Hey all!

Here are (the long-delayed) photos of Siglap South:

Debaters from all walks of life

The auditorium at Victoria School


The transition from that to this

Hahaha. During prep.

It's been quite a while since I posted. Anyhow, let me keep this short.

Us, juniors, are participating in the Siglap South Debating Championships this weekend. We'd appreciate if everyone (who's available) be there to grant us your moral support.

Much thanks (:

It's the great, sweet, innocent junior Robyn here!
I don't know if you guys still check this place or not...
We need to blog more, people!

Okay, anyway, I shall finally reveal my secret stash of debate tips to the world.

Debate Videos
(I haven't watched them yet, so no guarantees yet. It isn't a video of a debate taking place,
but merely some educational video thingy. )

Watch a debate

Debatabase Links

Code of The Debater
(Very comprehensive, covering topics from rebuttals to a debater's conduct.
Although some topics aren't applicable in our type of debate, it's a worthy read.)

The other Debatabase

Everything about Debating

The Ubiquitious Debatabase
(If you guys do not know what this debatabase is, you are truly a frog in a well)

Oxford Debate Tips
(Happy reading through this. (: )

All Debate Links
(in case you were wondering, I didn't get my biscuit tin-hidden info from there.
Heh. I have my RESOURCES!)

And of course,
the one problem that still plagues me is my half-baked and one-liner rebuttals.
Rebuttal Tips 1

Rebuttal Tips 2

An adjudicator's personal tips

I guess this marks the end of my secret stash of debate tips.
For all you know, I may have a few links hidden somewhere.

And on behalf of all juniors, we need help in our rebuttals mostly, and learning how to elaborate with only point forms at hand.

Firstly, our rebuttals.
Like what all good speakers do, they signpost, and have like, 2 main points of contention, while we have like, 10 main points of contention. Our problem lies with one-liner rebuttals. I know that we cannot quote a debater, and just go all out to knock down that sentence. But rather,
we should rebut the whole case of theirs, the principles on which their case is built upon. And yes, we need help!

Secondly, our inability to not read word-for-word on a speech
I have been told countless times that a good debater never reads word-for-word
while speaking in impromptu debates, but I just can't elaborate on a point.
Perhaps I freeze over in space time, while the rest of the world continues spinning.

Excuse me while I shall go find out what a Kurd State is.

Okay, and thanks to all who wished us good luck!
Enjoy your debate camp too, okay?

--Robyn

Hey everyone! (: *drum roll* its the one and only Nic Mao! yay! ok.. whatever, im pretty bored and im sure its starkingly obvious that i dont give a hoot to cap letters and punctuation. let mrs j. slaughter me for all i care. my hands are too lazy to bother. like sam see, ive been asked to blog. like adel, i dont know what to say! arghh.

and yes dear sam see, my english is totally crap too! we'll die at the hands of grammar together! aww. ugh i dont want to die with you. oh gosh, this is so random! i have no idea on what to say here. hmms. and i sincerely hope the school gives thought to providing debators with their OWN blazers! this spares Both the debator and the poor prefect some agony..no, what some. it spares a LOT of agony. ha!

just want to wish the juniors ALL THE BEST in that siglap thing (and try to keep your "urge" down around you-know-who ok? (:). and to adel, i wish you ALL THE BESTin your future jc (we all know which one it is, dont have to launch into a speech of how great it is :P) and to deareat sam see, i wish you ALL THE BEST in umm.. handling debate! (and handling mrs s.) you'll need it (:

just want to leave you with a quote: its not the hours you put in that count, its what you put in the hours. (: got this from randomly flipping through the Daily Bread. also remember that in everything you do, you do it for the school and for God (: shall not elaborate anymore before i start sounding like a pastor :)

Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men - Colossians 3:23

love you all! tata!

Hello, this is Adel here (your ex-captain from the '04 batch, if you didnt know). Blogger is horrible; I had to look all over the place for all the funny little buttons so that I could post an entry. Ah well, I believe I'm not techologically impaired because I manage all other applications and computer programmes with ease.

Main point of me posting this wasnt to slam Blogger; it's more of me relieving my boredom. It's 1.10am in the morning and I have to go to school early tomorrow but I'm terribly bored (but unfortunately, not tired) so I refuse to sleep. Ah, nice long sentance, I think Mdm D would be pleased with it (or maybe not, since the grammar most probably sucks cos it's late and my brain's not functioning).

Interesting. I'm bored, have nothing to type, have my grey matter disabled, and I actually make it past the first two paragraphs without any hesitation!

Third paragraph now, I'm proud of myself for no rhyme or reason -- my ego's inflating exponentially. Ah well, I meant to wish all of you the best in whatever you do (no matter how much I hate the bureaucracy over there -- I've graduated, hah!). Hopefully the school would be nicer to you guys and realise that numbers dont count for anything, it's quality that counts, and thus, shower more attention (and money; money is always welcome, we love the feel of flashy green/red/purple notes sliding thru our fingers) on you guys.

This is getting rather draggy and crappy, I know. And wow! you are actually reading this! Well done for putting up with my horrendous style of writing and uber crappy content to boot! I think I'm done --I shall be nice and angelic and gracious and spare your eyes-- for now, so work hard and dont forget to play hard as well!

Enjoy your holidays while it lasts (please subtract the number of weeks you spend on that pile of homework sitting just over there *gestures frantically*); I'm happy because *gasp!* I actually dont have a pile of homework waiting for me. *flashes evil smile*

Haha. Ok, seriously, enjoy your hols and oil your engines for next year for it'll present greater challenges. But remember, nothing is impossible with God. Just have faith. =)

Merry Christmas and Happy New year in advance. =)

-- Adel(25112005)

ok i'm asked to blog here cause its dead...wahahaha..am i allowed to use lousy english here? i guess not. *sulks* anways ok thats bad english haha but who cares.

hmmm. i have been really out of touch so far with the debate world this hols. didnt have time to watch the debate exhibitions *sobs* yeah. but will have a debate workshop for both seniors and juniors in december although different workshops. and all the best to the juniors in preparing for their competition. 6 motions...wow. even i will die. haha for seniors its a RJC thing. for the rest its Siglap. yepp.

and everybody, just start praying real hard that we get a coach ok? and a permnant one. ermmm oh yeah next year's will be my last. not sure if i want to continue on though in JC so yeah... ok...need to do other things now...

ALL THE BEST TO PL DEBATERS AND THEIR DEBATE CAREERS!!!
signing off as
SamSee *smiles*

Lots of things have been happening recently.

First and foremost, the Methodist Cup.
I'm pleased to say PL emerged 1st runner-up and two of our debaters clinched top 10 best speakers. Indeed, to God be the glory!

Secondly, as promised, a temporary debate coach was hired to train us for the competition about 1 week in advance. We're currently scouting around for another coach. Any takers?

Thirdly, we're planning to attend all the exhibition debates this hols. So if we've neglected to notify anyone, you can always contact us. Alternatively, there's this site you can check out.

And lastly, this announcement is for all PL debaters!

Feel free to send me photos or stuff about yourself which you'd like to be posted at the side column.

Thanks a million (:

- rach

Newsflash!

A new debate captain has been selected and she's none other than...

-drumroll please-

Sam See!

Congrats (:

I'll try and get her to write a testimony in here once the finals are over. But until then, here is the lowdown on the latest going-ons...

1) We're finally getting ourselves a coach! Hurray!
2) We're making an official polo tee (:
3) And we hope to participate in the Methodist Cup

Looks like the clockworks are in motion and things are finally getting a move on...
Three cheers for all who made it possible ((:

I am visibly devastated. My entire post on the semi-final motion of the Mayer's Debate Series was deleted. Just like that. And to think, I spent hours crafting it out. The idiocy of it! Imagine the agony of your painstaking labour of sweat and blood going to naught and multiply that angst hundredfold. Only then will you be able to comprehend the magnitude of my devastation.

Seeing as I have absolutely no intention of beginning all over again, I shall do a summary instead.

The motion ran as such: THBT adults make better volunteers than teenagers.

It appears more of a quibble than anything else, doesn't it?

Politics would have been a welcome change.

Anyhow, my senior team was pitted against Singapore Chinese Girls' School, the proposition.

The exchanges were lively although sometimes hazy.

But overall, in terms of style and substantives, I think SCGS was more deserving of the crowning glory. Apparently, the adjudicators echoed these sentiments. But nevertheless, it was a closely matched and interesting debate put forth by both teams.

Hello and welcome to the brainchild of two aspiring debaters.

We're still at the 'Humble Beginnings' stage, hence the apparent lack of posts.

To kickstart our oh-so-grand project, perhaps I ought to branch into the history of this blog.

Honestly, there isn't much to be said. It started off with two overactive, overimaginative girls who were clearly bored with their routinous lives. The intellects that they were, they decided that they needed an outlet to channel all their creative juices and positive energy since no one really paid heed to either of them. So, after (not-)much deliberation, a simply phenomenal plan formed in their heads. It took shape in the form of a blog dedicated to debates and debaters alone!

They intended it to be their legacy, to transcend the generations of debaters to come.

Not only was it to be a treasure trove of valuable resources and references, it would also serve as an online convention and support system for the debate sorority.

And with that, the brainchild was born!

p/s. A rousing applause wouldn't hurt :)