Pupils debate during a competition in Craiova and win important awards
Daria Bonca, 10A
More and more pupils deal with social anxiety these days. Being afraid to speak in public, out of fear, is becoming an issue of uttermost importance. As a result, debate clubs were created in order to help students break out of their shells and supply them with a space to share their thoughts.
Our town, Arad, sadly only has a few debate clubs, such as ProDebate or Debate-ul Mic, whose purpose is to teach pupils how to express their opinions in a firm manner. As far as that goes, ProDebate has been extremely successful. Last month, the club entered a competition called “InterDebate Hawaiian Edition” held in Craiova. Six teams consisting of 18 debaters from Arad embarked on a journey to win the very first physical competition since Covid started. Only one team could win, out of 32. Fortunately, one of the finalists was a team made out of Duma Eric, a 10th grader from our high school, Dragomir Timeea and Ciocîrlan Darius. Even when stress was running high, Mr Duma managed to deliver an amazing speech that made a tangible impact on the judges. After an hour and a half of debating whether or not legacy admissions are beneficial or detrimental, Eric’s team managed to secure the win and bring another trophy to Arad.
“It was an ebullient experience,” says Eric. “I have met a lot of friendly people and former illustrious debaters. This competition evinced a strong sense of community among debaters, a sense that was thought of as lost.” Debate competitions not only help young people develop themselves as speakers, but also give them the opportunity to make unforgettable memories. “One memorable aspect is the tumultuous night before the competition, when everyone was stressed because we hadn’t written our cases yet. I cherished every minute of sleep afterwards,” he adds. However, Eric does not want to stop here. Winning competitions is far from enough for the talented young debater. He is currently working hard in order to achieve his dream, joining the national debate team.
Another successful team, made out of 11B’s promising Claudia Popa, also managed to place well in the competition. After winning 3 out of 4 matches, Claudia’s team advanced into the semi-finals, where she faced Eric’s team. After a heated match, with great arguments coming from both sides, Eric’s team emerged victorious. However, everyone was enthusiastic about the performance. This demonstrates the fact that no matter the outcome, the debate community is tremendously supportive. This is one of the main reasons people join a debating club. The community and the amazing friends you can make because of a shared passion for debate is just one of the many benefits of this kind of academic clubs.
In conclusion, I strongly advocate for students to at least try debating once as it truly is a formidable experience you would not want to miss out on.