UNSW Debating Society

UNSW Debating Society (Debsoc)

Joining the UNSW Debating Society (Debsoc) is a great way to get involved in uni debating and public speaking, meet awesome people and shoot the breeze on anything from politics to pop culture.

Contact Details

O-Week Events

We are hosting and/or involved in five exciting events during O Week:

1) Debsoc will be taking part in an environment debate on a controversial topic between members of the debating society, environmental collective and school of history and philosophy in the Science Theatre

2) The DebSoc Soapbox Have you ever been angry, angry at the world, angry at the person kicking the back of your chair, angry your awful essay mark, angry at an ex, angry at George Bush. No longer do you have to keep it bottled up inside of you, Debsoc brings you its inaugural soap box competition allowing you to stand up on stage and spread the word to the people.

The Debsoc soapbox will be a public speaking competition where you have between 2 minutes on stage to speak on "What makes me angry is..." First prize will be a sexy debsoc T-shirt, now guaranteed to make you 10% more attractive. All speakers who make the 2 minute mark will recieve free 2010 debsoc membership!, which includes a copy of the economist, access to our cool parties and more debating action than your jaw can handle. Because when we see talent we want a piece of it.

So come along and get angry, or just hang out on the lawn and watch the fireworks and fury while dobbing in friends to get them up on stage.

The Soapbox will take place on the O-week Stage on the Quad lawn, from 3-3:30pm Tuesday. Come along and watch or join in the vitriol.

3) The Great Comedy Debate will take place in the Physics theatre at 12:30pm on Wednesday. For years humankind has struggled with the question of God's existence, well struggle no more for the Great O-Week Comedy Debate is here. Boasting the combined talents of UNSW Debsoc, UNSW Atheist society and UNSW AUJS this ultimate smackdown right in the heart of O-Week promises to deliver verbal thunderbolts and ungodly jokes a plenty.

Come along and check it out. Warning, this debate might be offensive to some.

4) An information session on "International opportunities in debating: Could you talk your way into a trip to Botswana" in the Physics Theatre at 2:30pm on Wednesday Come and learn all the awesome places debating at university can take you. Presented by the one and only Angela Kintominas fresh off the plane from South America after making it to the finals of the world debating championships in Turkey over the new year. Find out about: What makes University debating so much more exciting than school debating, what is the same and what is better. How debating this year alone can take you to Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland New Zealand, and Botswana. The awesome parties which go hand in hand with the big tournaments.

5) The Debsoc O-week Debate on the topic "Sex education should include, but not be limited to, sexual orientation, anal sex, mutual gratification and masturbation" The debate will be on Thursday, Feb 25 @ 4pm in the Club Bar in the Roundhouse (accessible from and just above the beer garden in the Unibar.

UNSW Debsoc also has an O Week stall to sign up members every day of O Week, we're located in front of the chemistry building just across from the sports stalls.

Week Zero Demo Debate

On Monday, March 1 @ 6pm in the Club Bar in the Roundhouse, we will be holding a Start of Session DebSoc Demo Debate. This will be a great function, promising not only a debate line up of our best and brightest, a riveting topic, but also FREE food and drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for new members.

In-session Events

Debsoc runs an internal debating competition throughout the year - traditional 3-on-3 style debating during Session 1 and British Parliamentary debating during Session 2. They are usually on Mondays at 6pm in the Squarehouse, but details to be confirmed.

Debsoc also competes in large intervarsity tournaments. The next one is a national-wide, novice tournament called Easters. It will be hosted by the University of Melbourne this year in Melbourne over the mid-session, Easter break. For more details, please have a look at the Easters facebook group.

We also compete in other tournaments around Australia and the world, hold several exciting social events, and have public debates on campus.

How to get involved

Come and find our stall during O Week and sign up to become a member, or rock up to the O Week demo debate. We'd love to see you at Internals when session starts, or feel free to email us at unsw.debsoc@gmail.com or check out our new Website for more info. We take all comers!

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