---
# System prepended metadata

title: Debate doc

---

# Debate doc

### Topic
Will less work hours in Canada help average Canadians become happier
- a guide line for `less work hour` could be 25-30/week vs 40/week

Pro: Yes
Con: No

### Teams and date
- pro team: Connor, Bobby
- con team: Vanessa, Siwei
- moderator: Sam
- referees: everyone willing to go through the trouble (yes scoring will be a bit complicated)
- Date: January 31st, Friday

### Format
- pre-debate
    - Topic Introduction (Tony)
        - What the topic is about
        - introduction to debate as an event
    - Debate rules (Sam)
        - explain what are expected from participants and audiences
        - explain what moderator is expected to do, including but not limited to:
            - timing the arguments, stop participant when over time.
            - stop participants on when arguments goes too chaotic, or fouls detected.
            - announce the procedure, and moderate the event as it goes.

- debate round 1
    - scoring explained
    - pro team #1 make opening arguments (4 min)
    - con team #2 counter arguments (3 min)
    - con team #1 make opening arguments (4 min)
    - pro team #2 counter arguments (3 min)
- debate round 2
    - scoring explained
    - free debate (4 min each side)
        - free debate is where all players are allow to say whatever they want, with minimal supervision from moderator, just so that it's not so messy.
- debate final
    - scoring explained
    - con team #2 make summary/closing statement (3.5 min)
    - pro team #2 make summary/closing statement (3.5 min)
- post debate
    - everyone will have a chance to question both teams, for whatever points that they feel that are not clear.
    - voting/scoring takes place.
    - final result is announced

### Scoring machanism
Every referee is expected to vote on the following creteria, for each team

- **organization**: how well-organized the statements are, are they well connected and easy to understand
- **use of argument**: are the arguments very powerful/convincing
- **relevancy**: In cases where applicable, does the statements answer questions/critics from the other team
- **personal perference**: how do you personally like the performance, only given at the very end, after post-debate questions are answered


| Scoring sheet | Organization | use of argument | relevancy | personal perference |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | --- | --- |
| opeing statement     | 1-15     | 1-10     |  N/A |  N/A |
| counter opening statement | N/A | 1-10 | 1-5 | N/A |
| free debate | N/A | 1-15 | 1-15 | N/A |
| closing summary | 1-10 | 1-15 | N/A | N/A |
| post debate | N/A |  N/A |  N/A | 1-5 |

- scoring needs to be explained in detail to players as soon as possible, and to audiences before the event.
- average of all scores will be used to determine winner of the event

### Secondary Evaluation metric
- before and after the debate, everyone will be asked to take their sides on the topic: `pro`, `not sure`, `con`. We will also be evaluating the debate result based on how many people changed their ideas.


### Preparation guide
- decide within the team, who is going to be #1 and #2
- make finer definitions on the debate topic
    - a wel-rounded definition of your debate topic is very important.
        - what is happiness, more importantly, how do we measure it, how would you argue about being happier
        - long term happiness vs short term happiness is another angle where debates can happen
    - if there are questions/confusions, ask as soon as possible
    - make sure your definitions can stand by themselves, and be ready to defend them when challenged by your opponents
- when appropriate, make other interpolations to the debate topic
    - you can spin some arguments around these interpolations as well
    - be very careful - the interpolations themselves might be challenged.
- evidence gathering
    - gather evidence on both your arguments and potential arguments from your opponents
    - keep in mind we do not have scores solely on evidences, use them to support your arguments.
- brainstorming
    - all sorts of things you can think about
        - arguments
        - opponents' arguments
        - how to counter opponents' arguments
        - how to counter opponents' counter arguments
- mock debate
    - mock the debate between yourselves



