The first of more than 80 participants began arriving in Bermuda last night for the Pan-American Debate Championships set to get underway at CedarBridge Academy tomorrow.The event, which runs through to July 29, is the first to be hosted by Bermuda since 1997.For Bermuda’s senior team captain, Eron Hill, 17, this will be his last year of eligibility for the competition before heading off to law school in the UK in September.He said he is both honoured and excited to be competing with fellow team mates on his home turf.Topics slated for debate range from term limits for elected officials, US economic sanctions against Cuba and whether humans should be sent to Mars.Bermuda will go up against teams competing from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru and the United States, with debates in both English and Spanish.The English Grand Final topic will be: “This house would make the directors of multinational companies personally liable for environmental abuses committed by their companies in the developing world.”Mr Hill has been competing both locally and internationally since the age of 14.“We all check into the Fairmont Hamilton Princess later today to eat, sleep and breathe for this event.“I’m looking forward to the debate on whether humans should be sent to Mars, especially since they’ve just shut down one of the major space mission centres,” he said.“And as a Bermudian the subject of term limits is one that I hold dear. Based on our research it’s absolutely a global issue that we need to look at.“I have an interest in politics and I also want to know that when I come back ready to serve my country that we have a system set where everyone has equal opportunities.”As for US sanctions against Cuba he said there’s an equal argument on both sides.“But on the other side you have the recent news that Cuba was alleged to have smuggled old guns to North Korea, an enemy of the US.“I think this subject will generate a very intense debate and we’re going to be prepared,” he said.Overall his years of debating has given him a sense of accomplishment.“You’re able to articulate and have conversations that expand your horizons and you’re intellectually challenged,” said Mr Hill.“I’ve been as far as Scotland, and other countries by going to debates. Some have been as far across the other side of the world as South Africa.“We’ve put in a lot of hard work and we’re ready to bring it home and represent Bermuda well.”Vice Captain Jashanae Smith, 16, said she was extremely excited going into the competition.“I did Pan Ams last year in Chile and it was a great experience, we’ve been looking forward to this for the past six months. My number one goal is to bring the victory home.“Our coach may say it’s not about winning but for me it’s all about winning and debating has helped to develop me a lot,” she said.“It has increased my public speaking skills and I’m able to use those skills in Youth Parliament, in school, in my law class and in debating.”The Berkeley Institute student noted that she was not interested in debating at first.“My dad saw that I was very articulate and decided he was going to get me involved and I pushed back a lot. But after my first practice I loved it,” said Ms Smith.“I would like for the entire island to know that the Bermuda team collective have some of the best and brightest minds on the island in this competition.”School Principal Gladstone Thompson, who has been coaching Bermuda teams for the past two decades said he was feeling confident going into the competition.“The teams have worked very hard and we’ve exhausted our intelligence on every side, on every option. Now they just have to get out there and perform.“I try to tell them that my objective is never to win, it’s to participate at a very high level and I believe that they are going to represent Bermuda very well.“In this level of debate there’s no room for fluff and you have to know your stuff,” he said.“You have to be able to layer your arguments together in such a way that they string together very logically.”And he encouraged everyone to come out to see Bermuda’s team in action, most of their debates take place between 1pm and 4pm; and it’s free.“We would certainly like the support, besides that just send us your best wishes and prayers,” said Mr Thompson.At the end of the day he admitted: “A victory would be sweet.”