Debating Society on Tygerberg campus gets its second wind

On a campus where the medical leaders of the future are trained, the need for critical thinking and thought-provoking debate is one that must be kept alive and nurtured.

It is with this in mind that Chad Beyer, a second year Medical student, decided to revive the Tygerberg Debating Society. This society is autonomous to the Debating Society on the main campus.

“There is a host of untapped talent on this campus and it is hugely important to promote cognitive thinking amongst the future leaders of this country,” says Beyer on the reasons for reviving the dormant society.

He and a group of other debating enthusiasts started up the Tygerberg Debating Society in September of last year. “The idea for reviving the Society has been in the pipeline since June of last year and in September we had our first meeting. I was pleasantly surprised at the big turn-out. We are about 40 members strong and its growing by the day.”

Beyer says another reason for the society’s lack of activity in the past five years is that most of the meetings are held on the main campus in Stellenbosch. He says at times it was very difficult for society members to get there and according to him this might be a big reason why the interest started to dwindle.

The Society, since its revival, has not been sitting idle – they have just returned from the first ever Western Province University Debating Championships where they sent three teams (a first in the Society) to the tournament.

The next date where they will hone their debating skills is at the SA National University Debating Society Championships held in Limpopo in June and shortly after that they want to compete at the Pan African Debating Championships in December held at the Tukkies campus in Pretoria.

Beyer says many thought-leaders have come through the ranks of the Tygerberg Debating Society and the importance of honing and cultivating the skills needed to expand critical thinking must never be underestimated.

The Society, operating under the full support of the academic leadership on campus, is making a slow comeback and is calling on all lovers of debate and thought-provoking discourse to get involved and help to restore the Society to its glory of former years. If you want to support them, please contact Louise Enslin at 021 808 9351 or enslin@sun.ac.za.