The Brock University Debate Society was ratified in the late summer of 2024: here’s what their executives are saying about the club.
President of the newly established Brock University Debate Society (BUDS), Sophia Krause, began the club with a group of her fellow Social Sciences students. In an interview with The Brock Press, BUDS’ Executive Team gave some insight into their ambitions and goals for the club.
What makes BUDS unique is that it was “founded out of friendship,” said the executive team. The founders shared the desire to explore through debating various concepts they encountered in the classroom. The goal of the club is to engage with topics and ideas that challenge people’s ways of thinking and to encourage the sharing of ideas between students of all disciplines.
“Not only do we get to explore both sides of potentially contentious topics, but we get to do it in a format that is respectful and productive,” said the execs. One of the most remarkable things to the execs is how club members consistently impress them with their innovative ideas and thought-provoking debates, making every meeting incredibly rewarding to witness.
The club’s first term (fall 2024) went better than they could have imagined: “We are so lucky to have dedicated members who are committed to supporting our growth and challenging us to always improve our club,” said the execs, who acknowledged that as a brand-new club, there was some trial and error involved while running their programming.
They are excited to bring new resources and materials to the winter term that reflect the goals of their members, and they already have several new topics they’re excited to debate, ranging from the political to the philosophical.
With such a divided world, BUDS hopes to highlight the importance of respectful debating in our society. They described how the current political climate can drive wedges between people, as many believe that if they disagree politically, they fundamentally can’t “get along.” To help nurture and maintain an environment of compassion, BUDS encourages club members to debate from stances that may not be their own. “Keeping an open mind and being open to exploring differing viewpoints and experiences allows debates to reach new heights, all while maintaining a culture of respect,” said the execs.
BUDS formats their debates with a grading scheme that ensures debates remain civil, as disrespectful behaviour loses points for the whole team. The Speaker of the House is also responsible for ensuring debates adhere to the principles of decorum and run smoothly.
One of BUDS’ strict policies is that ad hominem (an argument or reaction directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining) is never tolerated, no matter how contentious a topic. “Our club members implicitly understand that debates do not work if debaters do not work together, and this understanding has allowed an environment of mutual respect to flourish,” said the execs:
“We believe that with the proper level of respect and decorum, a civil environment can be maintained during political debates. So long as participants are ready to listen to other perspectives, an understanding can be reached.”
The execs described how one club member told them they considered the process of debating as “truth seeking” more than anything, and BUDS has tried to embrace this mentality when discussing potentially contentious topics.
BUDS’ debate format is founded on Canadian Parliamentary debate, meaning they enforce rules of decorum similar to those seen in the House of Commons, for instance, conventions on how to address opponents when debating. The Speaker of the House’s job is to maintain decorum during debates, calling for order when debaters get riled up and ensuring that the rules of debate are adhered to. BUDS also has “administrative safeguards” put in place to ensure debates are never disrespectful or emotionally harmful. This includes an anti-hate speech clause entrenched in the club’s constitution. As of yet, no major issues have occurred.: “We have been lucky enough that our club members are just as committed to fostering a culture of respect,” said the execs.
So far, BUDS has debated both complicated questions (such as “is it ethical to have children?”) and lighthearted ones (“should mac and cheese be eaten with a spoon or a fork?”). Their debates are always lively, said the execs, “and sometimes even the most seemingly trivial of topics yield the most passionate results.”
BUDS decides on debate topics through a Google Form with questions classified based on topic: health, economics, society and politics. Collectively, the executive team creates the questions based on general interests among club members, as well as ideas that they find entertaining to debate. Club members vote on which topics they are most interested in, and BUDS debates the most popular ones.
Some ideas for future topics to debate include Bill C-31 (“Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act,” 2014), various Canadian Charter rights including section 33 (also known at the notwithstanding clause), ethics related to A.I., animal rights, the UN Security Council and various other ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions.
In terms of political topics, BUDS largely focuses on Canadian politics because they follow an adapted model of the Canadian Parliamentary Debate system:
“Our formal, researched debates tend towards more political topics, as these are most representative of what would be debated on the floor of the House. However, when we run more informal debates, we are able to explore a wider range of topics, be it philosophical, comical or otherwise,” said the execs.
BUDS doesn’t shy away from any political topics, as they believe that the true purpose of debate is not to determine who is correct between the opposing sides, but to find common ground between the two. Debates will occasionally tread into contentious territory — this is unavoidable — but the Speaker of the House, debate judges and the club members themselves all share in the commitment to finding common ground, said the execs.
Although they have brought up topics featured in the news, the majority of BUDS’ topics are classical debate topics. Some of these topics have been religious freedom, restorative versus punitive justice and the voting age. The execs said that surprisingly, their most contentious topic was whether math — the subject — should be represented by red or blue.
In training sessions and before all formal debates, BUDS makes it abundantly clear that they will not tolerate any form of disrespect or hate speech. In every debate, the Speaker monitors the debate and ensures that all comments are appropriate and do not in any way infringe on any group’s rights.
Students believe this new club is off to a great start, and BUDS is excited to continue to foster a safe and respectful place for debates of all kinds.
Brock University Debate Society membership is open to all Brock students, regardless of program or skill level; “We are so excited to see the club continue to grow and encourage all students interested in debate to join us.” The club meets every Tuesday from 7:00-9:00 pm in TH 257. The execs invite you to come out and see what debate is all about.