Topic outline

  • 2023 NSS University spUN Debate Program

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    NSS presents the 2023 University spUN Debate Program, inviting university students worldwide to join a debate team. This is a 100% virtual opportunity!


  • Recordings for the 2023 University spUN Tournament

    You can find the recordings of the individual preliminary debates in attached file below.

    For the Final Debates, both University and High School Levels, please go to NSS Facebook or NSS YouTube


    NSS 2023 spUN University and  High School

    Preliminary Debate  Tournament Video Links can be found in the attached file.

     (also found on SpacEdge.Academy YouTube)



  • About the 2024 University spUN Debates

    National Space Society hosts the 2024 University spUN Debates!

    (Updated 7/22/23)

    Author:  Frances Dellutri,  NSS Dir. of Education, spUN Debate Program Manager

       Jordan Strudwick, NSS University spUN Debates Program Manager


    Summary:  

     Julien of Howard University, a 2023 University spUN Debater            The 2024  University spUN (space policy and UNiversalization) Debates will mark the third year of the university level debates.  
    The  2024 spUN Debate Program is 100% virtual and brings together teams of 3 debaters (university age)  from all around  the world  to investigate and present the pros and cons of a resolution  on space policy issues while learning to value  different perspectives,  cultures, and languages.
      

     The format is based on the Worlds School Debate Format and teams debate in a double-elimination program with the final debate live-streamed from the National Space Society (NSS) International Space Development Conference from Los Angeles, CA, USA on Saturday, May 25, 2024.


    spUN University Applicants must be enrolled in a university/college during January - May, 2024.


    More information will be available on this website. To find out a bit about universalization and its connection to debating space policy take a look at the 3 minute video below:


  • 2024 University spUN Format

    2024 spUN University Format

    World Schools  Debate Championship Format

    ­­Prop – Proposition    Opp - Opposition

    Sequence

    Explanation

    Time

    Prop Team, Speaker 1

    Proposition 1

    8 min

    Opp  Team, Speaker 1

    Opposition  1

    8 min

    Prop Team, Speaker 2

    Proposition 2

    8 min

    Opp  Team, Speaker 2

    Opposition  2

    8 min

    Prop Team, Speaker 3

    Proposition 3

    8 min

    Con  Team, Speaker 3

    Opposition  3

    8 min

    Opp  Team, Speaker 1 or 2

    Opposition Reply

    4 min

    Prop Team, Speaker 1 or 2

    Reply to Opposition Reply

    4 min

    Total Time

     

    56 min

     

     

    POI (Point of Information) may be offered by the opposing team between minutes 1 and 7 of the speech. The speaker may accept or decline a POI, but speakers are expected to accept two POI’s during their speech.


  • More About Universalization?

    The spUN Debates began in 2017 at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference in St. Louis, MO, USA.  Dr. LJ Edmonds gave a presentation to international students on the topic of universalization, a concept for cooperation and living that will greatly impact space development.  Several students and a teacher engaged in an animated discussion of the impacts universalization could have on space settlement but also on how we successfully and harmoniously move forward in Earthly policies and interactions!

    Here are some videos that resulted from the subsequent spUN Debate Tournaments (pre-COVID-19) in 2018 and 2019. The first video is an overview of the 2018 H.S. debates...

    Please take a moment to see the impact the study of the universalization concept made on the student debaters.  


    ...and the second video talks about the practicalities of space living and governing and, how to buy chocolate in space! 


    The next video is from a podcast in which Dr. Lorna Jean Edmonds was interviewed by Starcast about the universalization concept.  This concept isDr. Lorna Jean Edmonds very important in our debates, both to see the concept in the  debate arguments, and also as a guide in the  conduct of everyone in the NSS spUN Debate Organization.


    We hope these resources will you help you to frame the future of our world!