Congratulations to ACS Athens debaters Sydney Pina and Kathleen Morris for qualifying and participating in the Finals Round of the International Competition for Young Debaters 2022, held at Oxford University on Saturday, April 24. All teams debated topics such as banning religious schools, legalizing the buying and selling of human organs, and nationalizing the pharmaceutical industry.
They traveled with the three other teams from IMP and HAEF, who also qualified to represent the Greek delegation in the Finals Round this year. Many thanks to chaperones Ms. Kallina Basli and Ms. Katerina Karadimitri for accompanying our students on this wonderful learning experience.
Here are some highlights and takeaways from the tournament:
Improving my skills and meeting new friends from all over the world who have a passion for debate
Sydney Pina, 9th grade:
Not only was traveling to Oxford interesting and exciting but so was the ICYD tournament! I met so many new people and debaters with different styles and techniques. Oxford itself is gorgeous. I traveled around the city with other debaters and people who live there. Something that stood out to me was the interesting history behind each house and building. A highlight of the tournament was seeing the differences in debate style. For example, British debaters differ in speech structure from Greek debaters. This difference helped me learn how to improve my skills. Another highlight was meeting new friends across countries and meeting people from all over the world who all have a passion for debate. The ICYD is something I wish I could do all over again and meet even more people and learn more things.
An unforgettable experience filled with long-lasting memories and friendships
Kathleen Morris, 9th grade:
The ICYD was an unforgettable experience, filled with long-lasting memories and friendships. I learned so much not only about debate itself but about the history of Oxford too. Not only was this a trip where I got to practice my debate skills further, learn new styles, and hear criteria from new judges, but I also got to meet new people from all over the world. Each country’s different style and debate approach was one of the most unforgettable things about this trip. I have made unforgettable memories with all the people we traveled with, and I hope to see everyone again in future tournaments. This tournament was an amazing experience, and I’m extremely grateful to everyone that could make it happen.