The Debate: Who REALLY won?
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On April 12, students from KSG and the Harvard Business School (HBS) strapped on their figurative boxing gloves and sparred in one of the most entertaining forum events of the year. The debate, in traditional British Parliamentary format, focused on the following resolution: “Most of the world’s problems are created by governments (and then solved by businesses).” Battling for the rights to the river, Rupert Simons (MPA/ID1) and Peter Kim (MPP2) were the rookies on the KSG team, accompanied by last year’s veteran debater Sarada Peri (MPP2).
The debate was serious at times, covering issues of corporate responsibility in social welfare and government accountability. But on the lighter side, the crowd intermittently chanted “here, here” and “for shame!” to witty retorts about the HBS lifestyle (for example, diversity in bottled water preferences, expensive shoes and Playboy.)
The HBS student moderator, Adrian Brown, determined the victor by asking for crowd approval and calibrating for the fact that KSG had home court advantage. Despite last year’s KSG win, the official ruling this year went to HBS, though it was certainly controversial.
So The Citizen asked a few audience members: who really won?
Jim Armstrong, MPP1
Substantively, KSG clearly won, but I think the big winner of the evening was the guy who made the heckle about Madeline Albright being a former Playboy playmate. Simultaneously horrific and funny.
Dennis Haraszko, MPP2
I was impressed with this year’s HBS contingent, but unimpressed with their bottom line that business solves the world’s problems. So it was business that freed the slaves? Silly me. And doesn’t business prop up the regime in Sudan? Unfortunately the KSG team did not point out such shortcomings and merely exchanged witty barbs on HBS perks. But the beer was free. I liked that.
Kavita Sridhar, MPP2
Normally I would say minority representation trumps all but this year we were an even 2:2 (if you think South and East Asians even count). And I hate to say it but HBS did have three accents this year, including the requisite Aussie. But, to answer the question – did Bush really win in 2000? I don’t think so.
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