ITOC Results

Congratulations to our ITOC Champions, Jonny Carson and Iqbal Kassam, from West Point Grey Academy! Jonny and Iqbal beat semi-finalists, Alex Bores and Jon Lee from Hunter College High School, in an oh-so-close 3-2 decision (yes, 3-2!) for the final round of the ITOC. The topic was, "The UN should invite more members into the nuclear family." Both teams debated well in this final round.

Congratulations to the following Quarterfinalist teams:
Frankie Cena and Carol Kwon (Burnaby Mountain Prep)
Steven Carr and Lucy Chiang/David Nguyen (Fairmont Prep Academy)
Jon Lee and Alex Bores (Hunter College High)
Josiah Miller and Kenneth Hall (Silverton High)
Kehl Van Winkle and Zach Johnston (Sprague High)
Jonny Carson and Iqbal Kassam (West Point Grey Academy)
Sean Husband and Helenaz Hajifattahi (West Point Grey Academy)
Rafael Baptista and Chris Axtman (Westview High)

IDEA would like to thank all of the schools who participated in this tournament and helped to make it a success. Between great debating, hot weather, a LOT of ice cream, and some serious, competitive soccer, it was a fun weekend. We hope to see you at Willamette University for the 2009 International Tournament of Champions!

A Note From IDEA ITOC Participants

Live from the IDEA ITOC!
Right now we are sitting watching the exciting semifinals round between an American team and a Canadian team. It is on the controversial topic of pornography and is quite heated—literally as well as metaphorically. It’s 90 degrees outside! The ITOC has attracted debaters from all over the world, from New York to Canada to the Philippines. Throughout the tournament, we’ve debated a wide selection of topics ranging from music piracy rights, to taxing plastic bags, to the merits of anarchy as opposed to oppressive government.

The tournament is running on an extremely efficient schedule. All the rounds have started on time, which is a miracle for a debate tournament! 21 teams competed this year, and in between the debate rounds, we have all had a chance to get to know each other and relax on the beautiful Willamette campus. Despite the “no heckling” rule, the debate rounds have been witty, entertaining and intelligent. There have been many successful night-time activities as well—such an intense game of soccer and an ice cream social.

So far, the semifinal round has addressed several contentious issues surrounding pornography, such as hate crime, freedom of speech and feminism. Neither of the teams has ever competed in American parliamentary before which makes the round especially exciting. Check back later for updates on who wins!