The spread of the global pandemic, also known as COVID 19, has led to the postponement and cancellation of many events. Around the world there are more than five million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Because of this, a lot of tournaments have been either cancelled or moved online. The Ashton debate team has decided to have our own mini-tournament within our school as a way to give closure to an amazing year of debate.
The resolution for this debate is: “The United States should replace means-tested welfare programs with a universal basic income”.
Universal basic income or UBI is a public governmental program through which citizens will receive payment delivered on an individual basis without any sort of test or work. For the sake of argument, we have decided to completely ignore the coronavirus in this effect.
In this debate, debaters will discuss pros and cons of removing the current in-place programs in the US which are designed to help the poor, otherwise known as means-tested welfare, and replace them with the cash assistance program: UBI. This debate is based on the proposal of the ex-presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who indicates that every United States citizen over the age of 18 is going to receive 1,000 dollars monthly.
This debate will also serve as a way for outsiders to be able to see the magic the leadership team has to offer, as well as encouragement to join the debate team!
While preparing for the event, we asked debaters Lia Gonzales, María José Brea and Eduardo Sanz some questions:
As a debater, what was one of the highlights of this year?
“Definitely going to Harvard, it’s an amazing experience for anybody and the tournament is a lot of fun and very educational because you get to debate against people from all around the world and see what arguments they came up with that you maybe didn’t think of beforehand.”
What are you looking forward to next year?
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what new topics come up next school year, becoming a better debater, and hopefully going back to Harvard.”
What advice could you give to new debaters?
“To not stress about it and to not expect to be good their first time. Because we were all nervous in the beginning but as the years went on we achieved confidence and experience. I also recommend to begin researching the moment the topic is out.”
What was one of the best parts of the year?
“One of the highlights of this year was moving up to a more advanced division called JV. At first I was a little hesitant but as the debate moved on I felt that this new division gave me a new opportunity to improve.”
What’s your favorite part of debate?
“All the knowledge you acquire along the way.”
Why would you recommend debate?
“I would recommend it because it helps you develop skills like public speaking which are very important in life.”
The debate will take place on Thursday, May 28 and will start at 5:00 pm. Written by: Ana Isabella Peña Madera
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