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EUDC 2008 Tallinn
EUDC Tallinn 2008 ESL reminder
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Webmaster:
Well obviously all the ESL teams have not applied yet, but we will get a decision on what we are going to debate in by tomorrow. I'm not sure why do they then have a on spot committee, obviously for those that are not satisfied with the decision. Well read on, check the list, and if you have not applied yet for the ESL status, do that now.
Dear participants in EUDC 2008,
this is just to remind all ESL teams that in order to compete as ESL
they need to complete the form posted on our website
esl-committee.blogspot.com. On that page, we have also released a list
of all teams that so far applied for ESL status. That same list can
also be found below. Should you find a team that is not yet on that
list, but should be, please forward this message to that team. Also,
please distribute this message to your national lists.
We hope to publish a list of our decisions by tomorrow evening.
Please keep in mind that the deadline for applications is June 20th, 6
p.m. GMT. Also please remember that only complete application can be
considered - this actually amounts to some work for us, so sorry for
any delays.
We'll see you all in Tallinn!
Best,
the ESL committee.
Teams that applied so far:
Bar Ilan A
Bar Ilan B
BDU A
BDU B
Belgrade A
Belgrade B
Belgrade C
BGU A
BGU B
Bonaparte A
Bonaparte B
Bonaparte C
Deree A
Deree B
GSU A
GSU B
Haifa A
Haifa B
Helsinki A
HSE A
HSE B
HSoG A
HUni B
HUni C
IDCH A
IDCH B
ISKRAN A
KNTSU A
Koc A
Koc B
Koc C
Leiden A
Leiden B
Ljubljana A
Ljubljana B
Ljubljana C
LMU A
LSE A
Manchester B
METU A
METU B
MGIMO A
MGIMO B
MLU A
MSU A
MSU B
Rijeka A
SOAS B
SSE Riga A
SSE Riga B
Tartu B
Tartu C
Technion A
Tel Aviv B
Tel Aviv C
Tilbury A
Tilbury B
Tilbury C
Ulit A
UNYP A
VU A
Warwick A
Zagreb A
Zagreb B
Webmaster: I'm a bit late with posting this newsletter, because the organizers forgot to send it to me ;) I've sorted it out with them, so I'll receive all the others ASAP, and you will be able to be updated. BTW, did you see, that we are going to go swimming on the last evening (and not only in alcohol :D)
This is the first EUDC 2008 Tallinn newsletter. As
of now on these will replace mass mailings in EUDC and BD lists and all
relevant information will be contained here and on our website.
Therefore I firstly ask you to make sure that everyone in your
institution\\\'s delegation has received this information, if not,
there might still be problems with people\\\'s e-mail addresses in our
system. Please let me know of any such problems at
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THE CONTENT
1. Apology by our flight partner Estonian Air
2. ESL applications and interviews
3. Socials
4. Dress code
5. Estonian weather
6. Some words about Phase 3
* * *
1. Apology by our flight partner Estonian Air
We have recently learned from our flight partner Estonian Air
that their offer for discount flights to Tallinn for EUDC participants
is no longer valid. This news was most unexpected for us too and we
apologise to everyone for the inconvenience this may cause. Below you
will find an official apology by Estonian Air.
Dear customers,
Due to new e-commerce platform and Estonian Air web-site
functionality the tool that was designed to offer discount
possibilities for our customers is not functioning starting from 5 May
2008. Therefore all customers turning to our webpage for reservations
with discount code can book only regular tickets.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused
and for failing to fulfil obligations taken. We truly hope that our
customers will still find Estonian Air schedule and prices suitable for
their travel.
With regards,
Marko Laving
Sales Manager International
2. ESL applications and interviews
We would like to draw your attention to the information about
ESL applications and interviews that was sent to the EUDC list and BD
lists on 26 May by the ESL Committee. The same information can also be
found on our website. If you are interested in applying for ESL status
and have not yet acquainted yourself with this information, please do
so immediately.
As was mentioned by the ESL Committee, teams need to apply for an ESL status through the website http://esl-committee.blogspot.com. Any prior applications (for example marking yourself as ESL at registration) are not taken into account. The deadline for ESL applications is 20 June, 6 p.m. GMT. Interviews are scheduled to take place at Hotel Olumpia on 22 June and the morning of 23 June.
3. Socials
We are proud to present the entertainment concept for EUDC 2008
by team Sikurein (sadly I can\\\'t tell you what this means, because
this is untranslatable Estonian humour). More specific information
about each day (and night) is posted on our website\\\'s Socials
section.
Let\\\'s go time-hopping!
According to contemporary physics time is a straight line
coming from the past and going infinitely to the future. This, of
course, is wrong. Even ancient Estonians new that actually time looks
more like a spiral or a coil spring. In this cyclical time each new
moment is only a small distance away from several layers of pasts. In a
right place and with a little help from the right people you can easily
jump that distance. This is exactly what will happen to you at EUDC
2008 nights!
We have identified five places in Tallinn where time-hopping
is possible. At each place you\\\'ll be taken to parties in different
eras from the ancient to the future. History becomes now and you can
fulfill your wildest geek-dreams. No special preparation is needed as
you can easily relate to the locals and each other using the forms of
expression that haven\\\'t changed much since we as a species came down
from the trees - drinking, dancing and discussing politics.
The journey begins on June 23rd at the opening ceremony. We\\\'ll teach
you a few tips and tricks of time-hopping and set out for the first
destination. Behold and be ready!
4. Dress code
The first evening (June 23) we will spend outdoors at an open
air museum. You should be dressed comfortably (jeans or something of
the sort and footwear appropriate for outdoor activity), warm (!) and
weather-proof. It\\\'s probably going to rain.
On the second evening (June 24), dress weather-proof. We\\\'re
having a walk in the old-town and there\\\'s cobble all the way, so use
footwear with what you\\\'re comfortable walking in for hours. Just in
case bring an umbrella if it starts to rain. Dress casual for a long
evening out on the town.
The third evening (June 25) calls for party-clothes for a long evening
out. We\\\'re having a party at an old factory-building, so be aware of
not wearing your most precious pair of Blahnik\\\'s, but it\\\'s still
a hell of a party house. Bring also something a bit warmer with you.
The fourth night (June 26) is a free night out, so whatever you want to
do - dress accordingly. We\\\'re suggesting bars to visit, clubs to go
to, but it\\\'s all up to you. So just remember that Estonia\\\'s
weather is unpredictable, so always take something warm with you.
The fifth evening (June 27) requires formal clothes. We don\\\'t want
to overdress you so we let go of the tradition of having black tie
dress-code and instead we just went for formal.
We\\\'re having the finals in Kaarli Church, so please bring a jacket
or a scarf to put on in the church since it might be cold there. Since
probably we will walk from the hotel to the church and won\\\'t go back
to the hotel before the party, wear comfortable shoes/heels. AND PLEASE
bring your bathing suit (no towel needed) with you - there\\\'s a
surprise along the way :).
5. Estonian weather
Estonian summers are warm, usually not hot. For the past week
we\\\'ve had daily temperatures around 20 degrees and this is probably
what could be expected for the tournament week. The nights may be a bit
chillier. We\\\'ll give you a more specific overview of what to expect
shortly before the tournament, you can also keep an eye on the weather
conditions and predictions on the front page of our website http://www.eudc2008.eu.
6. Some words about Phase 3
Phase 3 of registration was closed on 30 May. People who had problems
with their passwords and who sent me their details and preferences by
e-mail by that time don\\\'t have to worry, we have their information.
As to others, please note that if you have special requirements as to
food or other issues that we have not been notified of, we will most
probably not be able to meet your needs and you will have to find a
solution yourself. If anyone should have such problems, please let me
know and we\\\'ll see if there\\\'s anything we can do to help.
Webmaster: For those who are unfamiliar with EUDC council. This is the highest body of the EUDC (European Universities debate championship) that makes decisions about where should the EUDC take place and what rulez apply there. It consists of one representative from each country that is competing on the EUDC and it has one meeting per year, this is at the EUDC. This years Council president is Branka Maruši? from Croatia and she made an effort to get together most of the past year's council's decisions. Read on...
Council decisions 2002-2007
Haifa 2002
Proxy voting allowed – used by Netherlands and Turkey
Needed better representation of EUDC in IONA
Zagreb wins the bid for 2003 (unopposed)
Zagreb 2003
Wales
recognized as a country under the EUDC. (this decision was overruled in
Durham 2004 because the vote was carried out without the 2/3 majority
which is needed for Constitution change).
Recommendation regarding
new countries-Conclusion: “We recommend that we draw a new law that
relates a list of countries, which are allowed to participate in the
European Championship, and gives the organizing committee the authority
to allow a one year exemption to countries out side of said list if
they express an interest in participating. The European Council of that
same year will have to make a rolling ruling about the country from
then forth”.
Web site - Conclusion: Derek Lande Volunteered to
moderate the EUDC mail list. He will also try to find someone willing
to take upon them selves the web site. Meanwhile it might be a good
idea to take the existing site off the web and if we can’t find someone
by next year to continue this work we should re-visit the idea of
making it the hosts’ responsibility.
Debating in Europe
As part
of a suggestion to strengthen connections between debaters and debating
societies in Europe it’s been suggested that the EUDC mailing list is
used as a contact platform for European debaters.
Seeing how the
most of the people on the list at the moment are not actively
participating in the championship it’s been suggested that the
executive committee for Zagreb Europeans includes in its final e-mail a
call to all participants to join the list.
There was also a
suggestion to start working towards creating a European debating body,
similar that of Austral- Asians (or APDA) the head of which can be a
properly elected European representative to the world committee.
Durham wins the bid unopposed
Durham 2004
Constitution changes- see Constitution as it stands now
Wales- voted again and not recognized as a country under the EUDC
Yugoslavia- changes in Serbia and Montenegro (as separate two countries)
Czech Republic placed from North and West Europe to Central and Eastern Europe
Kosovo-
decision made that the Council shall discuss recognition of Kosovo when
Kosovo's institutions not only apply for the championships (like in the
case of Durham) but when they arrive and present their case to the
Council
Cork wins the bid unopposed
Cork 2005
National
eligibility: Council supports the principle that hosts should err on
the side of inclusion in accepting borderline countries.
Institutional
eligibility: RRIS and IDC (Israel) recognized as separate institutions,
Zagreb and Zagreb Law (Croatia) recognized as separate institutions.
Two bids presented Berlin and Istanbul. Berlin wins 8-7
Berlin 2006
Regarding the ESL status the EUDC will take into consideration the guidelines given by the Worlds Council.
Istanbul wins the bid unopposed.
Istanbul 2007
No
distinction between medical and cultural food requirements. – Hosts
can’t discriminate in registration fees and catering when food is
considered.
Ljubljana and Ljubljana law are not recognized as separate institutions.
The
Council shall follow the same guidelines, as the Worlds Council, the
responsibility lies with the institution to request deviation from the
rule.
Hosts should seek to reserve at least one place for every nation that was presented in the last years European Council.
Council
recognizes the need for and would strongly encourage hosts to make
rationalization for break rounds available to the entire European
community.
Azerbaijan is placed in South East Europe.
Webmaster: Ok, untill now everyone should have entered their info. If you haven't you should go and do it right now, you only have time untill friday. Go, do it.
Dear EUDC participants,
The last - and we really mean THE LAST - opportunity to provide
information regarding your travel details, accommodation preferences,
food allergies and other vital information we as organisers need to know
is *Friday, 30 May, at noon (12 p.m.) GMT.* We still have too many of
those participants, who have not given us any information whatsoever,
and the last thing we need is listening to their complaints during the
tournament. This is why we are giving this last chance.
If you have already entered the information, we thank you and remind you
that any changes made now will not be traced or taken into account. We
will only look for new information from the system by those people who
have not provided us anything yet.
Those who have not given us the required information by 30 May will not
be given any special consideration by the org comm, meaning they will
have to eat what everyone is eating (which is of course fine as long as
you are not vegetarian, kosher, allergic to something etc), will have to
find their own way to the hotel upon arrival, can't choose your
roommates etc.
This is the first time, that there will be a testing for the English as a second language category. You need to apply on a special website, read this post on, and you will see where to go. Deadline is 20 july, but do it ASAP. Like right now.
Dear participants of Tallinn EUDC 2008,
the org comm of the upcoming Tallinn Euros competition has appointed a
committee to check the eligibility of teams to compete as "English as
a second language" (ESL).
Under the constitution, ESL teams compete in a separate competition
(the "ESL-break") in addition to the main competition ("main break"),
whereas teams without the ESL privilege can only compete in the main
break.
Unlike WUDC, in EUDC there is no "English as a foreign language" (EFL)
category, so teams will either compete as "Main break only" or as
"ESL".
All teams that wish to compete in the ESL-break must apply for the
ESL-status to the committee. The only way to apply is through the
website http://esl-committee.blogspot.com. For the sake of clarity, no
previous application and/or communication regarding ESL can be taken
into consideration.
On the page http://esl-committee.blogspot.com, you will find further
information as to the criteria that under the EUDC-constitution and in
our eyes mark the distinction for ESL-teams.
The survey on that website is designed to somewhat measure your
English speaking abilities. Please try to provide as much relevant
information as possible. Teams that do not wish to apply for
ESL-status do not need to answer the survey. All information provided
will be kept confidential and used for evaluation purposes only. The
decision whether teams compete as "ESL" or "main-break only" will be
publicised.
The deadline for ESL applications is June 20th, 6 p.m. GMT. We would
welcome it however if you could apply as soon as possible.
We will soon release a list with our decisions on the classification
of teams. The classification will be either "ESL", "Main break only",
or "Interview". The list will be made available through http://esl-committee.blogspot.com, so please check it regularly.
All teams termed "ESL" on that list are eligible for the ESL-break
without further necessary steps. "Main break only" are all the teams
that did not apply for the ESL-status. "Interview" are all the teams
that have applied for ESL, but we are unsure about and would like to
talk to personally in Tallinn.
Interviews are scheduled to take place at Hotel Olümpia on June 22nd
and the morning of June 23rd before pre-Council. We will release more
detailed information on this prior to the start of the competition.
All teams that are dissatisfied with the committee's decision have a
right to appeal to pre-Council. Pre-Council is the only instance of
appeal.
All teams arriving after pre-Council will still have a chance to be
interviewed. These teams however will unfortunately not be able to
appeal the committee's decision whatsoever.
Please direct all your inquiries regarding ESL to
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. This is the only e-mail-address we will use
for any question concerning ESL matters. Before you ask us however,
please make sure to check http://esl-committee.blogspot.com - that
site contains comprehensive information already. Also, please do not
contact us regarding other questions of registration. We only get
provided the reg data from the org comm, so if you are unsure about
your registration, please contact org comm directly.
According to the EUDC org comm, the e-mail-addresses provided through
the EUDC website registration are still incomplete. Thus, all official
communication concerning ESL will only be distributed through the
listservs EUDC and BD as well as published on http://esl-committee.blogspot.com. Please forward this message to your
national and club listservs to make sure that people can apply for ESL
in time. Thank you.
EUDC 2008 Tallinn 
