The Crazy IV offers on October 15 a tournament of a very special kind. The University of Strathclyde’s convenor Sorana Goga promises on the Facebook page: “We are going to bring to you a set of original motions, each one set in a fantasy world/alternate reality based either on a film or book ranging from Harry Potter to Inception and going through everything in between”. The relevant books and films are to be announced shortly.

But why would one organise such an uncommon debating competition? Their inspiration was their last year’s successful show debate on topic “This house would tell the muggles everything”, the debaters from Glasgow admit. For ones who might not know it: “muggles” are persons “incapable of magic” or non–wizards.

A comparable event took also place at the University of Birmingham. At the Harry Potter Open 2010, it was all about the bespectacled sorcerer’s apprentice Harry with motions like “This house would prosecute the Order of the Phoenix for war crimes” and team names à la “Voldemort FTW”.

The Crazy IV consists of four prelims breaking to final a semi-final is going to take place depending on the number of participants. 6-minute speeches sound quite usual, unlike the protected time. Instead of the first and the last minute, the first and the last 66 seconds are protected. Why? On the part of the org com, the answer simply reads “there is no why”.

Not to forget the socials, which are supposed to “be even more fun than the competition, though we’re not sure that’s going to be possible”. Kenneth Fleming has been appointed as CA, and the reg fees will be £30 for teams form UK and £25 for teams from elsewhere. Registration is already open, n-1 rule apples.

Further details are to be announced, for any questions please email Sorana Goga at soranagoga [at] gmail [dot] com. To get a first idea how motions in a context of a book or a film might be like, visit the Facebook page: “The year is 1950, the Godfather was shot in the back whilst buying some tasty fruit. This house believes that the Godfather should stop making offers people can’t refuse”.

The facts

• Crazy IV
• October 15, 2011
• University of Strathclyde, Scottland
• English, BPS
• Chief adjudication: Kenneth Fleming

xzy / apf