The Arena
The format of debates for The Arena was created specially for the show and differed from other competitive debate formats. Each team had three speakers. The first speaker on each team spoke for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the second speaker for 4 minutes, and the third speaker for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Each set of two speeches was considered to be one 'Round' within the debate, and each 'Round' was judged separately. Speakers stood in the middle of the room, and spoke directly to one opponent from the other team (rather than facing to the audience and the judges as in most other debate formats). This opponent was allowed interrupt the speech with points of information (POIs – a feature of both the World Schools style and British Parliamentary style of debating). However unlike other debate formats which use POIs, the speaker was not allowed to decline to hear a point when it was offered. Each team had a 1 minute and 30 second POI 'Rebuttal Bank', which they could use over the course of the three speeches by the other team. In between the second and third speeches of the two teams, there was an additional 3 minute 'Rebuttal Round' involving all 6 debaters in a series of short arguments and immediate responses on the topic. Each episode was judged by four judges. Each judge decided which team they thought has won each 'Round' within the debate, and the team with the most points at the end was declared the winner. Judges : Each episode was judged by three regular judges and one guest judge. The regular judges on the show were: K.K. Seet – Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore Eunice Olsen – Nominated Member of Parliament and former Miss Singapore Universe Ashraf Safdar – Journalist from the Today newspaper and member of the Debate Association Singapore Executive Committee Guest judges for the show included Singapore celebrities like Tan Kheng Hua and Daisy Irani. The guest judge for the final (and the only guest judge to appear on the show twice) was Viswa Sadasivan, the Chairman of the Political Development Feedback Group of Singapore's Feedback Unit, who is also the Chairman of the Right Angle Group and a former TV presenter. For the preliminary selection rounds of the show (which were not televised), the teams were also judged by Geetha Creffield (ex-President of Debate Association Singapore and former coach of the Singapore national schools debating team) and Mark Gabriel (Secretary of the World Schools Debating Council and Tournament Director of the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships).
Cast & Crew
| Cast | Adrian Pang |
|---|---|
| Producers | Julie Sim-ChewIgnatius TeoSteven OngTan, Ing How |
| Writer | Vivian Chew |
- Oldest First
- Newest First
The format of debates for The Arena was created specially for the show and differed from other competitive debate formats. Each team had three speakers. The first speaker on each team spoke for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the second speaker for 4 minutes, and the third speaker for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Each set of two speeches was considered to be one 'Round' within the debate, and each 'Round' was judged separately. Speakers stood in the middle of the room, and spoke directly to one opponent from the other team (rather than facing to the audience and the judges as in most other debate formats). This opponent was allowed interrupt the speech with points of information (POIs – a feature of both the World Schools style and British Parliamentary style of debating). However unlike other debate formats which use POIs, the speaker was not allowed to decline to hear a point when it was offered. Each team had a 1 minute and 30 second POI 'Rebuttal Bank', which they could use over the course of the three speeches by the other team. In between the second and third speeches of the two teams, there was an additional 3 minute 'Rebuttal Round' involving all 6 debaters in a series of short arguments and immediate responses on the topic. Each episode was judged by four judges. Each judge decided which team they thought has won each 'Round' within the debate, and the team with the most points at the end was declared the winner. Judges : Each episode was judged by three regular judges and one guest judge. The regular judges on the show were: K.K. Seet – Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore Eunice Olsen – Nominated Member of Parliament and former Miss Singapore Universe Ashraf Safdar – Journalist from the Today newspaper and member of the Debate Association Singapore Executive Committee Guest judges for the show included Singapore celebrities like Tan Kheng Hua and Daisy Irani. The guest judge for the final (and the only guest judge to appear on the show twice) was Viswa Sadasivan, the Chairman of the Political Development Feedback Group of Singapore's Feedback Unit, who is also the Chairman of the Right Angle Group and a former TV presenter. For the preliminary selection rounds of the show (which were not televised), the teams were also judged by Geetha Creffield (ex-President of Debate Association Singapore and former coach of the Singapore national schools debating team) and Mark Gabriel (Secretary of the World Schools Debating Council and Tournament Director of the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships).
Hosted by Adrian Pang, the "battlefield" started off with Loyang Secondary School Vs. Raffles Institution on the topic, "Hey Good Looking, You're a Winner! – Good looks triumph over effort".
Hosted by Adrian Pang, the "battlefield" started off with Loyang Secondary School Vs. Raffles Institution on the topic, "Hey Good Looking, You're a Winner! – Good looks triumph over effort".
Loyang Secondary School vs Raffles Institution with the theme - "Hey Good Looking, You're a Winner! – Good looks triumph over effort".
Loyang Secondary School vs Raffles Institution with the theme - "Hey Good Looking, You're a Winner! – Good looks triumph over effort".
In this episode, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School Vs. Methodist Girls' School on the topic, "Selfish? Yes We Are! – Today's youth are motivated by self-centeredness alone".
In this episode, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School Vs. Methodist Girls' School on the topic, "Selfish? Yes We Are! – Today's youth are motivated by self-centeredness alone".
In this episode, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School Vs. Methodist Girls' School on the topic, "Selfish? Yes We Are! – Today's youth are motivated by self-centeredness alone".
In this episode, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School Vs. Methodist Girls' School on the topic, "Selfish? Yes We Are! – Today's youth are motivated by self-centeredness alone".
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Vs. Xinmin Secondary School with the theme - "Don't try to be funny! Our society does not encourage a sense of humour".
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Vs. Xinmin Secondary School with the theme - "Don't try to be funny! Our society does not encourage a sense of humour".
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Vs. Xinmin Secondary School with the theme - "Don't try to be funny! Our society does not encourage a sense of humour".
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Vs. Xinmin Secondary School with the theme - "Don't try to be funny! Our society does not encourage a sense of humour".
United World College of South East Asia vs Nanyang Girls' High School with the theme - "Singapore, a Self-Service Nation! – Local service standards have a long way to go".
United World College of South East Asia vs Nanyang Girls' High School with the theme - "Singapore, a Self-Service Nation! – Local service standards have a long way to go".
United World College of South East Asia vs Nanyang Girls' High School with the theme - "Singapore, a Self-Service Nation! – Local service standards have a long way to go".
United World College of South East Asia vs Nanyang Girls' High School with the theme - "Singapore, a Self-Service Nation! – Local service standards have a long way to go".
Hwa Chong Institution vs CHIJ Katong Convent with the theme - "Teach First, Sex Later! – Protecting our youth from sex now causes social problems later".
Hwa Chong Institution vs CHIJ Katong Convent with the theme - "Teach First, Sex Later! – Protecting our youth from sex now causes social problems later".
Hwa Chong Institution vs CHIJ Katong Convent with the theme - "Teach First, Sex Later! – Protecting our youth from sex now causes social problems later".
Hwa Chong Institution vs CHIJ Katong Convent with the theme - "Teach First, Sex Later! – Protecting our youth from sex now causes social problems later".
Xinmin Secondary School vs Loyang Secondary School - "To Hide or Not to Hide? – Internet anonymity is bad for us all".
Xinmin Secondary School vs Loyang Secondary School - "To Hide or Not to Hide? – Internet anonymity is bad for us all".
Xinmin Secondary School vs Loyang Secondary School - "To Hide or Not to Hide? – Internet anonymity is bad for us all".
Xinmin Secondary School vs Loyang Secondary School - "To Hide or Not to Hide? – Internet anonymity is bad for us all".
Raffles Institution vs Hwa Chong Institution - "Where Do We Stand? – Singapore's youth are politically apathetic".
Raffles Institution vs Hwa Chong Institution - "Where Do We Stand? – Singapore's youth are politically apathetic".
Raffles Institution vs Hwa Chong Institution - "Where Do We Stand? – Singapore's youth are politically apathetic".
Raffles Institution vs Hwa Chong Institution - "Where Do We Stand? – Singapore's youth are politically apathetic".
United World College of South East Asia vs Methodist Girls' School - "Mother Knows Best – Mothers should stay at home to raise children".
United World College of South East Asia vs Methodist Girls' School - "Mother Knows Best – Mothers should stay at home to raise children".
United World College of South East Asia vs Methodist Girls' School - "Mother Knows Best – Mothers should stay at home to raise children".
United World College of South East Asia vs Methodist Girls' School - "Mother Knows Best – Mothers should stay at home to raise children".
Loyang Secondary School vs Hwa Chong Institution - "The Pressing Issue – Bloggers are becoming more influential than journalists".
Loyang Secondary School vs Hwa Chong Institution - "The Pressing Issue – Bloggers are becoming more influential than journalists".
Loyang Secondary School vs Hwa Chong Institution - "The Pressing Issue – Bloggers are becoming more influential than journalists".
Loyang Secondary School vs Hwa Chong Institution - "The Pressing Issue – Bloggers are becoming more influential than journalists".
Raffles Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - "First Among Equals – Singapore's education system breeds elitism".
Raffles Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - "First Among Equals – Singapore's education system breeds elitism".
Raffles Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - "First Among Equals – Singapore's education system breeds elitism".
Raffles Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - "First Among Equals – Singapore's education system breeds elitism".
Hwa Chong Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - Modern Softies – Youth today are less prepared for future challenges than their parents' generation.
Hwa Chong Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - Modern Softies – Youth today are less prepared for future challenges than their parents' generation.
Hwa Chong Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - Modern Softies – Youth today are less prepared for future challenges than their parents' generation.
Hwa Chong Institution vs United World College of South East Asia - Modern Softies – Youth today are less prepared for future challenges than their parents' generation.