Workshop 3 Introduction to Mace Debating Part 1

Important Stuff Sign up to the Boards: literaryanddebating.com/boards Sign up for UCD & UCC IVs and Irish Times Competition Thursday: Islamic Discussion – post questions Tonight’s Nightclub Venue: Club K

Mace Debating Used at Worlds, Euros, IVs, Irish & Int’l Mace Based on British Parliament 4 Teams, 8 Speakers 5-7 Minute Speeches

Basic Premises Motion & Position announced 15 minutes beforehand 1 st Prop present model First & last minute protected, points of information in between Your job is to beat all three teams, even the team on “your side” Emphasis on substance over style

Speech Structure Opening (“Mr/Madam Chair, Ladies & Gentlemen”) Introduction (your core ideas & points) Rebuttal (explicit or “interweaved”) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Conclusion (“What we brought to you today…”)

Points of Information In unprotected time Giving points: Stand up, “On that point, sir” Don’t badger the speaker Taking points: accept, reject or delay 1-2 POIs in 5-minute speech, 1-3 in 7- minute Don’t take mid-sentence or mid-point (break between points)

First Prop Solid instead of spectacular Set up the debate First Speaker: Model, main big reasons Second Speaker: Defence, defence, defence Problem, Cause, Solution, Effect First Prop is not about winning, it’s about not losing

First Opp Attack, attack, attack Your job is to destroy First Prop Attack model, but focus on points Big ideas, big problems Great First Opps end debates

Second Prop First Speaker: Rebuttal & Extension Differentiate from first half Expansion or contraction Second Speaker: Rebuttal & Summation Take out Second Opp

Second Opp “OK, let’s clear things up a bit…” First Speaker: Opp Extension, but primarily take out Second Prop Expansion or Contraction Second Speaker: The Great Summator

Point Construction Three big ideas instead of 41 small ones Statement, Explanation, Information Clear, logical steps Judges are idiots

BE IN THE DEBATE BUT NOT OF THE DEBATE