The 2019 National Seminar of the Canadian Student Debating Federation is an annual educational, cultural and bilingual event where participants learn through debate. This year's theme was the Rural-Urban Divide. The event was expertly hosted by Morden Collegiate Institute with funding provided through the Exchanges Canada and the Canadian Student Debating Federation. SEDA sent six Saskatchewan representatives to attend the event in Morden Manitoba. Students participated in lectures and workshops with topics such as agriculture, Immigration, and citizenship. Other activities included tours of the Human Rights Museum, the Manitoba Parliament Building and the Morden Fossil Museum as well as participating in the Kairos Indigenous Blanket Exercise and watching the film The Debaters at the iconic Morden Theater. SEDA would like to thank the following students for representing Saskatchewan well:

• Keegan Isaac (English delegate, North Battleford Comprehensive High School)
• Janie Moyen (French delegate, Ecole Canadienne-Francaise)
• William Lowe (English delegate, Luther College High School)
• Petra Ottenbreit-Born (French delegate, Monseigneur De Laval)
• Rachel Argue (English delegate, Swift Current Comprehensive High School)
• Ash Covenden (Bilingual delegate, Centennial Collegiate)

SEDA looks forward to hosting the 2020 National Seminar in Saskatoon in September 2020.

The second debate tournament of the season was held at Walter Murray Collegiate Institute and saw fifty-five teams debate two prepared and one impromptu government themed resolutions. A big thank you goes to:

• Walter Murray debate coaches and teachers, Gideon Weisman and Lisa Kalesnikoff, our fantastic hosts who directed the tournament and helped coordinate the venue and food.
• Leora Diakuw and the Tabbing team for bracketing the tournament.
• Elyn Achtymichuk-Hardy for taking care of the Judges.
• Judges and volunteers for taking the time to help youth learn through debate.
• The participants, for their energy and enthusiasm for debate.
• Sasktel for sponsoring a portion of this tournament.

Students debated the prepared resolutions:

High School: This House prefers Direct Democracy to Representative Democracy.

Elementary: This House would elect more young politicians.

The Impromptu motions were:

High school: This House would require governments to hold referenda on major shifts in immigration policy.

Elementary: This House would lower the voting age to 14.

1. Lucas Tarry & Sahasro B., Dr. John Egnatoff School
2. Isabelle Monsman & Mahrukh Hassan, Caswell School
3. Vivek Nrusimhadevara & Max Clark, Greystone Heights School

Intermediate Speakers

1. Sahasro B., Dr. John Egnatoff School
2. Lucas Tarry, Dr. John Egnatoff School
3. Isabelle Monsman, Caswell School

1. Victor Wu & Carrick Peak, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute
2. Mueez R. & Nathan Groat, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute
3. Kaia Bater & Hamza Saghir, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute

Open Speakers

1. Victor Wu, WMCI
2. Carrick Peak, WMCI
3. Nathan Groat, WMCI

in an ever increasing digital world ,SEDA is embracing social media and online communication such as this newsletter! We want to be able to use pictures we take at events on our facebook page, our instagram account, and in this newsletter. We would also love to congratulate your achievements by sharing your name occasionally. In order to do this, SEDA needs your permission. If you have already filled out the debater membership form, you have already let us know if we can use your picture! If you have not filled out the membership form, please go to our website and fill out the form linked on our homepage! Thank you very much!