Written by: Viktor Vojnoski and Mihail Zahariev
This year the World Schools Debating Championship took place in Panama City, the picturesque capital of Panama, the ‘Crossroad of the Americas´. We took a 2 hour long flight to Istanbul, followed by a 16-hour long flight to Panama City. The flight was filled with debaters from other teams also traveling to Panama to debate at the World Championship. The first few days were made up of intense prepping, a LOT of spars and occasional fun activities like swimming in the hotel pool or exploring the city. One especially interesting highlight was a giant replica of Jesus´ birthplace, Nazareth, inside a local church. The Debates were held in a school. At first the climate was something to be adjusted to, but we got used to it after a while. Of course as in every debate tournament there were events every few days, with the culture night clearly being the highlight prior to the final debate and closing ceremony. At Culture Night, which was held at the school, all countries present had a table where items of cultural significance from the countries were presented. We went around trying different food, which aside from a few exceptions, was amazing. Our stand had Austrian classics like Manner and Mozart balls, while we also all wore traditional Austrian costumes.
I (Mihi) really loved culture night. Collecting items from every country and sometimes even getting to experience their culture firsthand by for example wearing a traditional robe from Qatar was very fun and I also learned the origin of lots of thing including my lego and my favorite sweets.
The debates were intense but for the most part in a good, challenging way, and ultimately most of them were fun. What we found great was the broad range of subjects, both in the prepared and in the impromptu motions. This meant every one of us had a debate matching their specific fixations, which was also why different team members were in charge of different prepared motions.
My (Viktor) favorite debate was Round 5, where we debated on the underground catholic church in China. I especially like international relations, which is a cornerstone of this motions. Of course everyone also had Motions that they were less excited about, however the support structure on dealing with stress, facing these debates etc. was something we prepared very well.
Ultimately after those intense days we narrowly missed the break.
Afterwards the last few days we mainly relaxed from the debates. We visited the world famous Panama Canal and the old part of Panama City. The canal was huge, and we also visited Gatun Lake, which hundreds of little monkeys call home. We fed them and took Photos of the absolutely stunning nature and little islands that used to be the tops of hills. We also took some time to just relax, with everyone unwinding and reflecting in a personal way. For me music works best.
Of course when talking about a world debating championship the main thing that comes to one’s mind is, well, debating. And debate definitely is the main part, but in hindsight the many moments one spends together, the amazing food, the friends you make from all around the world, the sometimes questionable taxi rides and so many other small aspects are what in the end, forms a truly unforgettable experience. All in all this tournament can be described in many different ways, especially depending on who is asked. But what everyone can agree on is that forgettable isn’t one of them.
Until next time!
