20 I N T E R N A T I O N A L P A G E
UK 26 - 19 MARCH 2009
What the
bleep
is...?
Arena Boulevard
Photo Elmer Spaargaren
Participants in the English-language debating contest
Defending the indefensible | r e p o r t | Last Thursday, for the third time, ESN Groningen and the debating society Kalliope organized an Englishlanguage debating contest in the Academy Building. President of the jury, Rector Magnificus Frans Zwarts was deeply impressed by the students’ debating skills. “I will try my best to embed this event in the university.” By Lieke van den krommenacker Downstairs, in one of the faculty rooms of the Academy Building, two teams are hastily preparing arguments for their speeches. In a few minutes they will have to present their arguments before a threeman-strong jury headed by Rector Magnificus Frans Zwarts. Biology student Anneleen Hulshof has just found out that she has to defend the thesis ‘Polygamy should be allowed’. The contestants received all of the theses by mail before the debate, but Hulshof says that she did not have time to prepare properly. “I have an exam tomorrow”, she ex-
plains. Her fellow team member Ben Johannes, a student of biology and philosophy, did the team’s preparation. He has collected some strong arguments in favour of the motion. Hulshof and Johannes are both members of the Groninger Debating Society Kalliope, named after the muse of rhetoric.
Thomas from Nigeria, attended the evening. Hulshof seems a bit nervous at the start. In exactly three minutes she very eloquently – and at twice the speed of any normal person – explains why polygamy should indeed be allowed. She argues that people should have the freedom to choose and says that it is important to “fight existing ‘The art of The debating contest is cultural biases.” Her debating is the presentation is imorganized in the form of an American Parliamaculate, but in the art of mentary debate (AP), last ten seconds she in which two teams seems to become a self-control’ of two people debate little confused. “Anagainst each other. yway, just vote for The teams argue their my plan”, she conpoints in three rounds. In the first cludes in a somewhat ironical tone. two rounds, members of both teams “That was really bad”, she mumbles hold three-minute speeches alter- to Johannes as she sits down next to nately. In the final round, the first him. Nevertheless, Hulshof and Jospeakers of both teams have one hannes eventually win the contest, minute to present their team’s con- beating their two opponents, Iris clusions. The contest was organized Smolders and Peter Jaap Blaakma for both Dutch and international from the international student orstudents but unfortunately only ganization ESN. one international student, Lanre “It was a very close finish”, says
Zwarts afterwards. He says the jury deliberated for ten minutes before declaring a winner. It is the first time that Zwarts has attended a debating contest. He seems enthusiastic about the event and praises the debating skills of the contestants. “I was hugely impressed. Imagine that right before the start of the debate they get a horrible, indefensible thesis like, ‘Following orders is an acceptable excuse for war crimes’. And then … they just do it.” Zwarts praises the performance of 19-year-old Hulshof in particular. “She reached the final and afterwards had to go home immediately because of her biology exam tomorrow. I think that is remarkable.” Zwarts emphasizes the importance of organizing debating contests at the University and says that he is keen to support Kalliope and ESN in organizing future debates. “The art of debating is the art of self-control and it also helps participants learn to explain things clearly. I will try my best to embed this in the University”, he proudly concludes.
Neighbour complains about noisy students As the saying goes, a good neighbour is better than a distant friend. But the neighbours of the international student house at Winschoterdiep seem not at all too pleased with their new friends from afar. By ernST arBoUW Or, to be more precise: one neighbour seems not so pleased with the international students in his/her backyard. In an anonymous let-
ter to the Oosterpoort neighbourhood newsletter the neighbour complains about noisy students and broken glass on the streets. The letter, which was published last weekend, starts by painting a happy, almost idyllic scene: “It is Saturday night. The rain has gone and the temperature is agreeable. It is a beautiful, clear night.” But then the peace is brutally disturbed: “At 2 a.m. there is a lot of screaming and yelling. The first group of twenty students, male
and female, returns home. At 3 a.m. the second group passes by, but in the other direction. One thing is certain: women yell, men scream. More or less the same happens at 4 a.m., 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.” The angry neighbour also complains about broken glass on the cycle path that goes into the city. “It is not the first time that this has happened. […] I’m totally fed up with it.” “Students from anywhere are more than welcome, but they must not behave like this.” The
letter concludes with the statement that “the Housing Office or perhaps the University of Groningen should take responsibility” – without specifying exactly how. With 360 rooms, Winschoterdiep is the largest housing complex for international students in Groningen. The two-floor building is a former office of telecom provider KPN. It was acquired by the Housing Office in spring 2006. The Housing office was not available for comment.
Last Wednesday evening, an anonymous caller warned the police that terrorists were going to plant bombs at the arena Boulevard, a shopping district adjacent to the amsterdam arena (ajax football club stadium). The following day, exactly five years after the terrorist attacks in madrid, six men and a woman, all of moroccan descent, were arrested on suspicion of planning an attack. However, they were all released on Friday because of a lack of evidence. in an interview with national newspaper De Volkskrant, the amsterdam police commissioner Bernard Welten said that the anonymous caller knew details about the madrid terror attacks that had not been released to the public. She also literally spelled out the names of the seven people who were later arrested. one of them was a family member of a madrid suspect. it remains difficult to judge whether the police action was justified. There was, after all, no evidence against the seven people. The threat may have seemed credible, but it is slightly worrying that it is possible to be whisked off the street by police special branch because an anonymous caller is able to spell your name. [ ernST arBoUW ]
Waterhouse The Groninger museum (museumeiland 1) is presenting a retrospective of the work of the english painter John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). Waterhouse was an english Pre-raphaelite painter and is probably best known for his paintings of female figures from mythology and literature. This is the first monographic exhibition of his work since 1978. opening hours: Tues – Sun and holidays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday evenings until 10 p.m. admission eUr 9 (students) www.groningermuseum.nl > english