The Premiere International Slam-Off
The 2015 A2Ethics Big Ethical Question Slam champions not only get to keep the Philosopher's Hat for a year. Now they have the chance to be Slam champions of North America!
Join us for the first challenge match between the 2015 A2Ethics winning team and the Slam champion team of our Canadian friends in Winnipeg from the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties (MARL).
When: Thursday, April 23, 2015
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
(We will start the competition at 8:00pm Ann Arbor time...to allow the Winnipeg team to get there by 7pm their time. They are one hour behind Ann Arbor.)
As much as we would like to go to Winnipeg, this event is simulcast.
Where: Conor O'Neill's Pub, 318 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor
Description: The First Ever Big Ethical Question Slam-Off is a judged competition between the winners of this year's A2Ethics Slam winner and the MARL Slam winner. The rules of the Slam-Off are the same as the annual Slam, except that there are two judges instead of three. In addition, since there are only two teams, there are also more questions for them to answer.
2015 Slam-Off Challengers:
Arbor Hospice Ethics Team
University of Winnipeg Debate Society
Sample questions:
1. Can you come up with arguments for 2 products for which it would be unethical to give opportunities for anyone to make with a 3-D printer?
2. In North America we can expect the right to trial by a jury of our peers. Do First Nations' people have the right to expect at least one "Treaty" person on any/all juries that they might have to face?
Audience Participation:
For the world premiere, the audience is encouraged to share a sentence or two about their favorite philosopher with us during the event, so that we can toast such luminaries throughout the evening.
Slam-Off Prize
The 2015 Slam-Off is not only the world premiere for this event, it is also the inaugural year for The Dewey Tunic. Named after international icon and philosopher extraordinaire, John Dewey, The Dewey Tunic was selected because there are so many other prizes and awards named for him that trademark agreements have given us little choice but to award a....fancy t-shirt. While the tunic is not what we originally had in mind to respect and honor John Dewey, we would like our Slam-Off participants to know that he has a connection to Ann Arbor. In the 1890s and early 1900s, he lived in A2 and taught at the University of Michigan.
We think that as the International Slam-Off takes off that The Dewey Tunic will become a coveted and incredibly sought after prize.