In a 2-3 split decision in favor of the opposition, Political Science Society’s contention against the proposition of utilizing an “Equalizer Technology” in the new society, reigned supreme over Junior Philosophers’ Guild’s defense; sealing debate grand finals on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at CASSalida Theater.
In the context of a new society emerging from a nuclear holocaust, the debate was centered on technology. The narrative left survivors to develop a technology that was ‘the equalizer’ that configures physical and intellectual traits to an average value; ensuring an egalitarian society to perpetuate.
The Junior Philosophers’ Guild's side of the government bench was composed of Reinah Mae Lopez, Honey Grace Gaid, and Yentl Magno. On the other hand, the opposition bench was carried out by July Ann Marañon, Allen Dave Capa, and Christine Grace Cognito respectively.
The Prime Minister of the Junior Philosophers’ Guild (JPG) established the foundation of the government’s proposition by defining terms and leaving a rhetoric as to the root causes of why the nuclear holocaust happened in the first place; implying that social injustice and inequality are contributing factors. Hence, necessitating the use of the technology to prevent destructive traits and consequently, to ‘ensure peace and prolong survival.
On the opposite side of the bench, the Political Science Society (PSS) hits what they claimed JPG’s lack of argument. The opposition proceed to expound the realities of a holocaust and posited that the nullification of prominent traits unique to every individual for the sake of being equal offered by the proposition’s narrative is counterintuitive in allowing humanity to survive. They argued that urgent recovery through creating a space for distinct mastered skills to compensate for others’ deficiencies is the best course of action; where collaboration is more likely to happen.
On the other hand, the government questioned the pragmatism behind the opposition’s narrative of ‘urgent recovery’ through unique skills with due consideration of the absence of resources and privileges necessary to foster these skills in a post-holocaust situation. The JPG went further by undermining the POI raised by the counter bench revolving around the solution to the scarcity of resources; reinstating their ground as to the origin of the nuclear holocaust and how the proposition answers the question as it fears the worst type of competition.
However, the deputy prime minister of the opposition criticized the logical leap of how the government mechanized the ‘use of equalizer’ translating to ‘equality’ in the first place. They contested that a holocaust survivor’s fundamental initiative is to survive as an individual and not the abstraction of equality; highlighting urgent means. According to the opposition, this would be best achieved through socialization and collaboration with other surviving individuals where skill expertise would be more advantageous in a survivor’s predicament.
Conversely, the government did not rule out the opposition’s narrative of collaboration as the latter is also present in an egalitarian system. Instead, the proposition emphasized that the use of equalizer technology was mainly to fend off problems that created the whole holocaust mess.
Meanwhile, the opposition reinforced their argument by recognizing the differences and uniqueness of every individual trait. PSS delved deeper by stating that no development will push through by equalizing every single trait; providing examples related to governance. More so, the opposition censured what they claimed was the JPG’s lack of characterization and specifics on their arguments.
Leader of the opposition, July Ann L. Marañon tops the roster of best speakers to represent CASS in the 2023 PALAKASAN Debate Tournament. Five other best speakers all throughout the tournament will be revealed this February 22, 2023, during the awarding ceremony.
In an interview with CASSayuran, Marañon expressed how overwhelmed she was as she did not anticipate the win.
“We could’ve done better especially in trying to engage in what the government is trying to use as a premise because what happened was somehow dili nin-ana ka clash ang amoang argument. It was only on the second speaker wherein we clashed with the post-holocaust idea,” she stated.
Nevertheless, Marañon and the team extended their gratitude to their society; from students rooting for them in the theater and the faculty allowing the team to use the department’s library where they could practice.
Reaching Finals: No Mean Feat
In an interview with CASSayuran, Yentl Magno, government whip of the Junior Philosophers’ Guild, shared how great the experience was for them and expressed her thanks to their society with cheers echoing to support their team.
Notably, the JPG’s initial line-up consisted only of two members: Yentl Magno and Honey Grace Gaid,during the first run of preliminaries with three consecutive rounds and match-ups to different societies. Unflinched, they remained persistent to the top, wrapping up their fight until the grand finals.
About the Author
John Vincent M. Balustre
John Vincent Balustre is a news correspondent and an AB Sociology student. Hailing from the small town of Oroquieta City he has polished his craft in writing and took part in major posts from his former school publication, The CAPITOL of MONHS. His writing interests are usually in politics, community engagement, and entertainment.
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