Law students Jamie Furniss and Erik Eastaugh defeated opponents from Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Toronto in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 27, to win the World University Debating Championships. It was Canada’s first win in 14 years in this competition — the world’s largest non-sporting student event. But the achievement soon took a backseat following the tsunami that devastated countries around the Indian Ocean.
On his way home, Furniss couldn’t immediately get a connecting flight in Thailand. Instead of simply waiting, he decided to volunteer to help with the relief effort.
Furniss took the entire month of January off from his studies to assist an organization based out of Langkawi, Malaysia that is shipping aid to Pulau Weh — an island north of Banda Aceh.
In a piece recounting his experience that he posted on the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate (CUSID) Web site, Furniss says: “I can't ever remember being so energized by what I am doing as I am now. At the moment I can’t imagine any other life. It absorbs you totally.”
Meanwhile, his teammate Eastaugh returned immediately to Canada but started helping behind the scene. Eastaugh is president of CUSID and he convinced the organization to donate $2,000 to the operation in which Furniss is involved.
Then, at Eastaugh’s instigation, the University’s English Debating Society and CUSID hosted a 24-hour debate-a-thon on January 24th to raise funds for the relief operation. The Carleton University Debating Society, the McGill Debating Union, and a large number of other debating societies from across the country, including the universities of British Columbia and Alberta took part in the event.
[d1] “Everybody in the debating community, in Canada and worldwide, has been incredibly impressed by Jamie’s selflessness and courage in this matter, and members of CUSID were happy to be able to do something to help,” Eastaugh wrote in an e-mail.
People who wish to make a donation can write a check payable to CUSID and send it to the English Debating Society, c/o English Department, Arts Hall, 70 Laurier East. For more information, contact Eastaugh at erik_eastaugh@hotmail.com.
