“This house believes in growth” : A debating journey

by Nur Aryssa binti Abdul Latif

As a KYS debater, we often find ourselves stuck in a tricky position—facing off against university students in an open tournament. During these moments, we wonder, is this the end?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. The outcome of every debate is unpredictable. Sometimes you return empty-handed, sometimes you bring back a bunch of trophies. But there is one similarity that both cases have waiting for us—knowledge and wisdom.

How It All Started

When I first started my debating journey, you could say that I was barely adapting—just surviving. Every debate training means getting your ego crushed through rounds against seniors and not understanding a single thing spoken in the room since everyone was using bombastic words. It was as if all hell had broken loose since these sessions make you feel the opposite of smart. But sometimes, that dumbfounding feeling is the exact thing you need to be able to thrive in the debating arena.

The Preparation

Over time, my first training became my tenth. I went from giving 3-minute speeches to 7-minute speeches. The weird, complicated words finally started to make sense to me. But all this came at a cost. I would chug cups of coffee while binge-watching online debate videos.

Sometimes, there were days I would feel guilty for sleeping because it felt like a waste of time. The learning process is infinite and I could definitely talk about it for hours. But reading the news and watching documentaries became a daily routine and it opened my eyes to a bigger world beyond my own bubble.

Though my eyes grew dark circles, I finally caught up with the rest of the debaters. I knew I had changed when debate stopped being just about winning rounds or crafting perfect speeches. It became something I genuinely looked forward to. Learning new things had become so enjoyable that I didn’t have to force myself anymore.

No One is Truly Ready

Despite all my efforts, there is always going to be someone better than me. Someone who works harder and is more passionate about debating. I had lost a great deal of tournaments. At one point, I felt bad for my parents as they invested a hefty sum despite my returning with nothing. My parents’ support was so overwhelming, it is incredible.

However, I would like to argue that their money didn’t all go to waste.

During the tournaments, every loss I faced carried lessons. Feedback from judges, coaches and my teammates is implanted in my head as I was eager to improve. A big part of the debate is accepting your weaknesses since a high ego will not get you anywhere. Having an open mind creates room for self-acceptance and also improvement.

 I also earned something precious that made each experience all the more valuable. I gained a comrade — my teammate, Aneesa. She has been my enemy, a judge, a teacher, a devil and my best friend. Throughout my journey, I had also teamed up with a junior full of potential, Deveesh. Most importantly, I formed unbreakable bonds with numerous people from the Debate Union — they had made even the worst tournament experience bearable.

UnforgettableLesson

I ended up emerging as a champion in a couple of competitions. But that is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants. Credits must be given where it is due. Thank you to my debate coach, Shafiq Bazari, for giving me brutally honest feedback that stuck with me.

Thanks to the seniors who initiated late-night debate debrief sessions to teach me concepts that I could not understand during training. Thank you to my teacher, Madam Sharmini for stressing out for our sake. Without you, these tournaments would have remained unfulfilled dreams. Also, to my parents, you are my biggest backbone. Thanks for believing in me. Thank you to my teammates and most importantly, thank you— Debate Union.