Oops…We Did It Again – Back on the Podium!
If someone had told us before the Berlin Debating Summer Contest 2026 that we would end the day as Berlin champions again, we probably would have laughed. The competition at the Lessing-Gymnasium, featuring teams from 18 different schools all across Berlin, started with one problem after another. Both our Junior and Senior teams had to deal with several last-minute absences. One Junior speaker who was supposed to give two speeches became sick just before the event, so we had to find a replacement in record time. In the Senior team, another speaker also dropped out, even though she had been scheduled for two debates. Luckily, other team members immediately stepped up to fill the gaps. On the competition day itself, one participant arrived only minutes before her first debate because of a time management disaster, while another had almost completely lost her voice. Not exactly the perfect start!
But once the debates began, all the chaos disappeared. Everyone showed confidence, flexibility, creativity and an incredible team spirit.
Whether it was debating THW Ban Fast Fashion or THW Introduce Civil Protection as a Subject in School in the Junior League, taking on the motions THB All Traces of Colonialism Should Be Removed and THB Society Is Not Interested in Achieving Gender Equality in the Senior League, or finally arguing whether AI should replace teachers and discussing turning 18 in the Impromptu Round with only 30 minutes of preparation, our teams gave everything they had! The Senior debate on gender equality was probably the toughest challenge of the day because we had to argue on the Opposition side, even though it did not reflect the debaters‘ opinions and we faced very strong opponents. Thanks to careful preparation and a willingness to see the issue from another perspective, we still managed to convince the adjudicators.
In the end, all the hard work paid off. We won 5 out of 6 debates, and the title of Best Speaker went to one of our team members an incredible 5 times! This brought us back to the top of the podium as the best team in Berlin in the Senior Division. On top of that, Franzi (Q2) was named Best Speaker in Berlin, while Carlotta (Q2) finished as the third-best speaker. After such a bumpy start, nobody expected us to repeat our previous success—but determination, teamwork, and a little bit of improvisation made all the difference.
A huge thank you goes to the Lessing-Gymnasium for organising such a fantastic tournament. The event stood out because of its friendly atmosphere, fair debating culture and excellent organisation. We honestly did not expect to finish the season with another title, which makes this victory even more special. We could not be prouder of every single member of our Lili Debating Team: Arjun (9.1), Janus (8.3), Jonas (9.1), Sana (8.2), Viktoria (9.1) and Carlotta, Cosima, Ella, Franzi, Leyla, Marie (Q2). You all truly outdid yourselves!
Paula Schultz
