Vocational School of Justice
Debate tournament by IUE students
Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Debate Community, brought university and high school students across the country together at the “IUE Open Debate Tournament” that was held for the second time. Teams, as they were discussing their assigned subjects according to the rules, got into an intellectual struggle for 2 days and made new friends at the same time.
The “2nd IUE Open Debate Tournament” welcomed both university and high school debate clubs this year. 150 students grouped into 60 teams and discussed the subjects assigned to them in front of the jury during the 2-day event. Teams, who did not get a chance to review the subjects to be discussed beforehand, tried to overrun their opponents in areas of general culture, logic, analysis, and declamation skills. Yağız Atalay, freshman at IUE Department of Electric and Electrical Engineering, and the President of the Debate Community, pointed that debate groups rewarded academic skills: quick thinking, sound argument, and confident speaking, along with establishing networks. “We try to create an atmosphere where current issues are addressed and scrutinized from an objective perspective. Everyone is free to express any ideas. Since we come from different disciplines, many different approaches are created, and debating on these ideas is a form of self-investment for us,” said Atalay, and added that a jury, considering specific rules, evaluated the debate teams.
Atalay said, “Following the agenda, supporting the debate subject with knowledge, developing empathy is very essential for us. They help self-development. Moreover, the added bonus is new people you meet and friendships you make. Sometimes, you get to share important information about your area of interest with others, and other times you get support on a subject from your expert friends. All in all, it is a god teamwork and team spirit.”