INTRTXT seeks to enhance debating scene

0

KUCHING: Ever wondered how a professional debate works? What is its format like and how do you even prepare your argument with only 30 minutes to pull together everything you know about the topic?

If these are the burning questions that plague you at night, then you’re in luck as young participants of the recent INTRTXT Kuching Debate League (INTRTXT KDL) are here to share their own personal experiences in the scene of competitive debating!

According to one-and-a-half-year debate veteran, Aaron Ngu who pulled double duty as the second and third speaker during round one of the INTRTXT KDL, the duty of the first speaker is to introduce the case, while the second speaker will present arguments while responding to the points brought up by the opposition team.

“The third is a bit special; you have to debate the debate. The other team may bring up a lot of things, but it boils down to a few points that you could argue. However, you don’t bring up new arguments to the table,” he explained to The Borneo Post.

He added that the 30-minute prep time can be quite intimidating for most debaters but his comment felt disingenuous as the Borneo 744 room where the INTRTXT KDL debate event was taking place in was filled with excited youths ready to partake in the cerebrally-challenging activity.

On the other side of the table, opposition third speaker Ting Lee Ling of Universiti Teknologi Petronas wrote down pages upon pages of notes as the first and second speakers of both teams presented their views.

She told The Borneo Post that upon receiving their motion, she and her team mates will first pool together everything they know.

“If the topic is really outside the realms of our knowledge, we will do principle arguments first. Even if you don’t understand the motions, the principle arguments are still there, you can still talk about something.”

Ultimately, the third speaker which also called the ‘whip’, is in the position to build a case as the debate unfolds.

“When you meet good teams, they usually know those motions. You listen and you’ll figure it out,” she said, adding that one simply needs to find an opposing argument to what the other team is saying to survive that round.

The great thing about debate is staying on your toes and the challenge of having to debate outside your comfort zone, said INTRTXT KDL judge Albert Kamahlendra.

“Sometimes, you have to debate outside your comfort zone and support things you don’t personally believe in. You don’t get to choose topics or positions. You have to force yourself to think in another person’s shoes. That is the most interesting about debating. It really broadens your perspective.”

With seven years of debate experience, Albert found his calling in judging debates, and training young debaters in the art.

“You don’t really get a lot of opportunities to debate after finishing university life. Most people would end up going on to judging and training. I found that it’s more fulfilling and rewarding to me to train someone who starts out knowing little, who goes on to win competitions.”

The INTRTXT KDL was held at Borneo 744 and supported by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC).

INTRTXT was the brainchild of Terence A Anthony and Albert, who both have roots in the art of debating and sought to take the local scene further by enhancing KDL activity which has been around since 2008.

According to Terence, KDL’s activeness has been sporadic at best in the past and the aim of INTRTXT was to offer it more consistency by running KDL sessions every two to three weeks.

“We are doing this full time and expanding to different places. We started leagues in Kota Kinabalu, and another in Pontianak coming soon. One is running in Miri and the Kuching one has been running for a long time,” said Albert who added that another main objective for INTRTXT was to help local debaters enter the competitive debating scene.

The plan is to tabulate the scores and find their top speakers, said Terence.

“We plan to send them to tournaments in Peninsular Malaysia. That’s where most of the competitions are.”

They also train schools. Currently, Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching Utara (Sakura) and St Joseph’s Private School are on their roster.

Recently, the Sakura team became the first East Malaysian team to win the Prime Minister’s Trophy in debating.

INTRTXT plans on opening up more debate classes, including for adults. For more information, visit them on Facebook at fb.me/intrtxt.