UNAIR NEWS – Encouraging news came from two UNAIR Faculty of Humanities (FIB) students, Yulia Mega Puspita and Wendy Belinda Tiantini. The two English Language and Literature students won second place in the WMDC national debate competition organized by Widya Mandala Catholic University.
Yulia, on behalf of the team, explained that the debate competition was about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially related to the 10th SDG, Reduce Inequality. In this regard, she said, the motion’s main focus was reducing inequalities in various fields, such as the economy, politics, regardless of age, gender, disability, nation, ethnicity, ethnic group, religion, or other status.
Yulia said that the system used in the debate competition was British Parliamentary. The participants had to undergo the preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds to determine the winning teams. The first stage is the preliminary stage which determines the eight qualifying teams.
“Then from the top eight teams, four teams were selected based on winning points or victory points for the final, considering the debate system used was British Parliamentary,” she said on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
Furthermore, Yulia said that the competition was tense because the competition took place on the podium and in front of the committee, judges, and other participants. “The process is very stressful, especially in the grand final. I also panicked and confused one time, afraid of making the wrong arguments, especially since only 1st and 2nd place winners were determined,” she said.
Previously, the two students of English Language and Literature had participated in debate competitions. They often win at national competitions. However, participating actively in debate competitions does not make them feel content quickly.
In the future, Yulia hopes she can continue to make achievements in debate competitions both at the national and international levels. Furthermore, she also hopes she can develop and share her knowledge with her surroundings.
“I hope that my team and I can always progress forward, both in competitions and in sharing our knowledge,” she concluded.
Author: Yulia Rohmawati
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
