PHOTO: Said representatives En Minh Cheong, Hewlens Wong and Loke Wing Fatt pose with winners Elizabeth Berthold and Sean Luechtefeld of the USA.

Our correspondent Loke Wing Fatt (lokewf@singnet.com.sg) reports on this event. See the website on the Society for Associated Intertertiary Debaters at http://said.d2dsg.com/view.php?sub=main&page=index .

International Debate Academy, Slovenia, (IDAS) 2006 (17th to 23rd Nov)

In its 4th year, the International Debate Academy Slovenia (IDAS)  2006 was held in the Slovenian border town of Ormoz.  Organised by the World Debate Institute, led by Dr Alfred Charles "Tuna" Snider of the University of Vermont, USA, and Ms Bojana Skrt, Director of  Za In Proti, Za Kulturo Dialoga, Slovenia, it attracted 60 university debaters from Europe, Canada, America, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Largely sponsored by the European Parliament, and the US Embassy, the event saw the pool of  international debaters go through 5 days  of arduous daily lectures, tutorials, drill sessions and 9 practise-debates, followed by a 2-day mini-BP tournament.  Much socialising was  facilitated by 3 social events, namely, Visit to the Ormoz Mayor at the the Ormoz Castle, Country Exhibition Night and Kitsch Night.  A two-hour discussion with the US Embassy was also held for all participants at the Academy.

In the Grand Final held at the Ormoz Castle, Team Apathetic Hungarian, comprising Sean Luechtefeld and Elizabeth Berthold from America, won from the Opening Opposition position by opposing the motion "The European Parliament should act to condemn the expansion of nuclear power to generate electricity".  Mr Filip Dobranic from Team What would Judas do? was the Best Speaker of the IDAS 2006.  2 SAID members, Cheong En Min and Hewlens Wong from Team SAIDists were ranked 9th and 10 top speakers of the mini tournament.  Loke Wing Fatt taught at the event as a member fo the 9-strong international faculty from USA, Europe, Australia and Asia.

<== Trainers at wine tasting celebration dinner

SAID looks forward to next year's IDAS 2007, hoping for another great gathering of motivated debaters and debater educators in Europe.  Additionally, we would like Tuna and Bojana to organise thick, fluffy and festive snowfall in Slovenia, which was missing this year, for our ultimate satisfaction!