Stories

From 21 to 27 November 2013, ten local teams and twenty-two international teams converged in the RI campus in a war of words and wit. It was the second edition of the Prometheus Cup, a biennial international debate tournament organised by the Raffles Debate Academy. Inspired by Prometheus, the Greek Titan who stole the gift of fire from the gods for mankind, the Cup shed light on the range of pertinent, yet controversial issues facing the world today and kindled the love of debating in youths. The first Prometheus Cup was the first WSDC-style debating tournament held in Southeast Asia. Participating teams hailed from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the UAE, and the USA.

The students discussed many pressing issues from the abolition of the Euro to the removal of patents on AIDS drugs in African countries and the harms of US involvement in the Middle East. Team Anglo-Chinese Junior College eventually emerged as winners of the Cup, with Team Canada Red coming in second.

The week-long event comprised more than just grueling competitions, however; Day 4 culminated in Dinner-cum-Quiz Night, a ‘pub quiz’ style event that also served up good music and good food, and Day 6 ended with the colourful Cultural Night. The international participants also went on tours to iconic places in Singapore, such as Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Zoological Gardens.