Newsletter No.44

November 2002

5th Debating Competition: Kitakyushu are the winners!

Our big annual event, the University Debating Competition took place again this year, on October 13 and 14 at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center. This year again, 30 teams from 21 universities participated in the first four preliminary rounds.

Motions
1. This House prefers an early marriage.
2. This House believes that the Japanese Government should not provide economic assistance to North Korea.
3. This House would reward employees more for their inventions.
4. This House believes that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should also be imposed on developing countries.

The following eight teams advanced to the finals: ICU1 & ICU2, Kitakyushu University teams 1 & 2, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Shumei teams 1 & 2, and Seikei. After this, tournament procedure was followed.

Quarterfinals motion:
This House would freeze the further construction of highways in Japan.

Semifinals motion:　
This House believes that the Japanese Government should support the domestic movie industry.

Following these rounds, teams from the University of Kitakyushu and Tokyo Institute of Technology mounted the stage for the grand final debate. The motion was "This House believes that weapons of mass destruction are necessary to maintain international security" with Kitakyushu University arguing the proposition side and Tokyo Institute of Technology the opposition side. The result was very close at 10-9 in favor of the University of Kitakyushu winning the championship cup and two roundtrip JAL tickets to England. Congratulations!

Winning team:
University of Kitakyushu 1 (Ueno Eri, Watanabe Tomoe)

Runner-up:
Tokyo Institute of Technology 2 (Kiji Toshimitsu, Mizukami Takashi)

Third place:
International Christian University 2 (Tsuji Keiko, Yabe Maiko)
Seikei University 1: (Hirano Yoichi, Kuroda Yuko)

With this years competition over…

This year more than 100 people volunteered to serve. Every time results were announced, shouts of joy arose at the good news, as well as tears of disappointment from students in neighboring seats. Seeing those shining eyes, it was possible to really appreciate that all of us together had nurtured this event to maturity. Future competitions should be even better with everyone's help.

Debate Competition to be broadcast on TV: details

English debating: Who will be crowned with the laurels of victory? November 3, late at night at 2:00a.m. of what is actually early in the morning November 4, a national holiday, Television Tokyo (Channel 12) will broadcast a 30-minute program on the competition. This year, three teams from the Kansai competed, and interest in debating has been growing by leaps and bounds there. The program will follow the team from Osaka Prefecture University as they face the competition. Don't miss it!

UK Team in Japan

Once again this year, a team of UK debaters came to Japan for the duration of the competition. ESU London's very own Mr Marc Whitmore led the team of four top debaters: Mr George Payne, Mr Joe Devanny, Ms Alexis Hearnden, and Mr Ian Mann. The party arrived in Kansai on October 7 and stayed in Japan for a week, leaving from Narita on October 15. They had several types of exchanges with Japan's students. On October 9, the Kansai Seminar took place (see October newsletter), and on October 13 and 14, they served as judges at the debate competition as well as participating in the workshop and model debate. They appeared at a seminar organized by the JPDU and also at a debate seminar for high school students. Additionally, in the Kansai, they were shown around Nara by members of the Nara Women's University ESS and in Tokyo by members of the Tokyo University ESS. Their colorful program was tightly scheduled, with their Japanese improving day by day and including immersion in the "karaoke culture", so that our British students are no doubt by now complete Japan experts!

October English Club

Mr Masumi Muramatsu's English Club took place on Tuesday, October 22 at the Doyu Club. This time, MM invited Ms Olivia Jacobs as our guest speaker. Olivia-san is a young English woman of the theater, presently in Japan at the invitation of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. She is a director of the Tall Stories theatre company for children's plays. She spoke of her impressions since coming to Japan and gave examples of tongue twisters used by actors to practice speaking. Her beautifully soft and clear voice was very charming. The next English Club will take place on Tuesday, November 19 from 6:30 at the Doyu Club. MM's friend, Mr Kenny Fries, an American poet presently in Japan as a Japan-US Friendship Commission scholar, will be our guest speaker.

Obituary

ESUJ Director Mr. Takeshi Mochida passed away on October 25. We extend our sincere sympathies to his family.