By Mussé Redi
Thursday
After the break announcement of yesterday, breakfast was extended today up to half past eleven; offering a possibility to party until the end. Most people took that as an opportunity to sleep until long after the sun came up. Afterwards, we had a few free hours.
Different people had different schedules today. Some went on to see the quarter-finals; others took a dive in the river, the weather acting friendly (thirty degrees Celsius); even others were sightseeing the city, witnessing the beautiful palace, with a sloped garden of a few hundred meters; yet others were taking a UN city tour.
In the quarter-finals, Leiden A (OO) fought against Tel Aviv (OG), Warsaw (CG) and Riga (CO) on the motion This House would legalize surrogacy for profit in Western Liberal Democracies. Leiden B (CO) debated against LMU Munich (OG), Tartu A (OO) and BGU A (CG).
The Open quarters were held later in the afternoon on the motion This House would prohibit businesses from taking a public position on social justice issues.
Before we knew it the evening was in its late hours, and the OrgComm was announcing the teams that made it to the semis.
Leiden A made it to the semi-finals.
Pizza was served as dinner. Red bull and other beverages were served as drinks.
In the city center a social was being held; and another one at the hotel afterwards, people standing and talking within a radius of a fifty meters of the hotel lobby. Leiden A went on to sleep early.
Friday
In the semi-finals Leiden A (CO) was up to Tartu (OO), Tel Aviv C (OG) and Munich (CG) on the motion This House would allow EU citizens to donate to political parties in any EU member state.
The building got evacuated during the Deputy-Leader-of-Opposition speech, due to a fire-alarm. There we were, standing outside, baffled by this unconventional situation. In a few minutes, the CA (Michael Shapira) announced that a reserve motion was going to be announced in the building where the briefings are held.
Half an hour later, the motion was announced: This House would introduce a mandatory term of at least one year of non-military national service for eighteen-year-olds.
Afterwards, we were directed to return to the hotel and dress up in formal attire for the final. Upon arriving at the aesthetic venue, the majority were dressed in black-tie; others whore a tie; the women dressed in an infinite variety. A guest lecture was held about the importance of debating. All sorts of important people also joined and a small army of cameras arrived.
Leiden A (CG), was announced to have made it to the finals, with Tel Aviv C (OG), Tel Aviv B (OO) and Stockholm A (CO). The motion was announced, directly after the announcement of the teams: This House believes that parents of a musical child genius have the obligation to push that child to maximize their musical potential.
The Open final motion read: This House would treat the deaths of soldiers as regrettable loss of human life, rather then something heroic.
Following the finals, a dinner-incorporated social was held inside a huge castle-like building in the middle of Vienna: a courtesy of the mayor of Vienna. Acknowledgements were made and awards were given. Roel Becker and Ybo Buruma were respectively second and third best ESL speaker of Vienna EUDC 2015 (English as a Second Language). Tel Aviv B (OO) eventually won the ESL final over Leiden A (CG) on a 4/3 split.
The after-social was held in yet another sparkling, less-formal, part of the city. We were transferred by bus, which had an excellent AC; an appreciable quality in Vienna, with the average temperature being above thirty degrees Celsius.
Saturday
After a last breakfast, we checked out of our rooms before 11.00 am in the morning and were headed back for the Netherlands. New friends were made, old friends were spoken to, exciting debates were held; as a whole, Vienna EUDC 2015 is something worth remembering. Our compliments to the people who made it possible!
Over de auteur