Campus News

UGA hosts debate against Oxford Union

UGA has challenged the Oxford Union Society to a formal debate for the fourth time, and the Oxford Union has accepted this challenge. Several of the organization’s best debaters will compete against an elite UGA team in a hybridized British/American-style debate March 8 at 7 p.m. in the Chapel. This fourth installment will be an opportunity for the UGA team to even the all-time score, as they are currently down in the series two losses to one win.

The debate topic is “Resolved: China’s economic and military rise threatens the interests of the United States and Great Britain in the 21st century.” The UGA team will argue the affirmative position, and the Oxford Union team will argue the negative.

The moderator is Peter Appel, a professor in the School of Law. A former debater at Yale, Appel has served as the moderator for the UGA vs. Oxford Debate on two previous occasions.

Judges for the event include Steve Wrigley, UGA vice president for government relations and interim vice president for public service and outreach; Wyche Fowler, former U.S. representative, senator and ambassador; Annabelle Malins, Her Majesty’s Consul General in Atlanta; Colleen McEdwards, CNN international news anchor; Cecil Staton, Georgia state senator who earned his doctoral degree from Oxford University; and Ian Archer, sub-warden of Keble College and former proctor of Oxford university.