Debating
Starting in January 2020, I’ve regularly competed in debating competitions in the British Parliamentary (BP) format. In BP format, 8 speakers are divided into four teams of two - opening government, opening opposition, closing government, and closing opposition. Motions are released only 15 minutes before the debate starts and internet research is not allowed. Although judging is subjective, there are relatively consistent and agreed upon metrics to judge debates.
This leads to an intense competitive experience which I find electrifying.
To “break” in a debating competition means to be a top performer in the “in-rounds” - a fixed number of rounds which all teams and judges participate in before they are cut down to around the top 25% of participants. Judges are selected based on feedback from other judges, from observation by experienced “chief adjudicators” who also set motions, and from feedback given by speakers based on the “oral adjudication” in which the chair judge of each debate explains how the panel reached their result.
My Breaks
As of the time of writing, I have 30 breaks consisting of 16 judge breaks and 15 speaking breaks. I’ve ordered these approximately by prestige.
Judge Breaks
| Event | Year | Rooms | Role | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leiden Open | 2024 | 56 teams | Grand final panel | BP |
| LSE Open | 2024 | 80 teams | ESL final panel | BP |
| Trinity IV | 2024 | 48 teams | Semi-final panel | BP |
| Exeter Open | 2024 | 20 teams | Pro-am final chair (clashed) | BP |
| Hypothetical Open 2 | 2024 | 36 teams | Gold final panel | BP |
| UCL President’s Cup | 2023 | 40 teams | Non-schools final chair | BP |
| Pop Culture Grand Prix III | 2023 | 20 teams | Semi-final chair | 3v3 |
| Imperial Novices | 2022 | 36 teams | Gold final panel | BP |
| Welsh Novices | 2021 | 16 teams | DCA | BP |
| Merseyside Schools | 2023 | 16 teams | Novice final chair | BP |
| Imperial Schools | 2024 | 32 teams | Gold final panel | BP |
| UCL Schools | 2023 | 40 teams | Silver final panel | BP |
| LSE x Imperial Novices | 2023 | 40 teams | Novice final panelist | BP |
| Imperial Schools | 2023 | 36 teams | Novice final panel | BP |
| Welsh Novices | 2023 | 20 teams | Shadow break | BP |
| Welsh Nationals | 2023 | 8 teams | Shadow break | BP |
Speaking Breaks
| Event | Year | Achievement | Speaker rank | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Open | 2023 | Open semi-final | 68 teams | |
| UCL IV | 2023 | Open grand final | 40 teams | |
| Imperial IV | 2023 | Open semi-final | 32 teams | |
| Aberystwyth Open | 2023 | Open final | 3rd best speaker | 20 teams |
| 2oo IV | 2022 | Open silver final | 10th best speaker | 24 teams |
| Liverpool Invitational | 2020 | Open final | 6th best speaker | 24 teams |
| Aberystwyth Alternative Motions Open | 2020 | Pro-Am Final Winner | ||
| Bristol Pro-am | 2023 | Bronze final | 48 teams | |
| Europe Queer Open | 2020 | Pro-Am Final | 24 teams | |
| Aberystwyth Mini | 2020 | Pro-Am Final | 6th best speaker | |
| Random Pro-am | 2023 | Grand final | 6th best speaker | 36 teams |
| Severn Cup | 2019 | Final | 24 teams | |
| Welsh Novices | 2020 | Final | 2nd best speaker | 16 teams |
| Helsinki Pro-Am | 2021 | Final | 2nd best speaker | 16 teams |
| Welsh Nationals | 2020 | Breakist (ineligible) | 7th best speaker | 16 teams |
| Cardiff Open | 2021 | No break :( | 9th best speaker | 24 teams |
| Severn Cup | 2023 | No break :( | 3rd best speaker | 20 teams |