American Whig-Cliosophic Society
Encyclopedia
The American Whig–Cliosophic Society (short form: Whig-Clio) is a political, literary, and debating
society at Princeton University
and the oldest debate union in the United States
. Its precursors, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, were founded at Princeton in 1769 and 1765 by James Madison
, William Paterson, and Aaron Burr
.
Originally two separate organizations, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society were the primary student organizations at Princeton until the end of the 19th century. Competition from eating clubs
, sports teams, and other student activities drew members away from the societies.
Prompted by declining memberships, the societies were merged to form the American Whig–Cliosophic Society in 1928. The organization's modern role is to serve as an umbrella organization for political and debating activity at Princeton. It sponsors influential lecturers and speaking contests. It oversees subsidiary groups such as the International Relations Council (IRC), Princeton's Model Congress (PMC), the Debate Panel, Mock Trial, and Model United Nations organizations.
Today, Whig-Clio's Debate Panel is one of the world's top intercollegiate debating societies, and competes regularly against teams such as the Oxford Union
, the Cambridge Union Society
, and the Hart House Debating Club. In the 2010 World Rankings it is ranked 20th, up three places on 2009. It competes most frequently in the American Parliamentary Debate Association league, of which it is a founding member. In 1983, 1989, and 1995 Princeton hosted the World Universities Debating Championships.
Princeton Mock Trial (PMT), another Whig-Clio subsidiary, currently ranks among the top 40 mock-trial programs in the nation. It ranked 4th place in the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament in 2008 and won the AMTA Regional Tournament held at Princeton in 2008. It has produced three AMTA All-Americans. It annually hosts a Moot Court tournament for high school students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
In the past half decade, the International Relations Council (IRC) has grown to become the biggest subsidiary of Whig-Clio in terms of membership. It hosts Sunday weekly meetings for students to discuss international events and developments. It sponsors two annual international affairs conferences: one for the high school level Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC) and one for the collegiate Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation (PICSIM). PMUNC attracts some 1000 high school students from around the world. It has become a renowned conference in Model UN circuits. PICSim boasts a format unique to Princeton IRC: an innovative, crisis-driven international affairs simulation with 11 committees.
Recent past Presidents of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society are Benjamin Weisman '11, Molly Alarcon '10, Alec Williams '09, Aaron Spolin '08, Shriram Harid '08, Matthew MacDonald '07, Karis Gong '06, and Andrew Bruck '05.
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
society at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and the oldest debate union in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its precursors, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, were founded at Princeton in 1769 and 1765 by James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, William Paterson, and Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
.
Originally two separate organizations, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society were the primary student organizations at Princeton until the end of the 19th century. Competition from eating clubs
Eating clubs
The eating clubs at Princeton University are private institutions resembling both dining halls and social houses, where the majority of Princeton upperclassmen eat their meals. Each eating club occupies a large mansion on Prospect Avenue, one of the main roads that runs through the Princeton...
, sports teams, and other student activities drew members away from the societies.
Prompted by declining memberships, the societies were merged to form the American Whig–Cliosophic Society in 1928. The organization's modern role is to serve as an umbrella organization for political and debating activity at Princeton. It sponsors influential lecturers and speaking contests. It oversees subsidiary groups such as the International Relations Council (IRC), Princeton's Model Congress (PMC), the Debate Panel, Mock Trial, and Model United Nations organizations.
Today, Whig-Clio's Debate Panel is one of the world's top intercollegiate debating societies, and competes regularly against teams such as the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
, the Cambridge Union Society
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
, and the Hart House Debating Club. In the 2010 World Rankings it is ranked 20th, up three places on 2009. It competes most frequently in the American Parliamentary Debate Association league, of which it is a founding member. In 1983, 1989, and 1995 Princeton hosted the World Universities Debating Championships.
Princeton Mock Trial (PMT), another Whig-Clio subsidiary, currently ranks among the top 40 mock-trial programs in the nation. It ranked 4th place in the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament in 2008 and won the AMTA Regional Tournament held at Princeton in 2008. It has produced three AMTA All-Americans. It annually hosts a Moot Court tournament for high school students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
In the past half decade, the International Relations Council (IRC) has grown to become the biggest subsidiary of Whig-Clio in terms of membership. It hosts Sunday weekly meetings for students to discuss international events and developments. It sponsors two annual international affairs conferences: one for the high school level Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC) and one for the collegiate Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation (PICSIM). PMUNC attracts some 1000 high school students from around the world. It has become a renowned conference in Model UN circuits. PICSim boasts a format unique to Princeton IRC: an innovative, crisis-driven international affairs simulation with 11 committees.
Recent past Presidents of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society are Benjamin Weisman '11, Molly Alarcon '10, Alec Williams '09, Aaron Spolin '08, Shriram Harid '08, Matthew MacDonald '07, Karis Gong '06, and Andrew Bruck '05.
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