The key to winning a United Way Smackdown debate? Make sure that a historian is on your team.

That's the lesson that The Gargantueloquents learned when they took on "Downtown" Jeremy Brown and his team, Size Does Matter, in an Oxford-style debate.

Size Does Matter used logic and wit to successfully argue against the proposition before the house: "Be it resolved that big words are better than little words."

The debate, hosted annually as a fundraiser for United Way, brings together twelve faculty members to "debate topics of no real importance in a low-budget version of the Oxford Union-style debates." The debaters are nominated by students based on the following criteria:

• The faculty member must:
  (1) be known for his/her sense of humour,
  (2) have the ability to talk about anything, and
  (3) possess an appreciation for volunteerism or the act of giving.

Historians have proven themselves to be particularly suited to the competition; last year's winning side benefitted from Elise Chenier's excellent rhetorical skills.

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