During International Week, we advocated for learning the cultures and thoughts of other people. So, we thought that the best way to do that was to have a debate showcase to show how these two sides can come to a conclusion and find a middle ground on a topic.
Why did you start the Debate Club?
Debate club started because Cuit and I couldn’t move on from the World Scholar’s Cup. We really enjoyed the experience, but it was honestly quite expensive. There are some students that just want to experience debate, so we wanted to create a place for them to learn debate and public speaking without having to join WSC and committing whole event.
to that What were some of the difficulties you had gone through in starting the club?
Starting out was very difficult because Cuit and I only expected a handful of people to come in the first couple of meetings. Some of the struggles included the usual: being nervous, launching in the classrooms, going from class to class, begging people to join and telling them that Debate Club is cool, and that [debate] is actually fun. Luckily, we had the support of a lot of our friends from WSC. It became a way for those that want to train for World Scholar’s Cup or just train for public speaking in general to come together in one place.
Why do the showcase during International Week? What would be its significance, and do you think you achieved it?
So, I believe that, in a way, debate is a conversation between two sides. During International Week, we advocated for learning the cultures and thoughts of other people. So, we thought that the best way to do that was to have a debate showcase to show how these two sides can come to a conclusion and find a middle ground on a topic that relates so much to our theme during
International Week.
I believe that the debate showcase has achieved two huge things: It got people to watch how debate happens and informed people, and it also really promoted International Week to our peers.
You’re collaborating with MUN and the Kindness Project. Why?
It is quite easy to partner with MUN because I’m the Deputy Security General of that club. So it’s kind of like all-in-one. My goal —along with Sir Jude, Ms. Eddie, and Sir Rey—was to be able to combine the effort of these organizations. MUN and Debate Club aren’t competing with the same people. You don’t have to feel as if you’re betraying MUN if you join the Debate Club and vice versa. The goal has always been to allow
Southville students to venture into the world of public speaking, and we wanted to work together with MUN and Kindness Project for two reasons: one was so that we could tap into as many people as possible, and two, we believe that with the combined efforts of the MUN secretariats, the Debate Club Officers, and the leaders of the Kindness Project we can do our best and provide Southville a good International Week.
It is almost as if while you are debating, you’re also learning. You’re not against the other side in a way. You’re trying to understand each other and then debate on the topic through a medium, a middle ground. So, the biggest takeaways I could give to urge people to join Debate Club is the improvement of public speaking, improvement in confidence, and lastly wider scope on the world and the topics that it gives.
What would be the benefits from joining the club?
So besides the obvious improvement in public speaking and confidence, it’s the connections and the knowledge that you get from conversing and debating with other people. Most of the things that I know personally come from debate. That’s because I get to learn two sides of a topic [and]
not just one [when] I research. It is almost as if while you are debating, you’re also learning. You’re not against the other side in a way. You’re trying to understand each other and then debate on the topic through a medium, a middle ground.