That sure is a good start into the new year for VDCH country: Four German teams broke to ESL quarter finals of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Gaborone. Here are the lucky ones:

• Stuttgart A, Michael Saliba, Andreas Lazar, 15 points
• Berlin B, Dessislava Kirova, Florian Umscheid, 14 points
• Gutenberg A (Mainz), Marcus Ewald, Marietta Gädeke, 14 points
• Berlin A, Bastian Laubner, Patrick Ehmann, 13 points

Jens Henning Fischer and Isabelle Loewe broke as judges.

The complete break was compiled by Stephen M. Llano on his Blog. The draws for the main break are available on Colm Flynn’s  World Debating Website.

Congratulations to everyone who made it to final rounds! Big decisions will be made on New Year’s day: While speakers will have a day off tomorrow, the WUDC Council will sit and decide about the host of Worlds 2013. Keep your fingers crossed for Berlin! So get your hangover over with and stay tuned in with Achte Minute – we will let you know if it is Berlin or Zagreb.

The motions of New Year’s Eve:

• Round 7: This house would require individuals to reveal their actual identity when communicating on the internet.
• Round 8: This house believes that the Southern Africa Development Community should pursue political union.
• Round 9: This house believes that social movements should use the courts rather than the legislature to advance social change.

apf / glx