(From left) Daniel Berman and Peter Doughton (Cambridge), Alfred Hinchliffe (Oxford), Joshua Zoffer and Benjamin Sprung-Keyser (Harvard), and Gregory Farquhar (Oxford) at Calcutta Club on Wednesday. Picture by B. Halder

The Americans and the British have invaded Calcutta, not for a diplomatic duel but for a war of words.

Even as India-US relations hit a low, four students from two of the America’s top universities are gearing up to battle four counterparts from Britain on Saturday evening. All for a greater cause: The Calcutta Club-The Telegraph International Debate 2013, in association with Calcutta Debating Circle.

The motion? Hollywood represents cultural tyranny.

Ben Kornfeld and Andrew Connery from Yale University and Joshua ‘Josh’ Zoffer and Benjamin ‘Ben’ Sprung-Keyser from Harvard University will put aside the strong college rivalries to take on Alfred ‘Alfie’ Hinchliffe and Gregory ‘Greg’ Farquhar from Oxford University and Daniel Berman and Peter ‘Pete’ Doughton from Cambridge, who have also buried the Oxford-Cambridge hatchet, for the grand debate on December 21.

While the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge is legendary, that between Harvard and Yale is no less intense. It comes out best on the sports field — American football for Harvard and Yale, which Josh gleefully points out Harvard won seven times in a row, and rowing and rugby for Oxford and Cambridge.

Some of that famous rivalry, of course, also spills into the debating arena.

Metro caught up with six of the visiting students to talk about rivalries big and small before they square up on the Calcutta Club lawns.

“It is not as intense as it used to be; we don’t burn down their buildings anymore or beat them up when they come. It is just that in a debate it hurts a bit more losing to Cambridge than anyone else,” said Alfie, a second-year history student at Worcester College.

“Yes, it is no more than the pride between the biggest institutions in the United Kingdom,” added Pete, a student of international relations at Cambridge.

Harvard feels the same pain, but for the visiting students the chance to be pitted against quality debaters far outweighs the agony of a potential defeat.

“In terms of debate, Harvard and Yale are consistently No. 1 and 2 in the American university rankings. But they are fantastic debaters and we really enjoy debating against them,” said Josh, a senior student of international political economy at Harvard.

“We don’t have the same kind of tradition or one as long as that of Oxford and Cambridge, but Harvard, Princeton and Yale have these series of debates called the Triangulars that are continuous running debates between schools, which are quite a tradition,” added Ben.

So how does it feel to pitch their lot with the “enemies”? “National pride more important than university pride,” say the Brits. “Seriously?” Ask the Yanks.

Oxford and Cambridge have often had to argue for the same side when competing, but it wasn’t like they were giving each other brownie points for the best arguments. But all that can be forgotten because here they are fighting a bigger opponent — the US.

“I suppose it is okay because we are joining to fight a larger common enemy. We have a much bigger foe in the international context,” Alfie said in jest.

“It is about beating these upstart Americans!” Pete quipped.

Ben feels the excitement has more to do with teaming up with rivals rather than a “vague sense of nationalism”. The rivals in question — the other Ben (Kornfeld) and Andrew from Yale — were not around to air their views as they will be reaching Calcutta only on Thursday morning.

The prospect of debating in front of a 2,000-plus audience has added to the sense of nervous anticipation. “It is incredible because a lot of the debates we do are held in small rooms. So the idea that a lot of people are going to be excited about it is kind of exciting,” Ben said.

“Having an audience and to actually have to persuade that audience (to endorse their point of view), it just makes it real. It is what debating should be,” Pete added.

And it is this audience that will decide which side has “honored” or “honoured” debating traditions better.