IBC Debate Team: First Venture Into National Scene

IBC ventured into the national debate scene with its hastily formed team, IBC Nagarjuna (Ven Boontham P, Ms Dechen Angmo, Ms Jian Liping, Ven Thammasak K) to participate in its first national tournament, the 175th Thai-American Diplomatic Relations Commemorative Debate (inter-university) held from 28-31 January 2009 in Bangkok.

The team met the toughest opponents in all rounds - Thammasat University team and the University of Virginia team from USA. The debate was scored on 'matter', 'manner' and 'method'.

It was a tough tournament that saw many teams withdrawing even before the competition rounds began. IBC Nagarjuna stayed in the competition throughout the tournament, debating on current issues such as 'free trade agreement', 'migrant workers', 'standard university entrance examination', and 'death penalty'. It won on 'manner' in all rounds but lost out on 'matter' to lose the debates.

But it was not all lost, one of our members teamed up with Thammasat University students to form a a swing team that won one round.

IBC Nagarjuna team debaters found the experience tremendously useful and they learned a lot from their exposure in the national scene. It was not the winning, but the journey that counted!!! Our IBC Nagarjuna team completed its journey, facing the toughest in the field and learning from it.

Incidentally, many debaters in the tournament got to learn Buddhism in person from our debaters, who answered their questions on Buddhist teachings and their relevance to present day society, to student life of the modern era, to 'what's life like for a student studying in a Buddhist College for a Buddhist Studies degree?' Fascinating learning experience for the other students too!!!

Thank you IBC Nagarjuna for putting IBC in the national debate scene - as a matter of fact or a point of contention probably, in national debate tournament in Thailand, apart from the only renown monk instructor (LP) in Mahidol University, our monk student debaters would count as the second and third monk debaters in the history of national inter-university debate tournament in Thailand!!!

IBC Nagarjuna - we are with you