Stories, debate, comedy and more; all forms of discussion are on the table at the upcoming Speakathon starting today at the Lester Centre.
The event — an assortment of linguistic options sure to entice any speaker — was the brainchild of the newly formed Charles Hays Debate Club. Speakers sign up for 15 minute timeslots to tackle a topic of their choice. David Armstrong, who worked to form the club, explained that the group was looking for an enjoyable and engaging fundraiser to hold to help with the club’s tournament fees and travel costs.
| Audience members will see the faces of the debate club and more during this weekend's Speakathon. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View) |
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“We’ve been trying to organize this for quite awhile now,” Armstrong said. “We’ll have members of our debate club watching the speakers, and we’ll be filling time slots ourselves with personal speeches. For any timeslots that don’t get filled, we’re going to hold debates, so we can contribute to those timeslots in addition to organizing the event.”
The club has been signing up speakers from around town, with participants either volunteering themselves, or being nominated for a timeslot. With 100 time slots available over the two-day event, audience members can expect a diverse range of topics to be covered.
| Michael Gurney coaches the team in debate strategies, including how to deal with hecklers. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View) |
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The event runs from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday, and 7 a.m. to midnight on Saturday. All speeches are open to the public, with the group also livestreaming the talks on their Facebook and Twitter pages. A list of confirmed speakers is available on the Rainmakers Debate Club Facebook page.
Alex Kurial | Journalist
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