While insults, sniping, mudslinging and finger-pointing are part of almost any political campaign, these elements are traditionally toned down during the debate.
Maybe if more political events ran like the Cambridge Debates that took place in UT’s Fletcher Lounge last Monday night, people wouldn’t be so quick to change the channel all the time.
Armed to the teeth with biting remarks (no pun intended), eight speakers took to the podium during the second annual Cambridge Debates to determine if “The Battle of the Sexes Has [Indeed] Been Won.” Following tradition, four students from Cambridge University took part in the debates, splitting up into the House and the Opposition. Each side featured two Cambridge and two UT students.
Josh Murphy kicked off the debate for the House side with an opening salvo examining why the fairer sex has the right to claim victory, declaring that women were more prevalent in higher education and that their free admittance to night clubs is completely unfair toward males, for example. Occasionally, a member from the opposing side would stand to remark on Murphy’s claims, but he quickly countered most of them.
The debates continued in typical fashion; after a panel member from the House finished his argument, someone from the Opposition would counter-argue. The twist is that the entire production is meant to be humorous and satirical, and not to be taken seriously.
“It was entertaining, not boring like most debates usually are,” commented freshman Matt Pugatch. “It was really funny,” he added.
Aside from Murphy, senior Jamal Wilburg also represented UT in the House.