The wine flowed, the rhetoric sparkled, and the GMB was packed, as eight maiden debaters battled it out for the title of the ultimate “Phil Phresher”. Last Thursday, in a black tie final, Iseult Deane, Rory O’Sullivan, Tadhg O’Miochan, Sorcha Ryder, Jack Kennedy, Sean McGuane, Harry Higgins and Mark Finn dazzled the audience with their take on the highly topical motion “This House Believes That Security Is No Replacement For Freedom”.
From the beginning of the evening, there was a palpable buzz of excitement in the chamber. Free wine and pizza put everyone in high spirits as the nervous debaters took their seats. Chairing the debate was Phil Vice President Manus Dennison, responsible for organising the Phil Maidens competition, designed for students who have never debated at university level before.
Iseult Deane took the stand first, highlighting the intolerable scrutiny imposed by our modern security state. This was immediately rebuffed by Rory O’Sullivan, who argued that without security , freedom is not truly free. Current issues remained at the forefront of the debate with both sides referencing ISIS, and the recent attacks in Paris, as reasons for and against a security state.
The debate verged into complex territory, as Tadhg O’Miochans argued that by infringing on personal liberty we destroy the valuable concept of self actualisation. Sorcha Ryder then illustrated how the lack of security only causes further loss of life, and that there is a clear requirement for a balance between freedom and security.
Jack Kennedy looked at the idea of freedom from a historical perspective, arguing that revolutionaries throughout the years, such as the leaders of 1916, fought and died for such a concept. Yet Sean McGuane took a more pragmatic approach, arguing that society owes its citizens a duty of care, and that a world without security would mean chaos.
For anyone in the audience unable to follow the nuances of the debate Chief Adjudicator, Hannah Beresford, announced an audience selfie competition, with the winner receiving a free nagin. However, attention was soon diverted back to serious matters as Harry Higgins wrapped things up strongly for the proposition reminding us that personal security is never a substitute for personal freedom. Closing the debate was Mark Finn, who argued that freedom can only exist with security, and it is up to the state to find the right balance.
Yet there could only be one winner, with Rory O’Sullivan eventually announced as “Maidens Champion 2015”. However, for the assembled audience in the GMB, the winner wasn’t important. What mattered was the strength of debate, the nuance of the arguments, and the overall impression that debating is alive and well in Trinity.
