„It always seems impossible until it’s done.“ – Nelson Mandela
Our school’s debating teams took part in a challenging and rewarding contest on 28 January, 2025, showcasing impressive teamwork and resilience throughout the day. This year, we competed with two teams – one Junior and one Senior – and the event proved to be a great learning experience for all participants.
The Junior team, despite having three speakers who had never debated before, excelled in their first two debates. They won both, tackling motions like “This House Would Ban Energy Drinks for Minors” and “This House Believes Vocational Training is Better Than going to University after School.” To top it off, Leyla, one of the Junior speakers, was announced as Speaker of the Debate for the vocational training motion. Their teamwork was outstanding, and their ability to speak freely, with encouraging and engaging rhetoric, truly impressed both the audience and the adjudicators. Although they narrowly lost the impromptu debate on the motion “This House Would Ban Fireworks,” which many felt was imbalanced; the team’s overall performance was a proud achievement.
The Senior team, however, faced a tough start. With two speakers falling ill the night before, the team had to make last-minute substitutions. A third speaker fell ill on the morning of the contest, leaving the team with just one experienced debater and a couple of stand-ins who had never spoken in a debating competition before. Despite the challenges, they remained determined and showed immense courage in stepping up. Although they lost the first two debates on the motions “This House Believes That the Internet Leads to More Division Than Unity” and “This House Would Introduce a Four-Day Workweek in Germany,” the team took pride in the three speakers who courageously filled in and gave their best efforts. Well done!
Viktoria, who participated in the first two Senior debates with only a five-minute break in between, was also announced as Speaker of the Debate for the four-day workweek debate. She had only learned the night before that she would be stepping in, making her achievement all the more remarkable. The Senior team also faced additional obstacles during the impromptu debate. With so many speakers unavailable, a newbie, along with Junior team member Ella, spontaneously stepped in to represent the team. In an unexpected twist, the newly formed Senior team triumphed in the debate on the motion “This House Believes Time Is More Valuable Than Money.” Elina, the second speaker, was even announced as Speaker of the Debate, marking a fantastic achievement for the team.
The atmosphere at the well-organized contest at Askanisches Gymnasium in Tempelhof was great, and it was especially fun for the experienced debaters, both Juniors and Seniors, to meet old faces from previous debating competitions and Friendly Debates they had participated in for practice purposes. It was a wonderful reminder of the strong and supportive debating community in Berlin!
Despite the hurdles faced, the day ended on a high note, with both teams showcasing perseverance, teamwork, and impressive skills. The event was a great success and a reminder of the incredible potential our students have when they come together to face challenges head-on. We’re already looking forward to the next contest in June and will strive to win even more debates!
Congratulations to our experienced speakers Carlotta (10.1), Elina (Q2). Ella (10.4), Leyla (10.4), Marie (10.4), and Viktoria (Q2) and even more so to our newcomers Arjun (8.1), Chowon (10.1), Eike (Q2), Johanna (Q2), Sophia (Q2), Viktoria (8.1) for their hard work, courage and outstanding performances.
Paula Schultz
