Talking mules vs. Glasgow in UK debate on compulsory union membership
The University of Central Missouri’s debate team tied 3-3 at their first debate against Glasgow University's Debating Society in Glasgow, Scotland.
The debate, which took place in the Reading Room at Glasgow University, lasted two hours. Students from both universities debated the idea of compulsory trade unions.
Jeff May, the graduate assistant for the UCM Talking Mules, served as prime minister during the debate.
“In this debate, my partner and I were opening government and we wound up getting second place,” May said. “Our partners on the side of the argumentations from Glasgow actually got first place and then the other UCM team got third and the other Glasgow team got fourth."
Talking Mules member Michael Hutton said ranks are rewarded based on performance during the debate. Each rank is given a different point value: first place gets two points, second place gets one point, third place gets negative one point and fourth place gets negative two points.
Alexander Robertson, a student at Glasgow University, presented the opening opposition. He said there was room for improvement.
“We certainly need to improve what we were talking about,” Robertson said. “A lot of it was subjective and we really need to expand what we were talking about, but aside from that it was pretty good.”
Noemi Katrina Gauthier, coach of the Glasgow University team, said the proposition branch won mainly because their arguments were backed up with analysis and reason.
"The closing team gave us more analytical reasons as to why we should believe their claims and to kind of give us much more links and much more stronger rebuttal on the things that the opposition teams were saying," Gauthier said.
May believes the tie wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Ties are good because, you know, if we get to the end of this whole tournament, and it’s a tie, (a) tie stays with the winner of last year, which was us,” May said.
The Talking Mules will go up against students from St. Andrews University on March 9 at St. Andrews University.
