St. Kitts to host debating championship
By Cherisse M. Sutton-Jeffers
Reporter SKNVibes.com
(Basseterrse, St. Kitts): The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and its Literary & Debating Society will be hosting the Thirty-Sixth Annual Leeward Islands Debating Competition (LIDC), from Thursday February 28th to Sunday March 2nd.
One hundred and seventy five college and high school students will make up six competing teams. The six teams will be representing St. Maarten, the newest member of the LIDC fraternity competing in St. Kitts for the very first time, Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts and defending champion Montserrat. All teams will be accompanied by their staff sponsors.
The British Virgin Islands which hopes to join the LIDC fraternity in 2009 will send a small contingent to observe the proceedings.
On February 28th Anguilla will compete against Antigua &Barbuda in eliminations one, debating the topic “Popular Caribbean culture is the main contributor to the degradation of West Indian women.”
February 29th sees Nevis vs St. Maarten in eliminations two debating; “Vocational qualification is far more viable than a university degree.” ~~Adz:Right~~
March 1st is the first semifinal, St. Kitts vs the Winner of eliminations one, debating “US foreign policy is the driving force behind the terrorist threat to that country.”
In the other semifinal, Montserrat comes up against the winner of eliminations two to debate “Combating the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean requires the decriminalization of both homosexuality and the commercial sex trade.”
The final is on March 2nd and the topic for debate is “The absentee and/or negligent father is mainly responsible for the proliferation of gang activity.”
