During the 1st day we were kinda unsure on what we were supposed to do, but I do have a little inclination of what our delegated jobs were going to be like as I've seen it being performed during my high school days when I was kinda sorta maybe active in a number of debates, however I was not prepared to experience the quality that these debaters brought into the competition. Bear in mind that we are talking about people who are around my age or maybe slightly older than I am, and the impromptu speeches that they could produce were just phenomenal...P.H.E.N.O.M.E.N.A.L.! I'm guessing that they have been debaters for quite awhile. Another thing was I learnt was that the debate world is so small, that everyone knows each other, so going for competitions is like a big reunion for most of them. Amazing no?
So for the 1st day it was actually really tiring as we had to sit through 4 preliminary rounds of debate, each speech is 7 minutes long, plus an additional reply speech which is 4 minutes long, if we don't take into account of those that exceed the time limit, one debate is about [(7*3)+4)]*2=50 minutes long, so it's one day it's about 50*4 = 200. 200 MINUTES of listening to people talk. Wait! I can almost hear the questions in your head, ' CHEH, listen only wert, not like you debating, what's so tiring about that?'. Well, I guess you just have to experience it to understand just how taxing it is. Our jobs were between either being the chairperson or the timekeeper of the debate and the runner for the team designated to us. Essentially we have to show the teams where is their debating room, quarantine room, Lecture Theater, make sure they are fed and so on. My team was actually a composite team and they were so cute, they made a song for me X). So cute. Unluckily they didn't break (meaning making it pass the prelims and into the finals), but they were good. Thus, by the end of the 1st day I was SO thankful that the chief adjudicator for the last round was my Bio Lecturer so I need not stay and take the results for tabulation (cause he did it for me) and could directly go home. SO EXHAUSTED!
2nd day was slightly better as it was not jam-packed with matches. I was chosen to be the chairperson for the finals so Day 2 was pretty much relaxing for me as I was kinda exempted from the Quarter and Semi. I was so proud and thankful to be given the opportunity to chair the finals as it was a really interesting and heated debate between 2 powerhouses of debate in Msia (apparently) with the motion '*THBT Malaysia should legalise abortion. I am also extremely humbled in the presence of so many great debaters, I now sort of vow to really brush up on my vocabulary and GK as to not appear dumb and bimbo like anymore. X)
Chairing with the wonderful Stephanie as timekeeper
X)
* This House Believes That also another abbreviation goes like this THW meaning This House Would*
In case anyone was wondering, we had an Asian Parliamentary Style of debate, in this style of debating the 2 opposing teams are known as
1. Government side
2. Opposition side
each side contains 3 members. The order of speaking and roles inside the teams are as follows
1. Prime Minister
2. Leader of the opposition
3. Deputy Prime Minister
4. Deputy Leader of the Opposition
5. Government Whip
6. Opposition whip
7. Opposition Reply
8. Government Reply
So there you have it APS debate. Also the interesting element of this debate is the POIs or known as Points of Information, which are given out while you're making the speech so it's more like a question to interrupt other people's speeches, but normally these POIs are all attacking the cases or the speech made by well, whoever is speaking at that point, similar to Chinese debate's 自由辩 because it's all one liners, (free debate) but less intense.
Lastly, during the closing ceremony we were all called onto the stage to be given a round of applause, nice to feel appreciated at times. X)
At the end of the day I feel as though this is weekend well spent, I met GREAT people, made wonderful new friends and laughed so much that I swear tears start streaming down my face, if given a chance I would do it all over again.
Hugs and Kisses
[Jean]
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