UPDS awards Fast Forward championship to Xavier School Jessica Hermosa | May 2007
High school students Peterson Poon and Gabriel Kho from Xavier School came out on top at the culminating mini-tournament of Fast Forward, the advanced debate seminar organized by the UP Debate Society last May 11-12. Debating as Opening Opposition, the winning Xavier team went up against Michael Manangu and Seo Young So (Colegio San Agustin), Valerie Inting and Kenneth Reyes (Miriam College High School and Xavier School) and Ben Bismarck and Mrinal Daryani (Ateneo de Manila High School & La Salle Greenhills) for the finals motion “This house would criminalize the possession of pedophilic porn”. The finals round was adjudicated by no less than a 3-man panel chaired by UPDS almnus JC Valencia accompanied by UPDS President Sabrina-Laya Gacad and VP for Educational Affairs Melissa Sayoc.
34 high school students attended the event to receive training from Nicolo Cabrera and Claudia Poon, champions of the 2006 Nationals. Participants were also closely mentored by UPDS members during small-group workshops, held after each major component of the debate seminar. The two-day event ended with a British Parliamentary format tournament adjudicated by UPDS members and alumni.
Participants hailed Fast Forward for its “excellent” mini-tournament and its “accommodating and very personalized” workshops and buddy programs. It is the first of many more UPDS events this school year that aim to promote the art of debating and public speaking.
Visit the UPDS gallery to view photos of Fast Forward and click here to download the tabs of the mini-tournament.
