SUSS made its first foray into the competitive debate scene by sending a team of two students to the biggest and most prestigious debate competition in the world – the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC).
/aaliyah-das-and-ainslee-dela-cruz-craft-their-seven-minute-impromptu-speeches.tmb-600_315.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=445c02fe_1 "Aaliyah Das and Ainslee dela Cruz craft their seven-minute impromptu speeches.")
With a strict 15-minute preparation time, Aaliyah Das and Ainslee dela Cruz craft their seven-minute impromptu speeches.
Aaliyah Das, SUSS Year 4 Law student and Ainslee dela Cruz, SUSS final year Marketing student, represented SUSS to pit against 600 of the world’s best debaters in Vietnam. In a battle of wits and words, the pair proved themselves to be formidable forces despite not progressing to the knockout rounds. In an intimidating matchup against a team from an Ivy League institution, they managed to rise to the occasion and outmanoeuvre their way to clinch victory.
While they lost to other elite teams, simply being power-matched against them solidified their position as worthy contenders in the global debate arena.
/aaliyah-das-and-ainslee-dela-cruz-listen-with-laser-focus-to-their-opponents-speech-preparing-precise-rebuttals.tmb-600_315.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=7eb28494_1 "Aaliyah Das and Ainslee dela Cruz listen with laser focus to their opponents’ speech, preparing precise rebuttals.")
Aaliyah Das and Ainslee dela Cruz listen with laser focus to their opponents’ speech, preparing precise rebuttals.
The students gleaned invaluable learning – especially in their defeats.
As each country has its own nuances in debating approach, the diversity of the debate pool added layers of depth and complexity. Inspired by the alternative methods of debate, the students challenged themselves by adapting their own strategies. After each round, the judges would give them personalised insight and feedback.
Moreover, they had the honour of being judged by some of the best debaters in the world. Beyond hard technical debate skills, the students also experienced significant personal growth. They gained a deeper understanding of the mental barriers that crept in during high-pressure situations and learnt how to respond to them efficiently.
Aside from the competition rounds, the pair also had the opportunity to attend exclusive workshops led by some of the most accomplished debaters in the world.
Ainslee dela Cruz reflected on the competition, "Though navigating the intensity and pressure of the competition was mentally gruelling at times, I am grateful for the experience; it pushed me to grow and taught me indispensable life lessons.”
Meanwhile, Aaliyah Das, shared her takeaways, “Putting your best foot forward in the face of the world’s best takes stamina, courage and a little bit of audacity. I’m glad that we saw ourselves through and took pride in the process.”