Battle of words

There were sweaty palms and brows galore when debaters readied themselves to compete in the final round of the Fifth Annual Intercollegiate Debating Championship this month. Notes spoke to the participants, winners and organisers of the event, which took place at the American University of Sharjah and was hosted by the university's Debate Club, Office of Student Affairs.

About the competition

The championship is said to be one of the biggest events of its kind in the region, providing a platform for students to display their talents while discussing contemporary issues.

This year more than 60 students and 14 teams from universities across the UAE battled it out for top position.

Starting earlier this month, students tackled four tricky rounds before reaching the grand finale which saw debaters tackle the assertion that "the right to privacy is more important than the freedom of the press".

Winners

Aryavansh Shukla and his three team members from the Birla Institute of Technology International Centre, Ras Al Khaimah, won first prize for successfully debating against the right to privacy and arguing for press freedom to be upheld. Shukla also won the prize for best speaker in the final round.

"We were quite nervous. We were defending freedom of the press and were at a slight disadvantage because our opposition presented a very emotional argument," said Shukla, 20.

The natural public speaker said preparation took about five hours. "I like coming in with a blank mind. I don't put things on paper. I like to come in with logic and facts and speak ad lib," he said.

The electronic and communication engineering student, who is in his fourth year of study, said it was uncommon for engineering students to take an interest in debating but he had always been drawn to it since his school days.

"My mum would say that I've been debating since I was born," Shukla quipped. "It really appeals to me; to look at both sides of an argument and convince a person that your side is right. It's not whether you believe in it but whether you can make someone else believe in it."

Debate benefits

Sidra Seddiqi is currently president of the AUS Debate Club and described the mood during the event as "really tense". She said the topic was "excellently debated".

The 20-year-old mass communication student joined the debate club two years ago because of her background in debating and public speaking from her high school days.

"I am really passionate about debating and used to be involved in elocution, public speaking, speech giving and poetry competitions," she said.

When she joined AUS and the Debate Club shortly afterwards "it turned my life around". She said: "I have climbed the ladder from media coordinator, to vice president and now to president."

Seddiqi said the benefits included being part of a team as well as gaining skills for the outside world. "It's being able to communicate with people from different companies, conduct presentations, and enhance your public speaking skills through workshops and competitions."

She said debating also helped students think logically and in an organised manner. "It definitely builds confidence – teams from AUS were mostly freshmen and they were uncertain in the beginning but as time went on they saw their progress," she said.

Seddiqi said she hoped the competition could be taken to a regional level where students from other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries could participate.

The event ended with a gala dinner. The debates, sponsored by Emirates NBD, were judged by Star of Arabia, Orators Forums and professors from all participating universities.

Who won?

• Winners: Birla Institute of Technology, International Centre, Ras Al Khaimah (BIT RAK).
• Team: Arnab Chatterjee, Aryavansh Shukla, Fahim Salim and Meghna George
• Runners up: Gulf Medical University (GMU), AjmanTeam: Sarhan Mohammad Sadiq, Temitope Smith, Ohmed Khilji, Burhan Khan
• Best Speaker of the Tournament: Temitope Smith, GMU
• Best Speaker of the Final Round: Aryavansh Shukla, BIT RAK