Fulton Debating Society takes on the British national team

The Boston College Fulton Debating Society took on the British national debate team last Thursday in Devlin 008. Biannually, the Fulton Debating Society of Boston College hosts the British team for an intense round of parliamentary debate. The issue at hand was the death penalty.

“Basically an International Discussion committee asks for host schools, and this year, Boston College volunteered,” said John Katsulas, director of the Fulton Debating Society. “We were the first stop on a 28-stop tour.”

BC was represented by Jim Smith, A&S ’04, and Mario Powell, A&S ’03, both winners of the Fulton Prize in Debate.

The team from the United Kingdom included Michael Birsham and Eleanor Ann Winton.

The BC team took the position that argued to abolish the death penalty, while the British team presented an argument that would keep it in place.

The debate included not only facts and evidence, but also bits of humor, including one moment when Winton, in an aside to her partner, called BC’s Powell “cheeky.”

Unlike most events that the Fulton debate team participates in, the decision in last Thursday’s arguments came from the approximately 230 spectators who attended the debate and voted on which team should be declared the winner.

“The format for this debate is a little different than what we usually do. It’s much more audience-oriented,” said Katsulas.

After four eight-minute speeches, each followed by a cross-examination period, and four final one-minute statements, Katsulas, who was moderating, turned the decision over to the audience of BC students.

A majority of the audience declared the British team the winner. Although many members of the crowd attended to complete an extra credit assignment offered in various communication department classes, most students said they enjoyed the debate.

April Maguire, A&S ’05, attended the event after hearing about it in her Rhetorical Traditions course. “I had a great time,” said Maguire. “The debaters’ spirit and enthusiasm made the whole experience exciting and impressive to watch.”

The government of the United Kingdom sponsors the British team. Candidates undergo an extensive interview process, according to Winton, a native of Scotland. “We’re on tour nearly six months. It’s an incredible experience, really,” she said.

Both members of the British team graduated this past spring; Winton from Glasgow University and Birsham from Balliol College at the University of Oxford. The event was cosponsored by the communication department and the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD).