ABP 2012: 5 Indonesian Teams Break Into EFL Semifinals

Universitas Indonesia 1 (Dennys Kapa/Elghafiky Bimardhika) became the first team to break into the EFL semifinals of the 2012 Asian British Parliamentary Debating Championship, leading four other Indonesian teams that also proceeded to the out rounds. UI 1 almost broke into the main elimination round as they collected 10 points from 6 preliminary rounds like the last three advancing teams but missed the cut due to lower speaker scores. Three Japanese teams round up the EFL semifinal line-up. ABP 2012 knockouts take place tomorrow.

EFL Break List
1. Universitas Indonesia 1
2. Hitotsubashi University 1
3. Binus University 1
4. Universitas Parahyangan 1
5. Waseda University 2
6. Universitas Gadjah Mada 1
7. International Christian University 1
8. Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta 1

EFL Semifinal Match Up
#1 UI 1 v #4 Unpar 1 v #5 Waseda 2 v #8 UAJY 1
#2 HitU 1 v #3 Binus 1 v #6 UGM 1 v #7 ICU 1

ABP 2012: Malaysia Sweeps Half of Break List

Debaters from Malaysia took half of the spots in the elimination round of the 2012 Asian British Parliamentary Debating Championship and two Malaysian teams were unlucky not to be part of that lot. Universiti Teknologi Mara 3 and International Islamic University 5, two teams with scores matching the 24th on the tab from preliminaries, missed the break on head-to-head count with the last advancing pair, their fellow countrymen from Universiti Malaya 1. Only the best 24 teams after 6 preliminary rounds can continue their journey with rank #9 to #24 required to battle it out in pre-quarterfinal matches before winners of that stage face the top 8. The main break list has no Indonesian team as the highest ranked from the host country matched the points of the last three breaking pairs but had lower individual scores.

Main Break List
1. National University of Singapore 1 (SG)
2. Korea University 1 (SK)
3. Nanyang Technological University 1 (SG)
4. Multimedia University Melaka 1 (MY)
5. Universiti Teknologi Mara 1 (MY)
6. National University of Singapore 2 (SG)
7. National Law School of India University 1 (IN)
8. International Islamic University 1 (MY)
9. Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering 1 (IN)
10. International Islamic University 3 (MY)
11. Peking University 1 (CN)
12. Universiti Teknologi Mara 2 (MY)
13. Asia Pacific University 1 (MY)
14. University of Tokyo 1 (JP)
15. International Islamic University 2 (MY)
16. Chung Ang University 1 (SK)
17. International Islamic University 4 (MY)
18. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 1 (MY)
19. School of Law, Christ University 1 (IN)
20. North South University 1 (BD)
21. Multimedia University Melaka 2 (MY)
22. Wawasan University 1 (MY)
23. Nanyang Technological University 2 (SG)
24. Universiti Malaya 1 (MY)

ABP 2012 Changes Mind, Allows Limited Public Access

After receiving messages from members of the Indonesian debating community concerning the original policy of barring non-paying spectators, including the media, from the 2012 Asian British Parliamentary Debating Championship, organisers have decided to open limited access to the public. Click here to read the response from the Binus International committee. The main issue is still about capacity as Binus International's posh JWC campus is small and even during normal days security is tight.

Floor plan of Binus International's JWC campus - Venue for ABP 2012

Organisers have come up with this scheme. On October 24 and 25, the days of the preliminary debates, 100 members of the public are allowed to enter for free only after registering themselves between 8 to 9 am. On October 27, the day for the elimination rounds, the number of allowed visitors will be reduced to 60 and each of them must pay a Rp 50,000 entrance fee. These people also must register between 8 to 9 am. On October 28, only 60 paying visitors can watch the ESL final that is slated for 1.30 pm. They must register from noon. The grand final, which will take place in a different venue, remains closed for public.

Another aspect of the scheme is spectators are limited to 5 in each room for the preliminaries. This will force distribution of visitors to mostly all the debates. With around 80 participating teams in a competition using a four-side format, there will only be around 20 chambers. Visitors must quickly find the favourite rooms or be satisfied with a chamber that may not meet their expectations.

The scheme might sound new for Indonesian spectators who are accustomed to full public access on campus but it is a positive change from the idea of blocking the public from seeing the first major international debate tournament in Jakarta. At least with this plan, coaches, supporters, friends and family can motivate their teams and ABP 2012 can be part of the growth of Indonesian competitive debating.  


    

ABP 2012 Starts Today, Denies Access For Spectators

Binus International JWC Campus - Venue for Asian BP 2012

The 2012 Asian British Parliamentary Debating Championship, Jakarta's first major international debate tournament, today welcomes debaters, judges and observers, who have paid registration fees, but bans anyone else to enter the venues. That means coaches, supporters, friends and family of the debating teams cannot cheer their favourites if they have not paid the $350 fee to be an official observer. That also means Indonesian highschool students, non-participating varsity debaters, debating aficionados and members of the media cannot watch, examine and learn from the best debaters in the continent.

This is the first time a debate tournament in Indonesia builds a fence so high that others are unable to see. Restrictions sometimes are imposed on the finals of major tournaments if the venue is a fancy hotel or a luxurious hall. However, they usually give out invitations to limited audience beforehand or sell tickets for the penultimate debates. Even in these cases, preliminary debates are open to public viewing. In all cases, tournaments like to invite the media so that the positive endeavour can impact others beyond reach. For the sake of education and public service, top tournaments like the World Schools Debating Championships and World Universities Debating Championships often invite under-privileged members of the society, including students from less affluent institutions to watch the matches. If the policy does not change, such individuals are unwelcome at ABP 2012.

Preliminary debates will start on Wednesday at the campus of Binus International, a modern but small building in a fashionable shopping district. For security and capacity reasons, Binus International has permanent screening procedures for all outsiders just like a few other private universities in Indonesia and some exclusive premises in the area. This is one reason behind the ABP restrictions. Ideas like one-day or half-day passes for a limited number of visitors or affordable tickets to watch debates or tight front door screening can answer the concerns but such options are unavailable so far. The other argument is public access has been seen as a disservice to those who have paid the price tag. It is either you are in or out. No middle ground although most debate watchers have no intention to stay at the designated hotel, eat the served meals or attend the scheduled parties, which constitute the bulk of the fee. Most of them just want to support mates, study different styles of debating, listen to the speeches or spread the good word of the competition.

Such restrictions undermine the spirit behind competitive debating in Indonesia. The activity started as part of a national fight for reforms spearheaded by university students in 1997. From an exercise of freedom that was banned by the Soeharto government and rigid school bureaucrats then, competitive debating has spread to all corners of the country, becoming a tool for democratisation and empowerment. A few months after the dictator fell in May 1998, the first nationwide competition took place and gathered students from all backgrounds who debated on issues that are important for the country's transition from authoritarianism. Post-Soeharto governments have embraced the activity, which is also been used to teach about tolerance in previously resistant religious schools.

For Indonesia, competitive debating cannot and should not be separated from the nation's growth. That is why it is a pity that ABP 2012 chooses to build a silo and become an exclusive affair rather than to rise as a milestone for debate proliferation and showcase how this activity is much more than a sport for Indonesians.

Parahyangan Triumphs in Mock US Presidential Debate

The argument fest between US President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney came to life in Jakarta, a few hours after their second debate in New York.

Representing the Democrats, Universitas Parahyangan debaters (Dian Hutami, Tiola, Josefhine Chitra) impressed in a mock US presidential election debate event held by the US embassy in Jakarta yesterday. They faced Universitas Pelita Harapan, who played the role of the Republicans, in two separate debates. The first one had an Unpar pair play the roles of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden against UPH's version of Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan with both sides taking questions from a moderator. In the second, different speakers came up to be Unpar's Obama and UPH's Romney in a town-hall format with questions from the audience. In both debates, just like how Obama did in the New York debate, Unpar triumphed over the opponent.

Two other universities -- Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Atma Jaya -- were also invited to the event and debated each other just like the two earlier schools did. UI represented the Democrats and Atma played the role of the Republicans. However, the result of this match up was unclear because judges via consensus only decided on who were the best of the day among the four performing universities. At the end of the day, team and individual titles respectively went to Unpar and Tiola, who was Joe Biden in the debate and equalled the seasoned politician's feisty demeanour.

Rifan Ibnu Rahman Almost Certain to Grab DOTY 2012

With a gap of 12 points from the closest rival, Rifan Ibnu Rahman from Institut Teknologi Bandung is inches away from topping IndoDebate's Debater of the Year list for 2012. After a break in August, there were three British Parlimentary debates that contributed to the provisional table -- Just for Fun, E-Fest and the newly launched Ganesha Open. Rifan's closest rivals Binus International's Invi Atmanegara and Cindy Fransisca from Universitas Atma Jaya respectively won the first and second while Rifan only reached the final of JFF. A good showing in GO could have closed the difference but Cindy skipped the competition while Invi fell in the quarterfinal.

Rifan has won 4 competitions this year while no other debater can win more than 2 so far. There are 4 tournaments left that can change the outcome of this year's table but half of them are major international events which Indonesians seldom go beyond the preliminaries. The best chances for Cindy and Invi lie in the 2 remaining domestic open competitions (Pelita Harapan Open and Founders Trophy). One of the two debaters should clean sweep them to oust the current leader.

The current DOTY table also has a refreshing milestone. For the first time a high school debater managed to slip into the list after Cheryl Nazik from SMA 1 Bogor reached the JFF final, enabling her to net a couple of points. She debated with Universitas Indonesia's Dennys Kapa, who later championed the Ganesha Open and currently is the highest ranked debater from his school on the DOTY table. Click here to go to the DOTY page. The top 10 as of September 2012 are as follows:

1. Rifan Ibnu Rahman (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
2. Cindy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya)
3. Invi Atmanegara (Binus International)
4. Dennys Kapa (Universitas Indonesia)
5. Jaran Walia (Binus International)
6. Aryo Febrian (Universitas Bakrie)
7. Jane Revevalin (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
8. Sabarudin Adinugroho (Binus University)
9. Dwita Aryani (Universitas Parahyangan)
10. Aulia Anggita (Universitas Indonesia)         

IVED 2013: Granted Slots and Waiting List

Organizers of the 2013 Indonesian Varsities English Debate, the country's most prestigious debating tournament, have granted slots to 72 teams. They have until October 16 to pay up before teams on the waiting list take away their seats. One institution that is nowhere on any list is twice champions Sekolah Tinggi Akuntansi Negara, which has declined in recent years. IVED 2013 will take place from January 11 to 16 at Institut Teknologi Bandung, which has hosted the event twice in the past. The main list in alphabetical order is as follows:

1. Akademi Angkatan Laut A
2. Akademi Angkatan Laut B
3. Binus International A
4. Binus International B
5. Binus University A
6. Binus University B
7. Institut Pertanian Bogor A
8. Institut Pertanian Bogor B
9. Institut Manajemen Telkom A
10. Institut Manajemen Telkom B
11. Institut Teknologi Bandung A
12. Institut Teknologi Bandung B
13. Politeknik LP3I A
14. Politeknik Negeri Ujungpandang A
15. Politeknik Sriwijaya A
16. Sampoerna School of Business A
17. Sampoerna School of Business B
18. Sampoerna School of Education A
19. Sampoerna School of Education B
20. Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Jember A
21. Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bali A
22. Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bali B
23. STBA Teknokrat A
24. STBA Teknokrat B
25. STMIK Amikom A
26. Universitas Atma Jaya A
27. Universitas Atma Jaya B
28. Universitas Bakrie A
29. Universitas Brawijaya A
30. Universitas Brawijaya B
31. Universitas Diponegoro A
32. Universitas Diponegoro B
33. Universitas Gadjah Mada A
34. Universitas Gadjah Mada B
35. Universitas Hasanuddin A
36. Universitas Hasanuddin B
37. Universitas Indonesia A
38. Universitas Indonesia B
39. Universitas Islam Indonesia A
40. Universitas Jenderal Soedirman A
41. Universitas Jenderal Soedirman B
42. Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana A
43. Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana B
44. Universitas Lampung A
45. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang A
46. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang B
47. Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta A
48. Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta B
49. Universitas Negeri Jakarta A
50. Universitas Negeri Jakarta B
51. Universitas Negeri Malang A
52. Universitas Negeri Malang B
53. Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret A
54. Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret B
55. Universitas Negeri Semarang A
56. Universitas Negeri Semarang B
57. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta A
58. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta B
59. Universitas Padjadjaran A
60. Universitas Padjadjaran B
61. Universitas Parahyangan A
62. Universitas Parahyangan B
63. Universitas Paramadina A
64. Universitas Paramadina B
65. Universitas Pelita Harapan A
66. Universitas Pelita Harapan B
67. Universitas Sriwijaya A
68. Universitas Sriwijaya B
69. Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa A
70. Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa B
71. Universitas Sumatera Utara A
72. Universitas Sumatera Utara B

All of the teams on the waiting list are "C" squads. The order is based on registration time because the distribution of available slots will follow a first come first served policy. The list looks like this.

1. Institut Teknologi Bandung C
2. Universitas Gadjah Mada C
3. Universitas Atma Jaya C
4. Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana C
5. Universitas Padjadjaran C
6. Binus International C
7. Universitas Indonesia C
8. Universitas Hasanuddin C
9. Binus University C
10. Sampoerna School of Education C
11. Universitas Paramadina C
12. Universitas Diponegoro C
13. Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret C
14. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang C

Search For Indonesia's WSDC 2013 Coach Closes Today

Today is the last day of registration for those who want to coach Team Indonesia for the 2013 World Schools Debating Championships that will take place in Antalya, Turkey. If anyone had missed the original announcement, click here to go to the official letter. This year the ministry is looking for a duet of coaches, at least one with proven WSDC experience as a debater, coach or judge.

Indonesia's best WSDC results come from the 2003 & 2004 squads, which had the same core lineup of 3 members -- Astrid Kusumawardhani (SMA Al Izhar Jakarta), Sahil Mahtani (Sekolah Pelita Harapan Karawaci) and Putu Sanjaya (SMA Kanisius Jakarta). Jurist Tan (SMAK 1 Jakarta) and Ziarini Zaki (SMA Al Azhar BSD Tangerang) completed the teams in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In those two tournaments, Indonesia won 5 out of 8 mandatory rounds and qualified for the knockouts. Since then, no Indonesian team could match that feat. The 2010 team also won 5 preliminaries but came short from the break on judge points. Besides these three instances, other Indonesian teams failed to win more than 4 of their first 8 debates.

World of Wonders Topkapi Palace  Hotel - WSDC 2013 Accommodation  

Last year, the country was represented by Cheryl Nazik Cosslett (SMA 1 Bogor), Revian Wirabuana (SMA 4 Denpasar), Revaldi Wirabuana (SMA 4 Denpasar) and Alif Satria (SMA 8 Yogyakarta), who won 4 debates and reached a respectable rank of #25. It was higher than their pre-tournament seed of #29. Universitas Indonesia law student M. Subarkah Syafruddin coached this team. Cheryl, the only one who is still a high school student, got the highest score among the four and became the 10th best EFL speaker. It is unclear whether this year she could become a returning member.

Other WSDC teams, including the strong ones like New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines, will field returning members. Scotland won WSDC 2012 after beating Wales in the final. These two countries have not announced their lineup yet. A WSDC team can have 3 to 5 members although only 3 can debate in a round. Rotation is part of strategy in WSDC.

What is clear about the Indonesian selection this year is the coaches must find 4 from the 8 candidates chosen from the 2012 National Schools Debating Championships. That process will take place in mid-October. The list of candidates can be accessed here. For the history of Indonesia's participation, go to the WSDC page of this blog.