PSDC '15: PAF Chapter's School-Style Debating Championship

Written by: Hamna Fatima.

The official PAF Chapter Debating Competition started on the 7th of November, 2014 and lasted a total of 3 days; till 10th November, 2014. The competition started well enough; a few delays here and there, obviously, but delays are quite common when it comes to social conventions. Many reputable schools of Karachi participated in this event; for example, we had students participating from institutes like Nixor College, the Karachi Grammar School, Indus college, Beaconhouse college campus, and most primarily, the well known famous IBA University. The Agha Khan Univerisity Secondary School students were also expected at the event, but due to untold reasons, they bailed at the last moment. Guess going against PAF Chapter takes a hint bit of more nerves than they've got.
 The PAF Chapter students themselves, who were participating in the competition, were divided into 2 groups: Team A and Team B. In the first round of the competition, the PAF Chapter Team A unfortunately lost. However, they showed their nerves and kept going brilliantly and ended the 2014 PSDC Event as the winning team. The leading team consisted of the head of the PAF Chapter PSS himself, Muhammad Rohan, Shaheer Masud, Maarij Rehman, Waleed Bin Khalid, and Ali Mohsin(from the O Levels section, enthusiastic about learning the parliamentary type debating). Special congratulations should particularly be presented to the participant Waleed Bin Khalid, as he truly outdid himself in the competition. The other team of our school, which would be Team B, did a really applauding job themselves, too. They stayed in the competition till the second last, the semi-finals itself.

some people I don't know. (editor)

The overall event was considered a huge success, but more than that, a very enjoyable experience for most. Food, friends, debating, and getting emotional during the process; well, who wouldn’t enjoy it? Fun fact: the total consumption of water bottles in PSDC was around 300-400 bottles. Another fun fact: they had apparently really good food in that event. Like I-don’t-want-to-live-unless-I-have-had-it kind of food. The A Levels section headmistress Ma’am Tazeen and Ma’am Seema honoured the finals with the section Head Boy, Salman Saeed and Head Girl, Injila Bilaal present, as well as the room president and the time keepers. Students Shajeeh Rashid, Shayan Riyaz, and Alishba Waseem are to be credited with extraordinary handling regarding the logistics and such, and handling the program flow very, very well. Volunteers from the school greatly helped out during the event, handling everything from major crisis to the minor matters. The school staff was, as always, a great help but perhaps the greatest achievement is of the PSS society itself; for the net handling and carrying out of such an event successfully and gracefully and adding it to the list of accomplishments for our school.

The beautifully illuminated corridors of the red-brick building while PSDC was in order.

Hopefully we’ll have more competitions like this in the school, in the near future; providing students with opportunities to do what they’re ambitious about (which is just, you know, debating).
I would like to thank Rohan, the Public Speaking Society head for spending his time, telling me the finer, or else, things that took place in PSDC.