 'Worlds', as it is known, is the largest non-athletic student event in the world. After dozens of debates, thousands of words, and quite a number of insults, the top teams lined up for the finals. We followed the fortunes of two teams from opposite sides of the globe as they battled for world supremacy. Sean Murphy reports. FEMALE STUDENT: The topic for this debate is that this House should shut down McDonald's. REBECCA GRAHAM, CHIEF ADJUDICATOR: If you stand objectively from it, it's a daggy thing to do with your time. ROB GARSON, INNER TEMPLE: The reason why I love 'Worlds' really is to a degree, I love being a very large fish in a very small puddle, to a degree. SEAN MURPHY: And they're off, almost 800 students from around the world have been given 15 minutes to prepare to argue whether trade rights should be placed before workers' rights. After lunch, they'll be asking themselves if we should be having more sex. ROB GARSON: When a multinational wants to get into a country they have to go before this joint body. Yes or no? MALE STUDENT: No. ROB GARSON: What gives me a buzz in debating is the speed of thought. SEAN MURPHY: Rob Garson is debating for Inner Temple, an old and prestigious college of law in London. The tournament is a bastion of tradition. Debates are conducted in British parliamentary style, with teams representing government and opposition parties. ROB GARSON, IN DEBATE: There is too much economic benefit for them -- CATHY ROSSOUW, MONASH UNIVERSITY, IN DEBATE: These are the precisely -- sit down, you two -- these are precisely the kinds of arguments that -- CATHY ROSSOUW: There's nothing worse than standing up and thinking, "Everything I'm saying is a complete lie." But if you can psych yourself up into thinking, "I'm fighting on the right side of the topic here" it's the best feeling ever. SEAN MURPHY: For Cathy Rossouw and Kim Little, there's a lot at stake. Despite all the old-world traditions, Melbourne's Monash University is the defending champion. Tonight, its top team finds out if it's reached the finals. COMPETITION COMMENTATOR: Ranking fourth on 20 points, Inner Temple A. Ranking eighth is Monash A. KIM LITTLE, MONASH UNIVERSITY: This is on debt relief. I don't think we'll get something on debt relief, at least I hope we won't. CATHY ROSSOUW: I'm the eternal optimist. I always think that we'll know enough about it, that we're going to do fine. KIM LITTLE: I always think we should do an extra two or three hours study, that -- if we're lucky -- we'll come second, this kind of thing. Yes, I suppose we balance each other out with that, but I always think we should do more work. SEAN MURPHY: Traditionally, these tournaments are dominated by men from elite universities, although times are changing, Monash is still considered brave to field its top team with two women. CATHY ROSSOUW, IN DEBATE: This argument is fundamentally flawed, no, sit down. Because unless they're going to say that democracy is -- CATHY ROSSOUW: I think it's a result of the way that the debates are constructed. You're supposed to pretend like you're in Parliament. It's all about being the loudest and commanding everyone's attention through the use of humour and things like that. Traditionally, women don't feel comfortable using those kinds of tactics to get their message across. ROB GARSON, IN DEBATE: What you're asking on your side of the House is for the rest of the world to pay for thousands of F15s to go in. What we say on our side of the House -- ROB GARSON: I'm a very aggressive debater and I'm known for it. Some people are scared of me. If I think somebody's said something that is facile, I'll say, "It's facile." I won't say, "Mr Speaker, so he's misconstrued his argument." REBECCA GRAHAM: Yes, there is a lot of macho posturing that goes on. I think women seem to be a little bit better at dealing with defeat than the men who come here. I think men -- when they get on a big ego high -- it's above and beyond anything that women do. ROB GARSON: We're going to do it, this is the biggest debate we've got. SEAN MURPHY: Inner Temple and Monash have both made it to the semifinals. ROB GARSON: I feel absolutely horrendous. I feel remarkably nervous. I feel like I've just got a well of nothing in my stomach. I try and build myself up by just telling myself, just speaking to myself and telling myself, there's nobody I can't take down. KIM LITTLE, IN DEBATE: There are long-term lines, there is the doctrine of moral hazard, which they've tried to pretend doesn't exist. ROB GARSON, IN DEBATE: I'm not going to rant, I'm not going to rave, but I'm going to get forensic on Stanford's arse -- KIM LITTLE, IN DEBATE: What really jeopardises social policy and political stability? So let's look at this first point -- ROB GARSON, IN DEBATE: ..to show that they are a viable investment area, Mr Speaker. ADJUDICATOR: My problem with them is they haven't convinced me there are examples any more valid, than say Rob Garson's examples. SEAN MURPHY: The judges must select two teams for the final later today. From the start, they agree that Monash should go through. However, they're having much more trouble selecting a second team. ADJUDICATOR: But if they were so convinced that Rob was completely talking through his arse, why didn't they hammer him home? ROB GARSON: You win some, you lose some. A bit pissed off, but there we go. That was my swansong, I'm out of it now. MAXINE McKEW: So much for a less combative style from the next generation of leaders.