The University of Miami Debate team faced off against The Irish Times Debate champions in a St. Patrick’s Day showdown on Tuesday, March 17.
The topic of debate was social media regulation. The official motion read, “This House Would Hold Social Media Companies Liable for Spread of Misinformation,” with the Irish debating as the government and Miami as the opposition.
The Irish Times Debate is Ireland’s prestigious, longest-running debate competition for students in higher education, established in 1960. The competition begins with around 300 competitors and concludes with three winning speakers.
Athena Wu of Trinity College Dublin’s Historical Society was named one of the winners of the 66th Irish Times Debate final. Cian Carew of the Solicitor’s Apprentices Debating Society (SADSI) won the individual speaker award.
Winners not only gain recognition, but win an all-expenses-paid tour of the United States. Wu, Carew, and finalist Roisin McCormack are currently on tour. Their most recent stop: UM.
Representing UM were freshman Yolanda Del Pino, senior Joe Thiesan and fourth-year architecture student Parker Osth.
The debate followed a format similar to British Parliamentary style, which includes audience participation and an audience vote. The debate took place in the student senate room in the Shala Student Center, where nearly every seat was filled.
The audience voted the Irish champions winners with a score of 27 to 19, all in the spirit of friendly competition.
“Well honestly, I think the audience just voted us because we were guests and they wanted to be nice,” Wu said with a laugh. “I think the opposition did a really good job.”
For both teams, the debate provided an amazing opportunity to discuss an important and timely topic. For the Irish team, the visit provided a chance to step into life at an American university.
“It’s so surreal, I think that we all watch movies about the U.S. so we think that we know a lot about it and we think that movies are kind of a caricature of what university is like” Wu said. “But all the people are so nice … we haven’t met a single mean person.”
UDebate promoted the event across UM’s campus, expressing that this opportunity was very special for them.
“I’m very honored and blessed that I was chosen,” Del Pino said. “It’s such a cool thing to have in your life to be able to say that you debated the Irish national champions on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Both teams embraced the experience, spending time together before and after the debate.
When the Irish landed, UDebate coach Dave Steinberg took them to Greenstreet Cafe, a popular restaurant in Coconut Grove and showed them around campus.
After the debate was over, both teams were seen leaving with smiles and laughs and went to Monty’s, another popular spot.
Before continuing their tour to Tennessee, the Irish champions went to UDebate’s weekly debate meeting, where they judged a practice round and soaked up more Miami culture before heading to Tennessee, including visiting Wynwood, South Beach and even got to try Cuban food at the legendary Versailles restaurant.