OPENING THEIR DOORS to all debaters, Bedans and Non-Bedans alike, the San Beda Debate Society (SBDS) held ‘Roar to Victory’ last June 3 to hone the skills needed in making persuasive discourses through their Discord server.
In an interview with Sam Unabia, the chair of the event, explained that the word Roar “signifies the voice of a lion” which means being vocal and critical in creating speeches in debates.
“And when we put the words “roar” and “victory” together, it encapsulates that we’re roaring towards victory, to be able to win the debate round, whether in sparring and especially in a tournament round,” explained Unabia.
Unabia wanted to remind debate lovers of the importance of participation in debates rather than just winning because it “amplifies the voice of those marginalized and engages in discourse with one another.”
The goal of Roar to Victory, for SBDS, is to be able to contribute to making debate accessible by providing a platform for novice to intermediate debaters to broaden their insights and gain valuable insights from experienced and decorated Bedan Debaters.
Key persons behind the production of the event were Lorenz De Claro, Vice President for Varsity and Training, the Externals Committee for the publication materials and captions, and the Administrative Committee for proper submission of paperwork.
Registration for the event was free through the SBDS Facebook page – whether they may be Bedan or non-Bedan, have experience in debating or not.
As for the speakers of the event, they were Unabia, Francis Revilla SBDS’ Executive Vice President, and former Team Captains Julia San Jose and Rance Peralta, the latter being an alumni of SBDS.
Unabia explained that they were chosen based on “adjudication credentials” that could provide valuable insights, share practical tips, and inspire participants to love and be more passionate about the art of debate.
The event had morning and afternoon sessions in which topics such as utilitarianism, feminism, incentive analysis, and international relations were tackled and explained by the aforementioned guest speakers throughout the event.
For Unabia, the event was a success, primarily because of what the organization had observed from the evaluation forms received, in which the majority of the audience left positive remarks on the event.
Secondly, there were actually some audiences that have “personally messaged him,” thanking and appreciating the effort that the SBDS has done throughout their lectures and the insights the audience has learned.
Finally, for them, the SBDS was able to achieve our main goal, which was giving back to the community in our own respective way via this program.
Unabia said promised that SBDS will “continue to represent the university in the debate community” to the best of their ability and bag awards and placements in tournaments.
Hence, SBDS will be opening its application soon for Bedans who want to learn, engage, and excel in debating and amplifying the voices of the marginalized through discourse.
Photo courtesy of SBDS
