by Bridgette Gilliland, MSFS’16
This year Georgetown’s MSFS team argued their way to victory against Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in an exciting foreign policy debate. MSFS was represented by first year students Katie Walker and Arnab Datta. SAIS debaters were Emily Walz and Jim Benischeck. The event was hosted at SAIS’s Dupont campus this year. The event provided both sides with an opportunity to present prepared materials and give impromptu answers to questions and rebuttals from the audience. There were three faculty judges, Debra Cagan of SAIS, Jeff Gedmin of MSFS, and Spencer Boyer, who is affiliated with both programs.
Arnab and Katie spent weeks researching and preparing for the event. The Georgetown team had to defend the resolution that NATO is a necessary foreign policy tool of the United States. SAIS argued that NATO is no longer necessary for American foreign policy. Both sides had excellent, well composed arguments.
Arnab and Katie credit their success with teamwork: “We wouldn’t have won without the support of the program. I love how seriously everyone takes what we do and learn about. We have a lot of fun, but we also take our work really seriously. The night before the debate, Katie and I were in the lounge until 11:30, with 7-8 classmates helping us drill and prepare. We had several other [practice sessions] before that. And right before the debate, we had peers coaching us. It was a team win all the way.”
To begin the debate, MSFS presented their prepared speeches, which highlighted three core arguments: (1) that NATO provides important, permanent support for our military, (2) that NATO offers an important source of international legitimacy, and (3) that NATO is an important counterbalance to a resurgent, aggressive Russia. SAIS countered these points well, but ultimately Georgetown was declared victorious.
Arnab’s favorite line of the event was impromptu, “I stole the “alliance-in-a-box” line from my friend John Paszterko. He used “in-a-box” in a different context to imply a certain level of ease and simplicity. As if without any effort you get this massive benefit. It was a funny moment that actually fit nicely into my argument.” The audience definitely enjoyed that moment as well, as laughter was heard throughout the room. The MSFS team was notable for its ability to present its argument seriously while allowing for some comic relief. Next year’s rematch will be held at Georgetown, and MSFS eagerly awaits its next opportunity to debate SAIS.