KIDA IV Interview Series 3: Org. Comm. and CAP

KIDA IV Interview Series 3:

Org. Comm. and CAP

CO-Conveners

(Wonhyong Lee and Hyewon Rho)

Please introduce yourselves 

Wonhyong: Hi my name is Wonhyong Lee. I am a freshman moving onto sophomore at Korea University. I currently serve KU as the president and was the co-convener for KIDA IV 2013.

Hyewon and Team Ssanai

 Hyewon: I’m Hyewon Rho, a to-be graduate at Korea University. I was the former KIDA Vice President and one of the co-conveners for KIDA IV 2013.

How was it to organize the very first IV tournament in Korea? Share with us the good, bad and the ugly of organizing KIDA IV.

Wonhyong: Overall, it was a very hectic, very fun, very rewarding experience. To be truthful though, I think initially there were times when I felt that I may bitten off a bit too much than I can chew. I have personally had tournament organizing experience before, then as the deputy convener at Korea University Debate Championship for high school debaters. But the scale and the level of intensity were so different. Not only was it an international tournament hosted under the name of KIDA, with sponsorship of UNDP, it was also the very first open tournament in Korea, and the weight of what we were organizing began to gradually sink in. Especially considering the fact that at that time the school administrative office was being a little uncooperative, it felt a bit like a stressful burden.

The pivotal point for me though, was when the organizing committee began to work together. We had a very enthusiastic group of people who were dedicated into making the tournament possible and through this tournament I’ve met amazing people that share the same goal of providing the grounds for debate in Korea to develop. Once we started working together as a team there was a feeling of reliance and trust on each other that made the job easier, but also on a more personal level I think it was a good opportunity to befriend people from many different institutions who put their effort in to making this collaborative effort.

 Also, before the tournament, I think the number of teams registering not being as much as we expected or wanted was a bit of a let-down; especially because a lot of the work effort went into increasing the capacity for the teams. However during and after tournament, sometimes the participants would come over and say make comments like how much they’ve enjoyed the tournament, from small things like how they really had fun at the socials, to the opinions on things like the quality of the judges, venue and schedule organization; and for me these little feedbacks all really made it worthwhile. Not only was it encouraging in a way that told me about how the debaters and the adjudicators generally enjoyed the tournament, which is what makes a tournament a good tournament for me, but also it gave me assurance that now that there are a lot of people that know about this event, enjoyed this event, that KIDA IV will be a continuing tradition and an awesome addition to the debate scene in Korea. So in the end it was a very memorable and unforgettable experience for me.

Hyewon: Despite the fact that this is my 6^th year in collegiate level debate, this was my first time convening a tournament and boy oh boy. My utmost respect goes out to all the conveners of the world! As a beginner, there were so many things I missed and overlooked and it was one thing after the other. But luckily though, I had a wonderful partner as well as a team that was fully committed, dedicated and more importantly a fun group of people to be around!

I blanked out on the podium during the closing ceremony and it is through this opportunity I’d like to thank the members of the organizing committee. It was their talent and dedication that truly inspired me and gave me strength to push through all the difficulties and pressures.

CAP (DCA Young Cho Lee)

(We decided to focus the interview on the most junior member of the CAP, as it was perhaps most memorable for her as an experience.)

How did you apply as DCA?

My original plan when I heard news about KIDA IV was to participate as a composite team with my brother, but even after he told me he couldn’t make it, I wanted to take part anyhow in this very special event. I felt that KIDA and the debate community in general has made my university life so much richer and exciting than it would be without debate, and as someone who has received so much from this community, I also wanted to contribute in some way. I felt KIDA IV was a great way to give back the things I earned from debate. The fact that Daniel and Albert were part of the CAP was another reason why I wanted to be on the team (eyelash bats). I thought it would be fun to work with the two seniors I am familiar with. On top of that, Hyewon Lee, my teammate, senior, friend, and former KIDA president, encouraged and supported me to apply for the position, reminding me what a meaningful initiate and wonderful opportunity KIDA IV is.

How was the CAP dynamic?

Unlike Albert and Daniel, since this was my first actual CAP experience, I don’t have anyone to compare with, but I thought the CAP dynamics was perfect. The four of us were similar in that most of us all identify ourselves (and each other) as “workaholics” and “perfectionists” so we all worked really hard, trying not to disappoint each other, procrastinate, or free-ride. So because we shared these similarities we didn’t have much reason to have conflicts or problems with each other. Then again, for the parts we were different, the dynamics worked out really well because we would complement each other with qualities that we didn’t share. For example, as the most outspoken person in the team, I would fire up discussions in many instances or sometimes save time by directly expressing disagreement (“I don’t think so.”) instead of beating around the bush. Albert, I felt, is genius in wording, phrasing, or refining things, perhaps because of his experience as an editor. In many cases he was the one who came up with the right phrase to encapsulate the raw ideas that we had. He also had very sharp and critical viewpoints that made me nod my head many times. Seekyeong was the balancer of the team. We always sought for her when our ideas were stuck or we were in deadlock. She was the mature one in the team, as she always showed patience and composure. Last but not least, I really feel Daniel is the kind of person most suitable as CA. Not only is he super responsible and self-sacrificing, but I personally was very thankful to Daniel for trusting his DCA’s so much and giving us so much autonomy when it came to work. Although the CA always has the final say and discretion, I could feel how he fully considered and credited the ideas of his DCA’s. His trust and commitment fueled us to work harder. Anyone who has seen Daniel’s closing ceremony speech would know the degree of affection he had toward KIDA IV. J It was also memorable how Daniel really had a healthy vision about KIDA and Korean debate community and how Albert emphasizes social responsibility. I felt working with these mature and older J people gave me a very macro view of appreciation toward the community that I belong in. All in all, words are not enough to describe how awesome the CAP team was!

Any words to the members of KIDA?

Personally, although I want to thank every single people who came to the tournament, I felt that perhaps a few people did not fully realize the meaning behind holding Korea’s first open, international tournament. Many people worked really hard for this tournament and it is completely different from other competitive tournaments like KNC that we go to for our institution to win. Also, Korea took a step forward in that we had teams from all over NEAsia plus invited adjudicators. I hope more people would realize the hidden effort and meaning behind KIDA IV and hope to see next year not only more number of teams but more composite teams participating and more commitment and support toward this event on an individual level. I also hope KIDA IV would become a foundation for the Korean debate community to really grow and expand internationally in the future, as it has been doing. 

End.

KIDA IV Interview Series 2: Breaking Composite Teams

KIDA IV Interview Series 2:

Breaking Composite Teams

(“How I Met Your Unanimous Decision” and “Ssanai”)

How I Met Your Unanimous Decision 

(Minyoung Rho and Eunji Kim)

Please introduce yourselves

MY: Hi, my name is Minyoung Rho, from Sogang University, majoring in Business Administration.

EJ: Hi, I am Eunji Kim from EDiS(Ewha Debating Society), and I teamed up with a very close friend of mine, perhaps the best in KIDA - Minyoung Rho from ADS. Our team name How I Met Your Unanimous Decision was based on the TV show How I Met Your Mother, and we thought it was funny(while some people called it lame). We both worked in the registration sector of the organizing committee, and ended up as Semi-Finalists as debaters.

How was the Semi Final Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?

MY: The theme for the semi finals were given (MDG) and we never thought we would be debating on that motion!! Yet, as always, Eunji had a 3-page matter file so we at least had something to play with. The round was very interesting, having to debate with seven good people was an honor for me.

EJ: Honestly, we didn't prepare for the prep-theme fervently, because we never knew that we would end up in Semi-Final rounds. All I did was search for 8 MDG goals, and then probably look into statistics regarding the progress of the MDGs. I personally liked the motion because it was something out of my expectations and also was fair to be debated on both sides. I also want to thank the EDiS Seniors for handing me their research materials before I went into the round - the support really helped me.

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly.

MY: KIDA IV was my first time debating as a composite team. The best experience was to be teaming up with one of my best friends, Eunji Kim. Despite our lack of preparation and practice, we achieved more than we thought we would (our goal was just to survive after being thrown back and forth by the very high quality team pool). The best part was throughout the whole tournament, we were focusing on learning a lot, and most importantly, having fun! The bad part was having to debate in a room with CUDS1, Lam Chops, and EDiS1 on a motion that we were totally unaware of. The ugly part is probably arriving 30 seconds before the pre-semi match-up. It was one hell of a run.

EJ: KIDA IV was a really good experience! Motions were fun and it was nice to see a lot of people I love all gathered in one place to enjoy an activity that we love. All socials were fun, and as the part of the Org Comm (registration team) we have a lot of fun in the process too. The hallways were very cold though, I was shivering every time we were preparing for a round. I had to steal Minyoung's coat to keep myself warm.

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?

MY: My personal favorite was R2, about virtual punishment. It was the one round where we had our OG take all of our arguments and us being forced to come up with an extension during the DPM's speech. However Eunji had a very powerful extension, and eventually we got 1st. The motion was also very interesting, as I love 'assuming that the technology exists' kind of motions. Worst motion was probably the African motion; where we got 4th and our speeches literally sucked.

EJ: My personal best motion was the fourth motion regarding plastic lifestyle, as I was arguing on an issue that I would think about. I always thought people criticizing women for holding expensive or preferring plastic lifestyle had unjust reasons, and I wanted to prove the fact that women should be getting what they want, buying what they want and be appreciated with their ability to be able to. I loved the fact that I got to convince the adjudicators(who were all men).

The worst motion was the 6th motion in prelims regarding lobbyists, basically because I think I panicked and did not know what to say.

As a composite team, how did you make a team and how was the teamwork?

MY: Eunji and I are very good friends. We wanted to debate together, but never had a chance to do so. So we decided to team up while being the organizing committee as well. The team name 'How I Met Your Unanimous Decision' was a parody of our favorite TV show, 'How I Met Your Mother'. We planned to use the catch phrases such as 'it's gonna be legen....wait for it.... dary!!' during our speeches, however never actually had the chance to do so. The teamwork was surprisingly good! We both have similar views on religious, political, and global issues; so the prep time was really productive. I guess teaming up with a good friend never goes wrong.

EJ: The decision was made really quickly, when Minyoung asked me if he wanted to go to KIDA IV with him via Katalk. The teamwork was pretty great! We both had comparative advantage in our positions, where Minyoung would be PM, LO & WHIP and I do the Member and Deputy speakers. The dynamics were awesome. Plus, we always encouraged each other during the rounds and were generally having fun chit-chatting. It was funny in the end because even the number of speaker points we had were the same.

Who did you find the hottest at KIDA IV?

MY: The hottest must be our conveners Hyewon and Wonhyong. As a member of the org Comm I learned A LOT, and as a participant, the tournament went so smooth! You guys rock.

EJ: I think I have no other choice but to say that the most attractive person was the male convener of the tournament. Don't criticize me for being so cheesy. He looked nice in the KIDA IV Org Comm hoodie, or the navy coat he was wearing on the last day.

Who was the most inspiring speaker for you at KIDA IV?

MY: Matthew Leung from Lam Chops. I could only wish all Matthews could debate like him. (by the way I'm a Matthew too!)

Who was the most inspiring adjudicator?

MY: Aditya. He didn't write much down on his paper during speeches, yet he gave very comprehensive feedback and also taught me a lot of ways to improve.

EJ: The most inspiring adjudicator was Albert Lee from the CAP, because he made me realize the real value of debating - talking about an issue that I feel passionate about. After the round he asked me whether My case was based on what I personally thought, and that was the moment I realized that my case had been derived from my personal attachment to the issue. Youngcho Lee, a senior of mine and also the president of EDiS was a great inspiration as she showed enthusiasm as a responsible CAP member, and also have motivated me to study harder for debate competitions.

Any last words?

MY: It was an honor to be part of this wonderful event. I hope to meet all the good friends again next year, because the next KIDA IV will be legen......wait for it..... dary!!!

Oh, by the way, thank you again Eunji.

EJ: KIDA IV was a great opportunity to meet a lot of individuals in debate community I love, including my teammate Minyoung Rho, EDiS(institution I love), KIDA IV Org Comm, people from KIDA and foreign countries. And I want to once again thank Minyoung Rho not just for being a good teammate, but also being there as a good friend whenever I have troubles in life and things to talk about. KIDA IV and what we've achieved wouldn't have been possible without you. Thanks a lot

SSANAI (Yoon Hoo Jung and Josh Jeong)

Please introduce yourselves

Hello, my name is Yoon Hoo Jung. I’m not part of any debating society, as I graduated from a school in America last summer. I debated in high school, and thought I had enough of it, so I didn’t debate much in college except for adjudicating at events occasionally. I’m currently working in a human rights law foundation as an intern.

How was the Pre-Semi Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?

I personally enjoyed the Pre-Semi round the most. KIDA IV was my first debate tournament in 6 years. Naturally, I felt nervous a bit every round. But in the Pre-Semi round I felt pretty comfortable, and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the debate. The dynamic among teams was good, and my team’s performance satisfactory. We both thought we would advance to the semis to be honest, and bummer that didn’t happen, but it was one of those rounds where you wouldn’t mind the result too much because you had a lot of fun in it. So both before and after the round, I felt pretty good.

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly.

The good part was rediscovering the fun of debate after 6 years of staying away from it. I always associated debate with negative ideas, like unnecessarily cutthroat competition, arrogance, and arguing just for the sake of it. KIDA IV didn’t completely wash away those negative images, but I did learn to enjoy debate despite them. For me, the bad and ugly parts go together. Team Ssanai got 4th twice, on the first round each day. The awkward lunches I had with Jaedong after getting 4th, where we try unsuccessfully to concentrate on the cutlets in front us while wondering exactly where we screwed up… If I had to choose the bad and the ugly, getting 4th twice and dealing with the aftermath would be it. But it was all part of a wonderful tournament experience.

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?

I personally liked the motion of round 3, “THW ban portrayals of negative images of Africa by international organizations as a means to raise fund”, the most. The debate I had in this round was pretty engaging, with none of the confusion or lack of engagement that so often plagues debate rounds. The worst motion was the motion of the first round, “THBT the rise of public protests undermines democracy”. The motion itself was good. It’s just that we sucked so much at it. We panicked because we got OG and set up an extremely confused and shaky case for which we paid dearly. Otherwise, I think the motions at this tournament were pretty good.

As a composite team, how did you make a team and how was the teamwork?

After the 2012 Fall KNC in Solbridge, I had a drink with some Solbridge people. I adjudicated Jaedong a few times, so we were having a friendly conversation about some of the debate rounds. Then Jaedong half-jokingly (or so I think) asked me whether I would go on to KIDA IV with him. I thought that might be fun, so we just did it. And it was a good decision, looking back.

Jaedong is good with talking about practical arguments, and I am more inclined to think about principle arguments, so we tried to use our comparative advantages as much as we could. During prep time, I would think about philosophical arguments, while Jaedong thought about the consequences of passing or opposing a motion. Our teamwork either worked remarkably or failed miserably. When the former happened, we got 1st. When the latter happened, we got 4th. Only one round we got something in between.

Who did you find the hottest at KIDA IV

Hmm.. well, there was this girl who came in to see my pre-semi round. I didn’t see her around before. I liked the way she laughed out loud when she heard something funny, and the way she gave the you’re-so-wrong-I-wanna-puke-on-you stare when somebody was bullshitting. She looked like she’s got some attitude. I tried to talk to her after the round, but I couldn’t find her.

Who was the most inspiring speaker for you at KIDA IV?

For me, Jaeyong hyung from KU (who partnered up with Bo Young for KIDA IV) was the most inspiring speaker. I met him in the final prelim round. So, I told you that I tend to focus on philosophical arguments. The downside of that is that sometimes your analysis gets abstract and vague if you don’t back it up with ample evidence. I thought Jaeyong hyung’s analysis effectively balanced principles and down-to-earth examples.

Who was the most inspiring adjudicator?

Mina Lee from EDiS judged us 3 rounds, and each time she gave us really good feedback. I would definitely pick her as our most inspiring adjudicator of KIDA IV. If I’m allowed to choose another, I’d pick Joe Iesue from Solbridge. He was very helpful with his tips and support throughout the tournament. I really want to thank Joe for the good advices he gave us.

Any last words?

I would like to thank the CAP and Org Comm for a wonderful tournament experience. And most of all, I would like to thank Jaedong for drunkenly suggesting that we do this together and also for being a wonderful teammate throughout the tournament.

KIDA IV Interview Series 1: Champion and Finalists!

KIDA IV Interview Series: 

Champion and Finalists

BELATED KIDA IV Interview Series. Apologies in the delay. 

GRAND CHAMPION

CUDS 1 (Tae Yeong John Kim and Nam Chul Kim)

Please introduce yourselves

Hi my name is Taeyeong Kim and I am a debater from CUDS. NC and I love games to the extent that we waste our prep time playing games, we love talking to many people and we just love coming to these tournaments as we can do both at the same time :)

How was the Final Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?

Before the round me and NC were really excited as we just won the Semi-Prep round as OG which was the round we were really worried about. Plus as NC has never lost a BP final as long as he got to the final, we were all pumped up with adrenaline and excitement. Another thing we were quite excited was that everyone had this expectation that the final motion was going to be really nice and fun so we were all up to that. The moment we saw the motion so many feelings came to my mind. The first thing was that I wished Yoonhoo Jung was also in the finals. The main reason was that because we actually did the exact motion during our CUDS session and it was an extremely messy and sloppy debate. Plus since Yoonhoo was in that session as well, it would have been really fun if he was there with us. Plus because I picked OG during the draw, this was the most terrifying fact as NC wasn't there when we had that motion during session. So we just kept our cool and prepared a completely new OG case and we went through with it. After the debate, both NC and I thought it would be a miracle if the OG won this debate. Plus so far in my BP career, it was always hard for me to get 1st place in a final so I also thought it would be a miracle if we got 1st place especially when we were OG. We really just got lucky :) 

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly

KIDA IV was an extremely good experience for me as the dates were perfect, the adjudicators with good feedback, the high quality debaters I had to face, but just on the aspect that so many diverse societies getting together to work on such a huge project was very inspiring to see. The CAP being so diverse alongside with the Org Com comprising of such diverse universities was something you don't see every day.

The good things about KIDA IV alongside with the diversity and Korea University hosting a tournament that I could participate was also the fact that NC had sacrificed his birthday to come all the way to participate in this wonderful tournament. Although some people criticize us of composing of a team like this, I still feel it is the first and last chance to team up with NC in a BP tournament. Plus since we didn't fight a single time, this was also something nice to appreciate :)

The bad things about KIDA IV are normally the things that can't be controlled by anyone :) Things like the energy policy of the University or the icy cold weather.  It was that good of a tournament. 

Just on a personal note regarding the ugly, I was not that pleasant with the Beer drinking game that we had to drink the beer on the fastest pace. MJ dragging me to the front without knowing what the game is, me drinking my best but ending 5 seconds later to everyone, proving to KIDA that I can't drink as fast as other people wasn't the best experience I could have.

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?

On a personal note, I feel the best motion was either round 3 or round 6 of the preliminary rounds. For round 3 I really thought it was an interesting and new motion, yet not so burdensome for the OG to set up a reasonable case. As we were OG and came up with a doable case, it was quite nice and enjoyable to debate for the people who really need the help. Round 6 was nice and enjoyable on the aspect that I felt it was really well balanced for all four teams. It really challenges debaters to come up with nice extensions and it also puts the burden on opening teams to twist the already set ideas in society. The debate was once again interesting not only in the debate, but also seeing Jinseok and NC sweating their pants down on trying to end the debate quickly. 

The least debatable motion I would pick is round 2. Excluding the fact that assuming it was possible trend going on, I feel the burden is a little too high for the government side to prove something that is not possible right now. I guess even if it was the best debaters doing the government, I felt it’s still extremely easy for the opposition to prove already existing values of the current society and also has the moral high ground on the idea of punishment which in my personal perspective are easy to get persuaded. But yet again it does depend based on adjudicators.

As a composite team, how did you make a team and how was the teamwork?

I wouldn't necessarily call our team a composite team but I feel that the reason me and NC teamed up was because we never participated in a BP tournament. We teamed up three times for 2011 Spring KNC, 2011 UADC and 2012 UADC but never in a BP team. But since we teamed up several times in the past, the overall dynamics were very nice and we felt like we were doing okay. We never fought; never had disagreements and we always folded our ego in a situation where the other opinion makes more sense. Plus as CUDS members we just kept practicing more and more.

Who did you find the hottest at KIDA IV?

NC!

Who was the most inspiring speaker for you at KIDA IV?

I would have to say both speakers from the team Lam Chops. I always get criticism that I'm speaking too fast and no one can understand me. To some extent I feel that both speakers are the style that I would want to go to. The economy of words and their slow manner is something that allows not only debaters to feel persuaded, but the general public as well which is something that inspires me greatly.

 Who was the most inspiring adjudicator?

None other than Aditya Mitra. During the six preliminary rounds Aditya adjudicated three of them. All three rounds the results were understandable, and I bought all three of them. He really imposes understandable and fair burdens to all teams which is an aspect I feel is lacking in South Korea overall. Constructive feedback was good and it was nice how he incorporated how we could have improved when he was explaining his result.

Any last words?

It was an honor to have interviewed my the DPI once again and I just hope to see a 2nd KIDA IV next year!!!

FINALISTS

OO: LAM CHOPS (Abel Lam and Matthew Leung)

Please introduce yourselves:

Hi, we are Abel Lam and Matthew Leung from team Lam Chops who just competed at the inaugural KIDA IV 2013! Abel currently is taking up Law at the London School of Economics, while Matthew is doing a Masters of Laws at the Australian National University.


How was the Final Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?:

Matthew: Inevitably, you always are anxious about the Grand Final, and what motion has been chosen by the adjudicator core.  Particularly given the dynamics of British Parliamentary style debating, the motion can really challenge you depending on which faction you represent during the debate.  Needless to say, that feeling was well justified given the (rightfully) challenging debate motion for the Grand Final.  But it is always good to challenge yourself each and every time if you want to develop personally as a debater.  We always prefer the more "meaty" matter heavy debates given that you can draw upon your own knowledge and research.  But philosophical debates can be enjoyable too where there is wide latitude to debate.

Abel: The final round was rather relaxed. Partly due to the philosophical nature of the debate, it was not something that would arouse interest in me, particularly after a long night a drinking and a series of debating beforehand.

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly:

Matthew: KIDA IV was great, with plenty of fun times catching up with wonderful debaters, and making new friends.  What was particularly nice about KIDA IV was the use of subsidized foreign judges to help diversify the judging pool.  It really is important, particularly at open tournaments to have such depth and diversity of experience given that open tournaments will draw teams from different countries and regions from around the world!  Admittedly though, the motions were sometimes very vague, which can cause problems if the opening government faction has difficulty in properly setting up the debate. 

Abel: The good is always to see old friends (Hyewon, Tim, Eunji, Daniel, Joe, HKU people and many many more etc...) and making new ones. It's also finally a change that I'm debating instead of judging. Ah, and, for those who know me, the best is simply, and has to be, having loads of pajeon and makgeolli! Unfortunately, I lost my phone at KIDA IV, which is a serious put-off. But I really appreciated those who helped me along!

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?:

We are definitely split on which was the best motion.  Abel preferred round 3 on the motion that "THW ban portrayals of negative images of Africa by international organizations as a means to raise fund", whereas Matthew preferred round 6 on the motion that "THW ban sinful industries to lobby government".  Matthew's opinion is that it was a great principled debate, that combined with some heavy matter material.  As for the motions in general, it would have been better to mix up the debates between principled debates and matter heavy debates.  The over-emphasis on principled debates (that culminated in a philosophical debate in the grand final) was unbalanced. We collectively agreed that the worst choice of motion (not necessarily the motion itself) is probably the Grand Final. Although it could potentially be a very interesting debate, it is not one that would manifest itself in the grand final (and indeed, it did not). Something more contextual and engaging would have been preferred, see Round 3 or 6.

Who did you find the hottest at KIDA IV?:

Matthew: Where do we begin?!?!?! Hahaha!!

Who was the most inspiring speaker for you at KIDA IV?:

That would have to be NC.  Who else would give up celebrating their birthday by attending a debating tournament?

Any last words?

We look forward to coming back next year!

CG: KU4 (Ahyeon Cho and Junbin Yun)

Please introduce yourselves 

Hello, I am Ahyeon Cho from KU. I was KU4 in KIDA IV and my team mate was Junbin.

How was the Final Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?

To be honest, I didn't know that we were going to be advancing to the final round because I did a horrible speech in the semi round. Also, I didn't know if I even wanted to advance because I wasn't sure if I was going to make a fool of myself in front of so many people. When we chose Closing Government I was relieved because I wasn't ready to make a case as opening, but after we got the motion I panicked because we didn't have any idea on what we our extension would be. The motion was such a philosophical motion and I for one wasn't sure how to handle that kind of motion.

Junbin was definitely a HUGE help. Like all the other rounds once again he was the calm one who thought of the framework on the way we were going. I cannot say that I am 100% satisfied with the speech I gave but I think I could have done much worse a without my lovely team mate. After the round I was just relieved that everything was over and very thankful to my team mate. 

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly.

KIDA IV was kind of different for me because the tournament was held at the school I go to. It was much easier to go to the competition every day because I just went straight from my home. I feel kind of bad because I think I could have done much better sharing with other participants of KIDA IV about Korea University.

But I think that the people of KIDA IV did such a great job running a smooth competition on KU campus. The faculty of KU is not the easiest or the most generous people to work with, but you guys pulled it off! Kudos!

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?

The worst motion for me was the motion for round 2, Assuming such technology exists, THW force egregious criminals to virtually experience the crimes they have committed. We were the closing opposition for this motion and I was the member. The problem was that I did not know that the motion had the word "virtually" in it until I finished my speech, so I kept mentioning about how this is actively and physically violating the criminals. Thankfully we did get 1st on that motion and my angel-like team mate did not give me any embarrassment for the mistake I made. But I did panic right after I found out the motion included "virtually" and I apologized to my team mate. 

I would have to say the best motion for me was the motion for round 6, THBT 'sinful' industries (such as but not limited to alcohol, tobacco, and guns) should be stripped of the right to lobby. We were the Closing Government. It was just a good motion for me because I think we thought of a really good extension as well as a good effort overall. 
   

Any last words?

KIDA IV was such a good learning experience for me. Every time I participate in a tournament like this I am reminded of how many smart people there are in the world and how I am a failure at life, lol. But all jokes aside, KIDA IV was another reminder that there are so many intelligent people in the world and that there is a lot to be learned from them.

CO: FDU-PKU 

(Won Chian Lim, and Andrew Cheong)

Please introduce yourselves 

My name is Chian Lim, some of you would call me by my family name, Won! I'm a third year student majoring in Law at Fudan University, Shanghai. Currently, I’m the team manager of the Fudan English Debate Team.

How was the Final Round? What were your thoughts and feelings before and after the round?

The final was definitely harsh. My partner and I didn't really have much to talk through during preparation and it got harder during the round when our top half practically grabbed everything they could. It took me a few days to finally figure out a better approach to explain why some lives are more important than the rest.

How was KIDA IV for you in general? Share with us the good, bad, and the ugly.

Everything was great at KIDA IV, the food, the people, the timing and all! The motions were especially interesting as most debates were pretty new for me! THE UGLY would probably be that I did not get to debate about religion *BOOHOO. haha

What were your best and worst motions? How were the debates for those motions?

Honestly, there wasn't a best motion for me as I hard a pretty difficult time trying to follow up with my superb partner in all the debates! I don't think there was a worst motion, but the worst debate round i had was the plastic lifestyle debate: 7 males and 1 female talking about what feminism meant was just ridiculous. hahaha

Who did you find the hottest at KIDA IV

Ahhh the hardest question always, especially when it's a tournament in South Korea! My pick would be the cutest DCA, YOUNGCHO LEE. The few days at KIDA IV was probably the best dress Young Cho I’ve saw thus far! HAHA

Who was the most inspiring speaker for you at KIDA IV?

This is hard. I look up to many debaters, inspiring in various manners! NC, Taeyoung, Matthew, Abel, Andrew and all! The most inspiring for me would be Matthew. The style and fluency in his speeches were amazing! I guess that the gap between a native speaker and a second language speaker! 

Who was the most inspiring adjudicator?

hahaha. everybody?

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