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CSDFNATSEM
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the normal course of all our lives, not only in our day-to-day actions but also in the special activities we take part in. One activity, in particular, has suffered a complete upheaval.
For debaters, transitioning from the numerous in-person competitions throughout the year to online Zoom sessions was no easy task. No longer would participants leave the room while judges deliberated - they would simply mute their microphones. Rather than standing up to ask a Point Of Interest, quickly unmuting to shout out “Point!” became the new normal. The typical “Western-business casual” dress code was thrown out in favour of nice shirts and below-the-Zoom-frame sweatpants. No fancy suits and ties in these debates!
Despite a rough start in regards to organization and management, online debate tournaments quickly became something the average high-school debater was accustomed to. And as such, the annual Canadian Students Debating Foundation (CSDF)’s National Seminar held its 55th conference over Zoom. Avid debater and Grade 10, Kameel A, Privett ‘23 partook in this year’s event. Under the theme of Truth and Reconciliation, 70 students from across Canada participated in debate workshops, seminars on First Nations’ history, and debate competition over the course of four days.
Kameel recalls the weekend as an “exciting and contemporary blend of First Nations culture and history, as well as the usual high spirits and competitiveness found at in-person tournaments.” Despite the lack of the usual mid-session Starbucks breaks, Kameel describes the CSDF National Seminar as a “debate and cultural experience worth any novice or even experienced debater participating in.”
For debaters, transitioning from the numerous in-person competitions throughout the year to online Zoom sessions was no easy task. No longer would participants leave the room while judges deliberated - they would simply mute their microphones. Rather than standing up to ask a Point Of Interest, quickly unmuting to shout out “Point!” became the new normal. The typical “Western-business casual” dress code was thrown out in favour of nice shirts and below-the-Zoom-frame sweatpants. No fancy suits and ties in these debates!
Despite a rough start in regards to organization and management, online debate tournaments quickly became something the average high-school debater was accustomed to. And as such, the annual Canadian Students Debating Foundation (CSDF)’s National Seminar held its 55th conference over Zoom. Avid debater and Grade 10, Kameel A, Privett ‘23 partook in this year’s event. Under the theme of Truth and Reconciliation, 70 students from across Canada participated in debate workshops, seminars on First Nations’ history, and debate competition over the course of four days.
Kameel recalls the weekend as an “exciting and contemporary blend of First Nations culture and history, as well as the usual high spirits and competitiveness found at in-person tournaments.” Despite the lack of the usual mid-session Starbucks breaks, Kameel describes the CSDF National Seminar as a “debate and cultural experience worth any novice or even experienced debater participating in.”