Sweden has a lot more to offer than cheap furniture and smörrebröd: Debating has found its way up to the North! The Lund Open from April 15 to 17 is the first BPS competition to be held on Swedish soil. The Lund Debating Society managed to gather a team of very renowned debaters from all over the world under the slogan “Debate is in the air!”: On board of the Lund Open are Lucinda David as chief adjudicator (CA), her deputies are Dino de Leon, Catherine Murphy and since recently Sam Block.

At the end of this year, both Lucinda and Dino are going to play significant roles at the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Manila, Philippines – she as CA again, he as the convenor of DLSU Worlds. Catherine is the prospective CA of the Leeds bid for Euros 2012. And what about Sam? Well, the Lund Open homepage has a lot to say about his success as a debater: “Sam is a Chief Adjudicator of this year’s World Universities Debate Championships in Manila, a Grand Final Judge at WUDC Cork 2009, CA for Newcastle Euros 2009, 2nd Top Speaker EUDC 2009,Top Speaker WUDC Thailand 2008, a DCA for Tallinn Euros 2008, 2nd Top Speaker WUDC 2007, Top Speaker EUDC 2007, Winner European Universities Debate Championships, the Oxford IV, the LSE Open, and International Mace.” Sam’s participation in Lund is possible through the support of the British Council, the German equivalent of which is the Goethe Institute.

More information on the tournament may be found on the Lund Open homepage or in the Facebook group.

apf / glx