The motion was announced to the sizeable audience consisting of Professors and students alike: "This House would shame offenders". Silence followed and then an awkward applause. For a moment there, people believed they were in for quite a tedious preaching session.

Wednesday was a good day for debating as professors and students participated in what will hopefully be continued at Jacobs University for many years to come: the Professors vs. Students debate.

On the Government side we had Prof. Marcus Brüggen (Astrophysics), Prof. Thomas Rommel (Literature), Prof. Matthias Ullrich (Microbiology), and Prof. Ulrich Kühnen (Psychology). Such a diverse bunch had a similarly eclectic Opposition made up of students: Anton Gerunov, a freshie who ranked 19th on the speaker tab in the Tallinn Open, Gabriela Olariu, vice-president of the Debating Society and convener of next year's Jacobs University Open, Matthias Bröcheler, also vice-president of the society and experienced debater, and Felix Schlesinger, winner of a "Most Entertaining Speaker" award in the past. Yes, Wednesday was a good day for debating.

This assumption was maintained throughout Marcus Brüggen's motion definition, where he praised the Code of Academic Integrity and scorned those who dared to violate such sacred rules. Then he referred to students as "juveniles" (a term which would ironically be repeated by the opening opposition). Laughter was inevitable. This was followed by Matthias Bröcheler's point of information that enlightened the government on the fact that cheaters don't feel ashamed. For them, it's like a sport.

Anton Gerunov brought arguments about the "poor, overworked" students that are left with no means to accomplish all their tasks but to cheat. He went on to compare this sport with community trade, providing us with a rational approach to the matter. Of course, the government was not pleased. "AAAAAH!" was Brüggen's reaction to the "other means of torturing students besides shame". Yes, Wednesday was a good day for debating.

The feisty Opposition had met her match: über-eloquent Thomas Rommel presented his "romantic" views on the topic, delivering hilarious ideas in a remarkably composed manner. He went all philosophical on the audience claiming that "shame personifies society looking over your shoulder". Then he proceeded to praise shame as "the only means of education" and "in the interest of science, in the interest of humanity", the Code, and Marcus Brüggen ("great leader, great man") - not necessarily in this order.

Gabriela did not agree - well, that was her job, but still. She fired the revolutionary spirit inside all of us and courageously proclaimed "If you shame us, we will shame you!" Needless to say rapturous applause and cheering followed. It's a democracy, people. She then deemed the practice of shaming as preposterous and highly inefficient and urged us to save ourselves.

Professor Ullrich further defined the opening Government's motion - something that you don't do in competitive debating, but this was for entertainment, so everything goes. Therefore means of humiliation proposed by Mr. Ullrich included walking around campus with signs admitting our guilt, making public announcements during lunchtime or producing parental statements that acknowledge our misbehavior.

This fancy "group dynamics" talk - students would not want to stand out, thus they would avoid cheating and cheaters - did not impress Matthias Bröcheler. He loudly - and proudly, one might add - affirmed that students are not ashamed. It is, after all, a sport. Shaming does not work - IT support proves that, since public shaming still makes our e-mail arrive 5 hours late. College should teach you effective cheating methods as tools of career advancing. Bush sufficed as an example: he was an "awesome cheater" who is now President. Bittersweet laughter ensued.

After such a heated debate, time came to round things up, a job placed in the hands of Prof. Kühnen for the Government and Felix Schlesinger for the Opposition. The former shed light on the three elements of shame (active commitment, publicness and effort) then ended with the seriously frowned upon quote "Shame is primitively effective".

Felix proved his entertainment skills by asking members of the audience to get up if they didn't cheat. People sat down. The only "group dynamics" that shaming would create are us versus them - the professors and the Admin. Revolution was in the air. Not being ashamed is a tad shameful in itself, Felix humorously admitted. We cannot help but agree.

A fifteen minute break ensued, during which the audience was entertained by floor speeches. The jury came back with a decision that, dare I say, pleased most of those present at the event: Marcus Brüggen and Thomas Rommel won, Felix got Best Speaker. Oh, and since Romanticism is always rewarded Prof. Rommel received "The Most Romantic Speaker" prize, an additional category coined on the spot by the Debating Society's president, Henrik Maedler.

Wednesday was a good day for debating. This House was most satisfied. More please!

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