LSE Forum 2015 Participation Guide

8/9/2019 LSE Forum 2015 Participation Guide

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PARTICIPANTS GUIDE

LSE Forum 201522nd February (Sun)


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CONTENTS0

Introduction

Aim

Itinerary

Format

Rules

Best Speakers

Judges

Judges Criteria

Social Lunch

Others

Travelling Information

Maps and Directions

Contacts


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INTRODUCTION1

The LSE Forum is one of the flagship events of the

LSESU HKPASS Society where students from

universities across the UK gather at the LSE to

participate in the annual debating competition.

Through rounds of friendly yet heated debates,

participants are encouraged to put forward and to

defend their propositions on some of the mostcontroversial global and local current affairs. It

has always been an anticipated occasion for

students to showcase their argumentative talents,

as well as an opportunity to meet and socialize

with students from various universities.

WHAT IS LSE FORUM?

AIMBy bringing together some of the brightest minds amongst our

peers, we hope to raise the awareness of students across the UK on

both global and local current affairs.

The motions chosen by the LSE Forum committee of 2015 are

designed to allow participating teams to learn about some of

the most contentious issues of our time, thus in turn gain a

deeper understanding of the society that we are living in.

The LSE Forum also acts as an interactive platform for

participating teams to learn from each other in terms of their

articulation and persuasive speaking skills. Moreover students

will be kindled and inspired through being exposed to a

latitude of perspectives of hotly-contested issues.

It will also serve as a perfect opportunity for participants and

members of the audience to exchange ideas and mingle withfellow students from different universities.


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Itinerary2

DATE:

TIME:

VENUE:

22nd February 2015 (sunday)

10:00 am - 6:30 pm

Clement House, LSE

10:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:00

11:00 - 11:5511:55 - 12:00

12:00 - 12:55

12:55 - 14:15

14:15 - 14:30

14:30 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:55

15:55 - 16:00

16:00 - 16:30

16:30 - 17:30

17:30 - 18:00

18:00 - 18:30

Arrivals and RegistrationWelcome Briefing

Round 1BreakRound 2Social LunchAfternoon Session BriefingPrep TimeRound 3

Release of Grand Final MotionPrep TimeGrand FinalJudges DiscussionClosing Ceremony


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FORMAT3

Debates will be conducted in Cantonese.

Each team will consist of three or four debaters, including thecaptain, first speaker, second speaker, (and closing speaker).

For teams of three, the captain will make the opening and

closing speeches.

The competition will include three preliminary rounds and

one Grand Final.

All teams must participate in all three preliminary rounds,

after which the two teams with the most number of wins willenter the Grand Final.

If the teams have the same number of wins, the team(s) with

the highest total scores will enter the Grand Final.

The draw, including the sides on which each team will debate

and their opponents in each round, will be released on 11

February 2015 (Wednesday).

TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE

MOTIONS RELEASE

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Grand Final

Motion and sides released 1

week before the debate.

Motion and sides released 1

week before the debate.

Motion released 30 minutes

prior to the debate.

Motion released 30 minutes

prior to the debate.


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STRUCTURE4

Captain of Affirmative

Captiain of Opposition

1st Speaker of Affirmative

1st Speaker of Opposition

2nd Speaker of Affirmative

2nd Speaker of Opposition

Free Debate

Floor Time

Closing Speaker of the Opposition

Closing Speaker of the Affirmative

4 minutes

4 minutes

3 minutes

3 minutes

3 minutes

3 minutes

4 minutes

- - - - -

3 minutes

3 minutes

5 minutes

5 minutes

4 minutes

4 minutes

4 minutes

4 minutes

8 minutes

9 minutes

3 minutes

3 minutes

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS GRAND FINAL


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RULES5

Each team will be given a total of 2 minutes

in the preliminary rounds (4 minutes in the

final round) to deliver their speech.

Speaker from each team will deliver a

speech in turns until the teams use up their

given time. Only one speaker (from either

of the teams) is allowed to deliver his or herspeech at a time.

Teams are encouraged to strategically

divide the given time into several speeches

for rebuttals.

The chair reserves the right to impose

mark penalty for over-time speeches after

the given time of a team.

FREE DEBATEGRAND FINALS ONLY

Point of Information (POI) can be

raised by any opposing team member

to the speaker after the first 30

seconds and before the last 30

seconds of the current speech.

The opposing team member should

stand and offer a POI within 15

seconds, otherwise it will be halted by

the speaker.

The speaker can choose to either

accept or decline the POI, but should

accept at least one POI during the

speech, if any.

The chair reserves the right to decline

any POI irrelevant to the current speech

or the overall argument of the team.

POINTS OF INFORMATION

In the final round, the affirmative and

opposition teams will answer three

questions from the floor in turns.

Each question should be less than 30

seconds and answer should be less

than 1 minute. The floor speaker can

designate a specific debater in the

team to answer the questions.

The floor speaker should not be from

the same university as the team

which he or she raises questions to.

The chair reserves the right to

choose the floor speaker if there are

more than one from the audience.

FLOOR SPEECHES


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BEST SPEAKERS6

After all three preliminary rounds, the speaker with the highest aggregatespeaker scores in each team will be awarded Team Best Speaker.

In order to be eligible, the winning speaker must have debated in all threepreliminary rounds.

TEAM BEST SPEAKERS

The speaker with the highest individual score in the Grand Finalwill be awarded Best Speaker

BEST SPEAKER

The audience will vote for the favorite speaker of the Grand Finalthrough an online voting system.

FAVOURITE SPEAKER


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JUDGES criteria8

The benchmark of an average speech at the tournament will be 70

points. The marking range will be between 60 points and 80 points.

scoring range

75 - 80

70 - 74

65 - 69

60 - 64

score range description

Strong argumentation demonstrating

sophisticated knowledge of current

affairs, comprehensive rebuttal and aclear, charismatic style of speech.

Average argumentation demonstrating

relevant knowledge, effective rebuttal

and a clear style of speech.

Weak argumentation demonstrating

some knowledge, selective rebuttal and

a coherent style of speech.

Very weak argumentation with little

knowledge, lack of rebuttal

The performance of each team will be judged according to thecontent of speeches, the role performed by individual debaters and

other criteria listed in the following:

SCORING CONSIDERATIONS

Quality of Argument

Style

Strategy

Judges should carefully observe how arguments are developed,supported and sustained by each team, and make a holistic

judgment by the end of the debate.

In the adjudication discussion, judges should share their

preliminary vote, and then discuss strengths and weaknesses of

both teams as well as arguments they found ambiguous. After the

discussion, judges should vote again to determine the final result.


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SOCIAL LUNCH9

The LSE Forum brings together some of

the brightest minds across the UK.

The social lunch will be an excellent opportunity to meetpeople from leading universities, as well as to relax beforeanother round of heated debates and intellectual discussion.


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OTHERS10

Debaters from all participating teams will be invited to join ourofficial Facebook group prior to the Forum.

All official documents including the participants guide, judgesguide, rules and research pack will be uploaded to the Facebookgroup, supplementary to emails sent to all participating teams.

Live updates of results and scores will also be available on theFacebook group after each round of debates.

FACEBOOK GROUP

All participants are required to dress in business attire.

Personal digital devices such as smart phones, tablets andlaptops are allowed to assist the preparation of debates.However, the preparation should remain independent within eachteam without any external assistance.

All participants must adhere to the rules of LSE Forum 2015 asstated in this guide. The panel of judges and the OrganisingCommittee of LSE Forum 2015 reserve the right to impose markpenalty or disqualify any team for breach of regulation.

REMINDERS


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TRAVEL INFORMATION11

ARRIVALS

All participating teams should arrive atHolborn tube station by 10:15 am bylatest.

Helpers will be available at Holborn tubestation from 10:00am to escortparticipants to the venue.

TUBE DIRECTIONSHolborn (Piccadilly and Central lines): on thecorner of Kingsway and High Holborn.Approximately a five minute walk .

Temple (District and Circle lines): on theEmbankment at the bottom of Arundel Street.Approximately a five minute walk .

Charing Cross (Jubilee, Northern and Bakerloolines): on the Strand at the Trafalgar Square end.Approximately a ten minute walk .


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Maps and Directions12

Clement House

London school of economics &

political science

99 Aldwych, London

WC2B 4JF

LSE Forum 2015Map: https://goo.gl/maps/d96UB


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CONTACTS13

[email protected]

Steffi NG

TERRY YUNG

GEORGE WONG

Public Affairs Officer

Coordinator of LSE Forum 2015

Coordinator of LSE Forum 2015

07429421242

07426082403

07842266351


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Documents

LSE Forum 2015 Participation Guide