Tilbury House IV – a retrospect

No snow, more international than ever and an amazing CA-team: This year’s edition of the Tilbury House Intervarsity was a great success. CAs Emilia Carlqvist (EUDC winner 2013) and Rogier Baart (WUDC 2013 finalist) had come up with some challenging motions on being Pope Francis, defending feminism in Pakistan and the influence of pop culture. They and the other judges, including several very experienced Tilbury alumni, saw some great debates by the 28 participating teams. This year we could widen the geographical attraction of the IV with teams coming from as far as Istanbul, Belgrade, Minsk and the Kabul Debating Center. The winner of this year were Berlin JJ (Jan-Felix Schneider – who was also best speaker – & Johannes Häger) in OO, against Magdeburg (Stefan Torges & Jan Dirk Capelles), Berlin Wrecking Ball (Jim Hirschmann & Christof Kebschull) and BOUN A (Melda Eren & Hugo Havranek). Complete tab here.

Looking back, the IV was run smoothely. Not only could we avoid another Haxen shortage by having the saturday night social in a Mexican restaurant with free buffet, but friday night gave participants to enjoy the beauties of German 60s design (and Stroh Rum) in Hallmackenreuther. Thanks to our lovely sponsors KölnAlumni, NRW.bank and the Börner-Stiftung we were also able to provide debaters with tickets for public transport, so that they wouldn’t have to walk from the Cathedral to uni back and forth. Last but not least, nothing would have been possible without the dedicated support of the Tilburies, who used their weekend to help and run this IV, prepared rooms, guided debaters back to the metro, bought new bread, made coffee, blackmailed judges to come to an end etc. Tilbury House IV 2014 is on its way! (See pictures)

Motions for the preliminary rounds:
1. THW forcibly relocate indigenous peoples where their presence prevents the extraction/utilization of valuable resources

2. TH supports private ownership of 3D printers

3. TH regrets the branding of Burka Avenger as a feminist icon

4. TH, as Pope Francis, would allow women to become priests

5. THB, in times of economic crisis, economic bodies should (strategically) withhold information that may damage market confidence

Semi: THW make failure to render reasonable assistence to a person in distress a criminal offence

Final: TH welcomes the rist of art, music and film that celebrate a lack of economic wealth