Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association

The Society meets every Wednesday at 6.30pm in the Student Union Building during term time. There's always something happening, whether that be debating or a social event. We run internal debating grades that cater for novices and experienced debaters, as well as offer 'Pro-Am' tournaments, and the opportunity to test your skills in regional, national and international tournaments. Last year Vic Debsoc won every local and national tournament, including novice tournaments.

The Society is run by an elected committee of eleven people (Victoria University of Wellington students), which organises regular debating grades, public debates, debating tournaments, and social events. The Society also organises the prestigious Plunket Medal Oratory Contest, the oldest prize for public speaking in New Zealand. Within New Zealand, it has won the Officers' Cup for impromptu debating at the New Zealand University Games sports tournament for the last eleven years. It is the current holder of the Joynt Scroll for prepared debating, and it has won this trophy more than any other university. It has won the NZ British Parliamentary Debating Champs in five of the six years it has been held. It is also the current holder of the McLeod Trophy for university debating at a novice level in the North Island. The Society also has a long history of competeing in international tournaments. Victoria has reached the Grand Final of the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships in two of the last three years (2007 and 2009), finishing as runner-up on both occasions. In January 2009, a Victoria team reached the semi-finals of the World Universities Debating Championships in Cork, Ireland. The Society has honours boards in the bottom foyer of the historic Hunter Building at Victoria University, which are maintained by the University. The original wooden honours boards were maintained and restored when the Hunter Building itself was restored and renovated in the early 1990s. The honours boards list by year Victoria students who have won the Joynt Scroll, the Bledisloe Medal for Oratory, the Plunket Medal, and the now defunct Union Prize.