After realizing there was a shortage in the exchange of ideas on the Université de Sherbrooke campus, a graduate student and four fellow students set up an original form of debate in October, 2000, which encourages the participation of students from all disciplines. The birth of Débathon clearly filled a gap because the monthly meeting, in which two teams of students debate a current issue under the supervision of a guest host and in which the public is also invited to take a stand, is attended by up to sixty people. Debates on a variety of subjects such as Technologie: poison ou remède? (Technology: poison or remedy?), Élitisme ou démocratie? (Elitism or democracy?), Environnement ou économie? (Environment or economy?), Privatisation de l’éducation (The Privatization of education) and Internet: ouverture ou fermeture? (Internet: opening or closure?) have enabled students to reflect on issues relating to current affairs. A fervent promoter of knowledge sharing, Débathon has also led to the creation of a weekly debate club in which more emphasis is put on argumentative methods than on the subject at hand. Furthermore, by taking advantage of the ties which link it to the experienced McGill Debating Union, Débathon has added panache and depth to its activities.