On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society held an open demonstration round in the Mandel Center for Humanities to a packed room of both new and returning students interested in the debate team that is currently first in the nation.

Debater Sarah Pizzano '16 gave an introduction to the parliamentary-style debate and discussed what it's like to be a part of BADASS, a proudly inclusive club. The club does not hold try-outs, but rather BADASS provides training to any Brandeis students who want to join.

Pizzano welcomed audience members to pound on the arms of chairs, as if in parliament, when they agreed with arguments presented by the debaters. The motion for the demonstration round was to include hate crimes in our justice system.

The round consisted of four debaters on two teams, with David Altman '15 and Russell Leibowtiz '14 representing government and supporting the motion, and Shira Almeleh '14 and Megan Elsayed '14 representing the opposition.

Altman presented the first argument for the motion on hate crimes, stating that these crimes should receive harsher punishment because of the extensive psychological damage they induce in victims, on top of the overall negative effects to the nation's morale.

Elsayed, like the other debaters throughout the round, stood up several times trying to interrupt and question the argument as it was in course.
Carrying this firm rebuttal in the entire stream of arguments, she insisted that longer prison sentences would only cause resentment behind bars to rise, effectively causing racist gangs to form who would then be more pernicious forces after their time in prison.

In addition to other numerous arguments made by both sides, government and opposition argued over the effect the motion would have on minorities in this country who may be subject to racial profiling and receive the short end of this motion.

During an intermission in arguments, some audience members were given the opportunity to stand up to give their opinions on the course of the debate.

At the end of the debate the audience members were allowed to vote on which side had won and were encouraged to stay for an ice cream mixer with the debaters.

"I was very impressed with the level of intellect that people have, that it's so easy for them to think on their feet and really come up with arguments that make sense and are logical to someone who is trying to come in with as much of a blank slate as possible," said attendee Sandra Luo '15.

BADASS competes in the American Parliamentary Debate Association, which is a competitive debating circuit consisting of more than 50 top universities in the nation.

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-Scarlett Reynoso