Taiwan Makes its University Debate Mark

From http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=791187

Debate team from southern Taiwan college wins championship in Japan
Central News Agency
2008-11-18 12:28 PM
A debate team from Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages in the southern port city of Kaohsiung won the "English as a foreign language" (EFL) category of the Northeast Asian Open 2008 Debating Championship earlier this month, the college disclosed Monday.
Executives of the college introduced the members of the debate team at a news conference held on the campus of Wenzao.

The debate team consisted of three students: Yen Tzu-chien, a senior in the Department of Foreign Language Instruction; Fang Chia-hsuan, a junior in the Department of Translation and Interpretation; and Pan Chun-ting, a fifth-year student in the Department of French in the junior college division.

They defeated more than 100 debaters from other countries and territories, including Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, to capture the championship in the EFL category at the competition, held on the campus of Kyoto Seika University Nov. 7-9.

In the final competition, the Wenzao team defeated the team from Seikei University in Tokyo, with a 3-0 decision by the panel of judges.

In addition to winning the overall championship, team member Yen, together with a contestant from Japan and another contestant from South Korea, placed first among the top 10 speakers in the EFL category.

The Wenzao Debate Society's leader, Hsiao Yi-chiao -- a third-year student in the five-year junior college -- was invited by the organizers to serve as a judge for the competition.