Ciall "Merks" It Up - Debating FINAL PTR Pg2

[ciallkennett]

Basically, I am representing my school in a debating competition. Everyone know knows me well, knows how much I like a nice controlled and interesting debate - they might as well know that I do debating each fortnight at my school, be it being a speaker or being on the floor.

The last 2 years, the Conservatives (I know, I know... But it is politically neutral), have run an Inter-School debating competition throughout all secondary schools in Milton Keynes for those in Yr 11-13. The first year, my school was lucky to make it all the way through to the final which takes place at the House of Commons, and I was there to see us WIN!

Last year I joined the 6th form, and therefore was allowed to take part in 6th Form Debating, and I joined our Inter-School team as a "researcher" and also as a stand in if one of our 2 speakers dropped out. Once again, we made it to the final, and I was the first (and so far only) person from the floor at the HoC to stand and make a point. We unfortunately lost, but deservedly so.

So this year, we are back to regain our crown...and I have moved up rank once again to speaker!

So I have all my points written out for the first round tomorrow Me and my right honourable friend Brent - who was a speaker in last year's competition - will hopefully be "merking" up another school with the awfully worded, dull and pointless motion of:

"Milton Keynes really is eligible for city status".

Annoyingly, we have to oppose it, basically saying that we don't think MK is eligible (I'm sure some CFers would agree...notably Ben, whose views actually helped me formulate our argument).

So tomorrow is round 1, and here's hoping we strive to the final for the 3rd time, and it would make me the first and only student to have been at each and every final so far

I'll let you know how we do

 

[Hixee]

Milton Keynes should be eligible for carpet bombing. That is all.

 

[Antinos]

Ciall is a masterdebator!

 

[furie]

Milton Keynes should be eligible for carpet bombing. That is all.

I almost spat my tea onto the screen then :lol:

Does it have a Cathedral? No? Then no it isn't. End of debate

 

[Ian]

Oh the good old "what makes a city" debate. I've heard so many reasons why a city is a city. As I'm bored at work (and it's Friday), I'll list my favourites here.

1. It has a cathedral (the old traditional method).
2. It has a unitary authority.
3. It has a uni.
4. The population is over 100,000.

Tbh, I've been to MK once and I had a great time thanks to the people I went with. If it was a city or not would not have enhanced my time there any more.

 

[ciallkennett]

I can't believe you all think that a city needs a Cathedral or a University for it to be a city ¬¬ That has pissed me off for many years and occasionally resorts to violence as it pisses me off so much...

Common mistake, but it has not needed a Cathedral or University for a well over a hundred years now. In fact, there is nothing at all required to be come a city. There is no set criteria list.

And Ian is right about it not really making much difference at all - all of the points correctly (and most importantly, INCORRECTLY) mentioned so far I will be talking about.

 

[furie]

You seem to forget I live in 1468

 

[nealbie]

You seem to forget I live in 1468

In the Octagon, Alton Towers

(despite it probably not existing then :lol: - that's how epic Furie is!)

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

I feel dirty just going through MK on the train...

If MK is deserving of city status then so is Croydon...

 

[ciallkennett]

I feel dirty just going through MK on the train...

Again, another of my points, and I agree. MK Central train station is horrid, old, grotty and is not a true reflection of what Milton Keynes is. Most of the time, it's the first thing people see, or people who think about going to Milton Keynes would think about. It needs improving to make it modern, clean and fresh.

But Croydon hasn't applied for city status...yet

 

[Ben]

LOL at the thought that Milton Keynes should be a city. Bless it.

There's a reason Brighton and Hove, Wolvehampton and even INVERNESS spited it in 2000 <3 And even WORSE there's a reason why PRESTON and NEWPORT spited it in 2002 <3

When you're not as good as PRESTON you know something's up.

 

[jokerman]

I love debating! I rarely get the chance though because I could never get onto my school team though, my school is too good at debating (We normally reach the national finals and we run the South London Championships)

Good luck Ciall.

 

[Dave]

Re: Ciall "Merks" It Up - Inter-School Debating

So I have all my points written out for the first round tomorrow Me and my right honourable friend Brent - who was a speaker in last year's competition - will hopefully be "merking" up another school with the awfully worded, dull and pointless motion of:

"Milton Keynes really is eligible for city status".

Annoyingly, we have to oppose it, basically saying that we don't think MK is eligible (I'm sure some CFers would agree...notably Ben, whose views actually helped me formulate our argument).

Hows aboot no? Reading be a better city choice.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Haha, may I take this time to say..

MILTON KEYNES </3

Even though I have only ever seen it in the dark, at the train station, and all I can remember of it was a billboard with a horse on it.

 

[Thekingin64]

Oh the good old "what makes a city" debate. I've heard so many reasons why a city is a city. As I'm bored at work (and it's Friday), I'll list my favourites here.

1. It has a cathedral (the old traditional method).
2. It has a unitary authority.
3. It has a uni.
4. The population is over 100,000.

Tbh, I've been to MK once and I had a great time thanks to the people I went with. If it was a city or not would not have enhanced my time there any more.

Think, Wells, Britain's smallest city, does it have any of the above (other than a cathedral)?????

 

[Dave]

It had a cathedral for hundreds of years and by letters from the town was granted city status in 1974 by the Queen?

I can't believe you all think that a city needs a Cathedral or a University for it to be a city ¬¬ That has pissed me off for many years and occasionally resorts to violence as it pisses me off so much...

Common mistake, but it has not needed a Cathedral or University for a well over a hundred years now. In fact, there is nothing at all required to be come a city. There is no set criteria list.

And Ian is right about it not really making much difference at all - all of the points correctly (and most importantly, INCORRECTLY) mentioned so far I will be talking about.

The City and Guilds website says on criterea:

What guidance has been given to potential applicants?

* Towns known to be interested in applying for city status have been told that the following main factors will be taken into account by Ministers:
o notable features, including significance regionally; significance within England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and/or significance within the United Kingdom as a whole;
o historical (including Royal) considerations; and
o a forward-looking attitude.

 

[ciallkennett]

^ Yep, that was mentioned by me in the debate itself - it isn't "official" criteria, however, and as such cannot be taken as that. It is, as it said, guidance.

I am in the process of writing up my report from today;s debate, so will therefore leave you hanging on the result. In fact, I don't even know the "official result" as I had to leave early...

...all will be revealed in due course (and as soon as I know too :lol.

 

[Nic]

Wells is not "Britain's Smallest City", St Davids in Wales is. By resident population, Wells isn't even the smallest city in England. That's actually City of London, believe it or not, due to there being so few people that actually live there. But, yeah, I suppose you could argue that it doesn't really count, which leaves you with Wells.

 

[Dave]

^ Yep, that was mentioned by me in the debate itself - it isn't "official" criteria, however, and as such cannot be taken as that. It is, as it said, guidance.

Even by this 'guideline' Milton Keynes dosen't qualify....(in my mind)

 

[ciallkennett]

Right, here goes Round 1!

Basically, we arrived and were informed that 3 teams weren't turning up, as as much, the 3 teams that did turn up were automatically put through by default. Nice enough, but I was pissed off that we wouldn't do a proper debate.

Nonetheless, after a long wait so that the judges could decide what to do, we eventually got to debate anyway. We had our B Team with us who had prepared to propose the motion, so me and my honourable friend Brent could debate with them as we had a proposer and opposer.

The other two teams were given a new motion, and while we debated, had time to prepare their arguments.

Our debate was first, and our B team were brilliant - they were much better than I could have ever imagined, especially as they stood in at the last minute. We were confident as well, but obviously, weren't taking it as seriously as it wasn't a formal debate with an important outcome. As such, mid-way through my speech, I was distracted by a firework, and decided to inform everyone of the firework. I also took a few too many rebuttals, which lost me a lot of time, especially as their points were very long. In the end, I had less than a minute to cover my last point and conclusion, and so had to rush...

...I didn't even get to finish my conclusion in the time, so I rather cockily and selfishly carried on, which in the end lost me all the points for time. I wouldn't normally do that in a formal debate, so I know it won't be repeated.

The feedback I got initially was very positive - they commented on my overwhelming confidence, the strength of my argument and how the rebuttals I took I answered well. They obviously commented on my time, and the fact I went over by a lot, which I understood and too on-board.

I unfortunately had to leave shortly afterwards as I was very late for a meal, and if I'd have stayed until the result after the second debate, I would have been more than an hour late. As such, I only found out today whether me and Brent won or lost against our B team.

...and we'd lost The 5 points I lost due to time cost us the whole thing, and in the end, we lost by 2 points :/ Ah well, I know where I need to improve next time, and that's what I'll take from that.

The next round (which is actually the semi-final) takes place on the 26th November. We have not been informed of the next motion, but both me and Brent hope it's a political one as we do those best.

OH! And one of the female speakers in one of the other school's was ****ing fit as!