File photo of last year’s grand finals of the senior category.
KUCHING: Ninety-six teams from 31 schools including two from Indonesia will compete in the upcoming Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC) from Jan 28 to 31.
The teams consist of a diverse group of 288 students from residential schools in Betong, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, private day schools in Kuching, Chinese independent schools, government cluster schools, single-sex and co-educational schools in Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia.
Commenting on the competition, founder of the debating tournament and organiser Christina Yin said the annual event is a platform that offers unparalleled diversity on the debating floor.
“Students from around the country and our neighbouring country Indonesia will come together to debate on current issues in English. In between intense debate rounds, they will mingle and enjoy activities organised by Swinburne Debaters’ and Green clubs, as well as our sponsors, and make new friends.
“It is an opportunity to learn and grow in so many ways,” said Yin.
Among the activities taking place in between rounds are the Tree of Life and Locks for Conservation and Debate, both promoting environmentally-friendly practices and behaviour organised by the event’s major sponsor Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Programme.
“This is in line with the university’s aim to become an environmentally sustainable campus. It has been announced that there will be no plastic straws on campus from Feb 1 and no plastic bags nor styrofoam from May 1,2019,” she said.
This year’s chief adjudicator is once again Swinburne’s own Hugh John Leong, an experienced debater and adjudicator, while the deputy chief adjudicators are director of Nous Academy Sheikh Muhammad Faizal Shah and Yin.
Swinburne is sponsoring 19 experienced adjudicators from Peninsular Malaysia to provide fair and constructive feedback to the debaters, as ‘oral adjudication’ is part of the debate championship that helps debaters to learn and improve each round they debate.
Meanwhile, SSIDC itself and long-time SSIDC adjudicators based in Kuching will also be providing their expertise, and enjoying a return to the debate friendships and camaraderie they have experienced over the years.
The debate themes that have been released to all participants range from Health, Science, Technology and the Environment, and Crime to Family, Schools and Education, and International Relations.
Debaters prepare on the topics, but will only find out the motion of each round half an hour before the debate takes place.
Assistance is not permitted from teachers or electronic devices during the preparation time.
For the first two days of the championship, the students will face each other across the debate floor in the preliminary rounds.
The knockout rounds will take place on the third day of the championship, culminating in the Grand Finals on the final and fourth day.
Apart from the champions and runners-up, the top best debaters in both junior and senior categories will be honoured, as will the most promising and most improved teams.
The best speaker of English by a non-native speaker and the best debater in the final in each category will also be awarded.
In recognition of the importance of debate in English, Swinburne Engagement Scholarships will be awarded to the senior champions, runners-up and two semi-finalists.
The debaters in all those teams will be eligible to enroll in the Swinburne Foundation Studies in the next three years, with scholarships ranging from RM3,000 to RM4,500 each.
SSIDC is organised by the Swinburne Debaters’ Club, funded by the School of Foundation Studies and sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Programme, The Brooke Gallery, the English Language Centre, Data Print Centre and John’s Pie.
For more information on this subject, debate enthusiasts can contact Marcella Gider, marketing executive (Communications and Events) Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Jalan Simpang Tiga, here or contact the university at 082-260 645, Fax: 082-260 814 or Email: [email protected].