ACTON ACADEMY AND MPC DEBATE TOURNAMENT
On Friday May 16, students of Michael Polanyi College held their first debate tournament at the invitation of Acton Academy Guatemala, whose students hosted the event. The topic for the debate was: “Resolved: Government has the obligation to improve the economic well being of its citizens”. MPC students were eager to share their knowledge of debate with AAG as part of their outreach to support excellence in education in Guatemala. Using the style of Lincoln-Douglas Debate, a form of debate that centers on the role values play in the construction of arguments, MPC students each wrote a case, one that affirmed the resolution and one that negated it. Weeks of preparation lead to the mastery of skills such as: public speaking, constructing arguments, research, logic, clear exposition of opposing positions, and expressing ideas in a persuasive manner.
AAG students met to discuss the format and philosophy of Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the principles needed to judge the MPC students at the end of each round. Acton Academy students worked together to brief each other on the main themes of the resolution, prepared the venue for the debates, judged each debate round and served as time keepers during the tournament.
Finally the day they’ve all been waiting for had come. The student’s excitement and confidence was apparent on the tournament day as they anxiously waited to hear the names of the students that would participate in the first round of the tournament. Eight students from MPC began the first round: Diego Rivera and Pedro Pablo Velasquez, Marcela Richardson and Luis Fernando Melgar, Isabel Moino and Carmen Rodriguez, Katarina Hall and Javier Parellada. Advancing to second round were: Diego Rivera with Javier Parellada and Marcela Richardson with Carmen Rodriguez. Middle and high school students from AAG competently judged each round in teams, discussing each round before making their decisions. All of AAG’s middle and high school students attended the final round and submitted ballots for the final decision. Carmen Rodriguez represented the affirmative position and Javier Parellada spoke for the negative position. After 40 minutes of a really intense round, Acton Academy judges awarded Javier Parellada the winning ballot. They claimed he had a more persuasive case, and gave him the victory.
Everyone who participated in the tournament took with them a variety of valuable learning experiences. Not only did AAG students learn a new format with which to engage and explore ideas but they also proved to themselves that they could run a debate tournament and make valuable contributions to the learning experience of university students. MPC students learned the challenge of making complex concepts understandable and accessible to others. But most of all, students felt more aware of the world of economics and politics and the issues impacting current events. Everyone was better able to recognize the reasons for why they believed their own beliefs. This gave them the understanding and confidence to choose the benefits of liberty more meaningfully. MPC hopes that AAG feels inspired to pursue their own debate skills in the future and that they will soon be ready for MPC students to judge at their tournament.
Marcela Richardson
Note: The students from Acton Academy who participated in the activity are Giuliana Bonifasi, Andrea Pereira, Alvaro Monzon, Christian Falla, Jose Andres Lopez, Isabella Bonifasi, Mary Pereira, Nacho Montano and Isabella Campollo. Thank you, guys!
AAG students met to discuss the format and philosophy of Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the principles needed to judge the MPC students at the end of each round. Acton Academy students worked together to brief each other on the main themes of the resolution, prepared the venue for the debates, judged each debate round and served as time keepers during the tournament.
Finally the day they’ve all been waiting for had come. The student’s excitement and confidence was apparent on the tournament day as they anxiously waited to hear the names of the students that would participate in the first round of the tournament. Eight students from MPC began the first round: Diego Rivera and Pedro Pablo Velasquez, Marcela Richardson and Luis Fernando Melgar, Isabel Moino and Carmen Rodriguez, Katarina Hall and Javier Parellada. Advancing to second round were: Diego Rivera with Javier Parellada and Marcela Richardson with Carmen Rodriguez. Middle and high school students from AAG competently judged each round in teams, discussing each round before making their decisions. All of AAG’s middle and high school students attended the final round and submitted ballots for the final decision. Carmen Rodriguez represented the affirmative position and Javier Parellada spoke for the negative position. After 40 minutes of a really intense round, Acton Academy judges awarded Javier Parellada the winning ballot. They claimed he had a more persuasive case, and gave him the victory.
Everyone who participated in the tournament took with them a variety of valuable learning experiences. Not only did AAG students learn a new format with which to engage and explore ideas but they also proved to themselves that they could run a debate tournament and make valuable contributions to the learning experience of university students. MPC students learned the challenge of making complex concepts understandable and accessible to others. But most of all, students felt more aware of the world of economics and politics and the issues impacting current events. Everyone was better able to recognize the reasons for why they believed their own beliefs. This gave them the understanding and confidence to choose the benefits of liberty more meaningfully. MPC hopes that AAG feels inspired to pursue their own debate skills in the future and that they will soon be ready for MPC students to judge at their tournament.
Marcela Richardson
Note: The students from Acton Academy who participated in the activity are Giuliana Bonifasi, Andrea Pereira, Alvaro Monzon, Christian Falla, Jose Andres Lopez, Isabella Bonifasi, Mary Pereira, Nacho Montano and Isabella Campollo. Thank you, guys!