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Written by: Larissa Arthofer & Sophie Drescher
Edited: Marina Kojic
Although the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) have already passed, Larissa and Sophie share their experiences in preparation for the event. In this article, they reflect on the journey leading up to WSDC, including two key tournaments that helped the team sharpen their skills. Despite the delay in publishing, their insights offer a glimpse into the dedication and hard work behind Austria’s participation on the global debating stage.
In the high-stakes world of school debating, an ambitious team is making waves and collecting trophies along the way.
Comprising team captain Larissa Arthofer, Sophie Drescher, Moriah de Vera, Sofia Schuppler, Valentina Stock, and reserve speaker Laura Crnkovic, this formidable squad has been meticulously honed by their legendary head coach Marina Kojic, herself the Worlds University Debating Champion (ESL) 2023.
Representing Austria both nationally and internationally, the team’s recent victories speak volumes about their dedication and skill. Despite their underdog status, the Austrian national team has proven themselves in their first two international tournaments: the Nordic Debate School Championships in Copenhagen and the Cracow Schools Cup.
Novice Champions of the North
In Copenhagen, under the guidance of assistant coach Samuel Gall, the team triumphed in the novice finals. They skillfully debated motions such as “THW allow the fruit of the poisoned tree in criminal trials,” where Larissa impressed with her legal understanding, and “THBT the standard operating procedure of the UN peacekeeping force should be ‘Robust Peacekeeping’ as opposed to the UN Capstone Doctrine,” where Moriah’s research prowess shone through.
Underdogs of Cracow
Their next challenge brought them to Cracow for the Cracow Schools Debating Championships, a
crucial preparation for the upcoming World School Debating Championships in July in Belgrade. But not only our National Team participated: we were joined by our development squad from Team Austria White: Elena Brehm, Viktor Vojnoski, Yan Barteskyy and Laura Crnkovic.
In addition, they were joined by two lovely judges Liam Urban and Samuel Gall who were successfull in the judge category: Liam chaired a quarterfinal and Samuel panelled both a quarters and a semifinal.
Here, the national team’s primary goal was to break into the main draw. However, they put Marina’s coaching to good use and found a new love for debating analogies and structured analysis, which propelled them far beyond their initial objective- and allowed them to secure a 2nd place finish.
Notable motions included “This house as a developing country would pursue an approach of non-alignment in foreign policy,” “This House Believes That the commercialisation of journalism has done more harm than good”- where Sophie showcased her media knowledge, and “This House, as a developing country, Would aggressively promote ‘ethno-tourism’,” which saw Valentina and Sofia impress with historical facts.
The team’s girl power was on full display in the semi-finals, where they hilariously and convincingly argued for “This house supports mirroring,” entertaining the audience while maintaining coherence and strength in their arguments.
Between rounds, both teams indulged in searching for the best Polish pierogi and increasing their caffeine intake. All in all, the speakers have shown wonderful development and are more than ready to shine at their first world championships.
