Kiran and Keyna took part in the national finals prestigious Cambridge Union School Debating Competition last weekend. One of the most popular and fiercely contested junior debating events in the world, they qualified having only been introduced to this style of debating in September. They acquitted themselves with great skill and can say that they were placed among the top fifty school debating pairs in the country.

Keyna: Coming into the British Parliamentary debate I felt a little scared and unsure because I didn’t know what to expect. However, after only a few months, it has become one of the most beneficial and influential activities in my life. The confidence in my speaking and improvising skills has been tremendous. This was solidified at the Cambridge debating competition, at which Kiran and I were able to construct convincing cases so strong as to propel us to the finals. I know debating has had a positive impact on my other areas of studies by helping me to feel more self-assured when presenting or giving a speech to me class. It also gives you a chance to meet like-minded students from across not only the country, but the globe, making friends out of “foes”. I would truly and wholeheartedly recommend giving debating a chance, as it can give you skills that will serve you in your academic studies and beyond in addition to being a whole lot of fun. 

Kiran: When I started debating club last September, I had no idea how much I would come to love it. Each week, to the annoyance of my parents, my passion for argument just seemed to grow and grow. So when Keyna and I were given the opportunity to enter the Cambridge Union competition, I was just so excited to take debating to the next level. The drama of competition debating is truly an addictive experience. As a new debater, I quickly became fascinated with the process of building an argument and executing a speech. Although competitive debating can be daunting at first, I urge anyone who is remotely interested to take the leap and start. Six months ago, I never would have imagined that I would qualify for the finals of the Cambridge Union Debating Competition.