HWS Hosts Second Annual Finger Lakes Cup Tournament

March 15, 2023
By Melissa Crist

GENEVA, NY -- On Friday, March 3, HWS welcomed debate teams from Cornell, Rochester, and Colgate to compete in the second annual Finger Lakes Cup Challenge Debate, with the winning prize being $1000. The motion that the teams were asked to discuss was: This house would eliminate tenure for university professors. Each team had 15 minutes to formulate their arguments, with Cornell and HWS supporting the motion, and Colgate and Rochester opposing it. The HWS team was represented by Kayla Powers ‘24 and Sreyan Kanungo ‘23.

“The debaters are not allowed to use any electronic resources to research the topic once it is announced,” said Professor of Philosophy and Director of Debate Eric Barnes. Teams are not given the motion before the tournament; therefore, members of debate must be well-versed in a variety of subjects and knowledgeable about both contemporary and perennial controversies. “Indeed, this need for a broad range of knowledge and skills is why this format of debate is ideally suited to a liberal arts education. Being a good debater requires being a good liberal arts student!” said Barnes.

After 15 minutes, each school then had a turn to present their arguments, with Cornell starting first. While they shared the same position of eliminating tenure with HWS, Cornell was able to introduce their strong claims first, making it difficult for HWS to introduce equally compelling arguments. Rochester and Colgate had well-built claims in opposition to tenure.

The hour-long event was judged by five educators from Canada, England, Ghana, Poland, and South Africa. The judges have no affiliation with any of the teams and are selected months in advance through approval from each competing school. The judges came to the deliberation that Cornell was the victor of this year’s event. The students on the Cornell debate team that claimed the monetary prize and trophy were Meg Kandarpa and Eli Pallrand.

Although HWS did not claim the winning title this year, Eric Barnes hopes that students recognize the essential skills that come with being in the debate team, including oral communication skills and critical thinking. “Debate teaches you to appreciate the nuances of the most difficult controversies, not just focusing on the reasons for supporting the position that you favor. This ability to see both sides is not only a very valuable and marketable skill, it is what our democratic society is sorely missing.” said Barnes.

While debate comes with its wins and losses, HWS’s Kayla Powers continues to encourage students to join the team. “Debate is for all who are willing to surmount their nerves and just keep trying,” said Powers.