Debatable by Cameron

Debatable by Cameron - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

Upon my arrival at a small military-run school in Japan, extracurricular opportunities were somewhat lacking, especially in regards to public speaking, my passion. My new school had a Model Congress team, which I did join and enjoyed, but I did not find the parliamentary style of debate to be very applicable to realistic speaking situations for those who do not intend to run for a Congressional office. In an effort to change that, I introduced the World Scholar’s Cup competition to my high school.
The World Scholar’s Cup program was created in 2007 and combines interdisciplinary trivia, persuasive writing, and debate at international competitions in over 60 different countries. Its mission is to inspire the next generation of global leaders. I had participated in two rounds of this competition while attending the International School of Bangkok in middle school, and I loved everything about it.
I began by suggesting the idea to the Kubasaki High School Model Congress sponsor, who was extremely excited by the idea. After proposing the opportunity to the principal and procuring funding from the district, my vision for a better Kubasaki was coming to fruition.
My first order of business as self-appointed Team Captain was to recruit teammates. I advertised to the school and held an interest meeting in which I explained the program and answered questions about what we would be doing as a group. Once a few people were interested, I split everyone into smaller teams of three, since that is how many people can enter the competition as one unit.
I then compiled the season’s syllabus and taught it to the new Kubasaki chapter of the World Scholar’s Cup. During the 2019 season, the theme for the year was “A World On The Margins,” with subjects including “Unsolved Mysteries,” “Neglected Histories,” the “Edge of Society,” “Enabling Technologies,” and “Voices from the Margins.” I planned and led meeting, and began each one with a round of Just Dance for the purpose of team building and stress relief. My overall goal as the leader was to focus heavily on improving the skills needed to make a convincing argument and to provide everyone with a basic understanding of all of the concepts that could be tested at the competition. After a few months of practice and studying, we were finally ready for the regional competition in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I had planned this trip with the help of the teacher sponsor, and scheduled time for sightseeing and bonding as a group in Taiwan.
In Kaohsiung, my team of three went on to win 2nd place overall in Team Debate in addition to over a dozen other team and individual awards. We represented our school well and brought home several trophies and medals.
This year, I intend to expand the program at my school to include more people and will apply for my school to host its own regional round for the other Far East DODEA schools. After the hard work and success of the first year’s run, I hope that this program will remain an opportunity for other students at Kubasaki for years to come.