The Otago University Debating Society (OUDS) is a debating society established in June 1878 and is the oldest society of the University of Otago , the first university to be founded in New Zealand. Echoing trends in Australia and the United States (the University of Sydney Union was founded in 1874 and Harvard's debating union in 1880), in the latter decades of the nineteenth century debating was seen as an important talent for New Zealand's thought leaders, and was one of the three sports in the New Zealand University Games from 1902.
31-561: Prominent members of OUDS during its early years included Alfred Richard Barclay (one of its first vice-presidents), William Downie Stewart Jr (1898–1900), Harry Bedford (1900–1901) who as a 25-year-old policial novice entered Parliament in 1902 with the highest individual vote that had ever been recorded in New Zealand, John Callan (who won the Joynt Challenge Scroll in 1905) and Ossie Mazengarb (c.1910). OUDS
62-582: A Bachelor of Arts in 1878, with Bachelor of Laws in 1884, and was admitted to the bar in 1887. He practised as a barrister and solicitor for some time, and was appointed lecturer in constitutional history at the University of Otago in 1891. Barclay represented one of the City of Dunedin seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives between 1899 and 1902. He returned to Parliament as
93-492: A bid to host AWDC in 2018. Otago AWDC 2018 occurred in early September 2018. Teams from around Australasia attended the tournament. Two Otago teams broke into the quarter-finals. Otago 1 made it to the Grand Finals. Grace Belworthy was awarded fifth best speaker of the tournament. In 2018, Otago sent a team to the first NZ Women's Debating Championships. There are a number of notable alumni members. OUDS alumni include
124-588: A number of Otago University's Rhodes Scholars who have also held executive positions in the society. Recent OUDS recipients of the award include: OUDS has a long coverage relationship with the Otago Daily Times going back at least as far as 1894. The ODT has recently covered public debates held by OUDS featuring high-profile speakers on controversial contemporary issues. These include debates about mining and deep-sea oil drilling in New Zealand and alcohol age legislation. OUDS has been featured regularly in
155-543: A strong advocate for student rights. OUDS has an eight-person executive composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Senior Development Officer, Novice Development Officer, Schools Officer, Externals Officer, and Equity Officer. An additional Women's portfolio also exists, which is delegated to a female-identifying member of the executive. OUDS is financially supported by the Vice Chancellor of
186-495: Is a week-long competition held in the break between university semesters. Debates are held over a range of international topics. Australs follows a traditional debating format: three team members with eight preliminary rounds. Topics are impromptu with half an hour of preparation time allowed. The 2010 Australs was hosted by the University of Auckland Debating Society . OUDS sent seven teams and six adjudicators. William Chisholm
217-659: Is one of the five societies in the New Zealand Universities Debating Council, through which members compete in domestic, national and international tournaments. In conjunction with members from the Otago University Rugby Club, OUDS members formed the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) in 1890 because it felt that university students needed strong representation. OUSA has since become
248-930: The Liberal Party . Barclay was born in Ireland in 1859. He was the eldest son of the Rev. George Barclay and Annie Barclay (née Clifford). The family came to New Zealand in 1865 and arrived on the Dona Anita in Lyttelton , and settled in Timaru . Barclay received his education from the public school in Timaru, from Christ's College in Christchurch , and from the University of Otago in Dunedin . He graduated with
279-711: The Second Boer War . He was nominated as the Labour Party candidate for Dunedin North in 1911 but withdrew because of illness. On 26 October 1887, he married Annie Baron, the daughter of Henry William Baron of Dunedin. They had three children: George (born 1898), Elfreda (born 1900), and Frederick (born 1904). He died on 10 November 1912 and was survived by his wife. University of Auckland Debating Society The Auckland University Students' Association ( AUSA ), founded in 1891, represents students at
310-497: The University of Auckland . AUSA organises student events, publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student clubs and societies. It also produces Craccum magazine and runs the bFM radio station. The constitution of the AUSA centres the organisation around student advocacy and the provision of welfare services. AUSA has 27,000 members out of 42,000 equivalent full-time students enrolled at
341-520: The 48 team knock out rounds. The Otago A team of Alec Dawson and Kieran Bunn made it into the top four teams and competed in the grand final (ultimately won by the Monash B team). In the 2014 Worlds in Chennai, Otago sent two teams, once again breaking both teams into the knock out rounds. Unfortunately both teams were knocked out in the octo-finals. Otago University has traditionally been very supportive of
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#1732794564692372-555: The Goodall paradox. From 2014 onwards, Claytons has been held at the Raincliff Anglican Youth Camp. From 2014 to 2017, Otago-Otago finals occurred. In 2018 and 2019, Otago-Canterbury finals occurred, and the tournament was won by Canterbury both years. As a tournament Claytons is noted for its unique social nature compared to other debating tournaments held in New Zealand. Participating debaters socialise in
403-507: The MP for Dunedin North from 1905 to 1908. He was defeated in the elections in both 1902 and 1908 . Barclay was an admirer of Karl Marx : Barclay produced a pamphlet on Marx in 1899, and quoted him in his maiden speech in Parliament. In 1907, Barclay introduced a motion in the debating chamber for the nationalisation of the supply of food and clothing. He was a strong opponent of
434-502: The OUDS WUDC campaigns. OUDS has regularly sent teams to Australasian Women's. Some of the best women debaters from around the world compete in the tournament, which is aimed at development for junior speakers. In 2016, Otago made it to the grand final with a team of Emily Williams and Alice Sowery. Similarly, in 2017 Otago broke to the semi-finals of the tournament with a team of Emily Williams and Selena Ballantyne. In 2017, Otago won
465-473: The OUDS website. Joynt Scroll (Formerly known as New Zealand University Prepared Debating Championships or "Winters") is a three team member debating competition. Joynt Scroll is New Zealand's oldest and most respected national university debating tournament, and is New Zealand's second oldest sporting competition. Until recently, it was a fully prepared tournament held during the second semester break, but in 2019,
496-637: The Octo-finals of Australs with a team of Joe Ascroft, Emily Williams and Grace Belworthy. Easters, (previously known as the " University Games ") is the first national debating tournament of the year, competing for the Officer's Cup. OUDS has been a regular competitor at the tournament (usually sending the maximum of five teams) ever since the first event in 1902. The tournament is held in the first mid-semester break. Teams of two speakers are given five minutes' preparation time. University Games (Easters) 2010
527-480: The Otago University student magazine, Critic , since the magazines inception in 1925. From 2010 to 2011 Critic had a regular feature column called "Debatable" where two writers would argue the affirming or negative case on a moot. Alfred Richard Barclay Alfred Richard Barclay (8 August 1859 – 10 November 1912) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for two Dunedin electorates, representing
558-471: The University Council conducted a student referendum in 1999 on whether membership in AUSA should be voluntary or compulsory. The majority of students supported voluntary membership and this was enacted. Referendums on the same issue were held in 2001 and 2003, and in each case, the majority of students voted for voluntary association. (The request for a referendum is in the form of a petition to
589-416: The University Council, which any student may call, and thus must be conducted, provided no two referendums are less than two years apart.) Detractors of voluntary student membership (VSM) say that AUSA suffers drastically from it, and that VSM undermines AUSA's ability to advocate on behalf of students and provide welfare services. They also say that in controlling the flow of money, the university dictates
620-447: The University of Auckland. AUSA has over 100 affiliated clubs, the student bar Shadows, University Book Shop, Student Job Search, market days and events such as Orientation, Summer Shakespeare, End of Daze, Capping week , Womensfest, Cultural Mosaic, Blues Awards and Ecofest. This is the incumbent AUSA executive team for 2024. AUSA membership is free to all current students of the University of Auckland. As required by legislation,
651-516: The University of Otago, the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago, and Anderson Lloyd. The Bluff Cup is the weekly internal tournament held between teams of debaters at OUDS. Each team name is based on a South Island locality. The Bluff Cup itself was donated in 1988 by the team that won the OUDS championship in that year, Team Bluff. At the end of Otago's first semester, a final is held. Recent winners include: A more complete list can be found on
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#1732794564692682-411: The event with adjudicators from other University debating societies, such as Victoria, travelling to adjudicate debates at Claytons for the purpose of accrediting trainee adjudicators. Teams of three speakers are given 30 minutes preparation time before each debate. A round of debates is held in a pool format and teams with the best records in terms of wins and speaker points from those debates advance to
713-487: The like). Craccum is the weekly magazine produced by the AUSA. The name originated from the scrambled acronym of "Auckland University College Men's Common Room Circular". The publication has frequently found itself in legal difficulties due to its deliberate attempts to be controversial. These attempts have included an issue containing methods to create a bomb , and an issue discussing ways to commit suicide . A publicity stunt in 2005 saw Craccum sell its cover – which
744-498: The other hand, claim VSM means freedom of choice for students. They cite the United Nations declaration of freedom of association. They also paint AUSA executives under compulsory unionism as being wasteful, and believe that under voluntary AUSA executives are forced to be more accountable to members. They claim that the level of intervention is very limited (for example, the conditions are only that AUSA must run orientation and
775-623: The same common area and sleep in the same living quarters over the entire tournament. At other tournaments, teams from different societies are often housed in different hotel rooms and do not have a focal social commons. Claytons is also unique in that it takes place at a scout camp. Debates are held in sleeping rooms, the main room and outside. An equivalent tournament, Thropy, is held in the North Island between Victoria, Auckland and Waikato Debating Societies. The Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships more commonly known as "Australs"
806-596: The semi-finals and finals of the tournament. The 2006 competition, hosted by OUDS was in Waimate, South Canterbury and was won by a team from Canterbury. The 2007 tournament, held in Christchurch, was won by Otago. In more recent history Otago won the 2011 and 2012 tournaments also held in Waimate. Both of these were Otago-Otago finals. In 2013 Canterbury won the Claytons final in a 5–4 split decision which gave rise to
837-455: The terms to some extent of its operations through various agreements. As early as the mid-nineties, a number of incidents increased AUSA's credibility and alienated a lot of members who were previously disinterested in student politics, and were an undeniable factor in the 1999 referendum. Contentious issues like allocation of funds was the focus of many debates at the Quad. Proponents of VSM, on
868-502: The tournament was changed to have only thirty minutes of preparation time, and was moved to the first semester break (Easter time). Otago has consistently performed well at Joynt scroll Claytons is an amateur tournament for debaters who have not spoken at more than two major tournaments. It is held annually between OUDS and the University of Canterbury Debating Society and has sometimes included teams from Waikato University (as in 2011). Traditionally Otago and Canterbury alternate as hosts of
899-586: Was a grand final adjudicator. In 2011 Australs was held in South Korea. Otago sent two teams and three adjudicators. The Otago One team (Purdon, Bunn, Hunt) broke in 15th place to the double-octo finals. In 2012 Otago sent five teams and four adjudicators to Australs hosted by Victoria University of Wellington. In 2013 the Otago University Debating Society was successful in a bid to host the 2014 Australs. In 2017, OUDS broke to
930-495: Was bought by Salient , the student magazine of Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association , with funding from Victoria University of Wellington 's marketing fund. The sale proved to be ironic; the theme of that issue of Craccum was corporate sellouts. 95bFM (or simply bFM) is a typical student radio station that plays alternative music . Like other student broadcasters, it supports local artists well before they become mainstream. Originally started as Radio Bosom,
961-711: Was held in Invercargill . In 2018, Otago defeated Victoria University in the final with a team of Joe Ascroft and Emily Williams, this was the first time Otago had won the tournament in 20 years. Otago is due to host Easters in 2019. OUDS has sent teams to the World Universities Debating Championship . In 2013 Otago sent three teams to the World Championship being hosted in Berlin, all of whom 'broke' or qualified, for