JDF Open 2014: Trophy Goes to UI-UGM Composite Team

JDF Open 2014 Champions:
Roderick Sibarani & Astri Agustina

The rivalry between Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Gadjah Mada is a fixture in every institution-based tournament in the country. But it was a team consisting of debaters from the two schools that came out triumphant in the 2014 Jogjakarta Debate Forum Open. UI's Roderick Sibarani teamed up with UGM's Astri Agustina and under the name 'Saodah Agustina' they won the final debate although they were ranked lowest among the four.

Universitas Diponegoro graduate Satrio Adi Pratomo topped the speakers list but his 'We Can Still Make Explosion' team bowed to the champions in the final, which had a motion "This House Believes That Intelligence Should Be a Paramater to the Right of Voting". Eight of the 16 teams in the quarterfinals were full UGM teams, displaying the school's prominence in Yogyakarta tournaments, but all of them failed to clinch the title. JDF is the organization that unites debating societies in Yogyakarta. This year's JDF Open was the first time the tournament allowed competitors from all over the country.