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Written by: Viktor Vojnoski
Edited: Marina Kojic
Read about Viktor’s experience at the World Schools Debating Championships, where Team Austria made their mark. The team included members Larissa Arthofer, Sophie Drescher, Moriah de Vera, Sofia Schuppler, and Valentina Stock, with Laura Crnkovic as the alternate reserve speaker. Viktor participated as a development team candidate observer, while Marina Kojić served as Head Coach and Anna Neuber as Team Manager and Judge.
WSDC (World Schools Debating Championships) is an annual debating championship event. It is held in a different country each year. This year it was held in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Belgrade is a modern, vibrant metropolis with a population of about 2 million. We arrived at the airport and were driven to the hotel by taxis.
Buses were used as a convenient means of transport from our hotel to Belgrade’s student square. The debates took place in the marble halls of the famous Faculty of Philology. We were always greeted by volunteers, whose determination in the hot summer proved crucial in the operation of this tournament. The food was provided and distributed by these volunteers and was nothing short of amazing. The debates were held in separate rooms, at first without air conditioning, however, when the volunteers heard of this inconvenience, they immediately rushed out of town to buy the tools necessary to combat this.
Between the days every few nights there would be the occasional party. My personal favorite was the culture night, where each country had their stand with sweets and souvenirs local to their country.
We also had time to visit the landmarks of the city, such as the grand orthodox church of Saint Sava and Tito’s mausoleum.
The people were amazing, and the debates were extremely fun to watch. Every day we would gather in the hall of heroes, a massive room whose walls were adorned with portraits of famous men and women. Each debate would be 56 minutes long, with three speeches from both sides and two closing statements. After the debates there was a time window before the results were announced, which was great for socializing.
Our Team Austria achieved an impressive result at the World Championships, winning 4 out of 8 debates and securing 12 ballots. This placed us 37th out of 68 teams, a remarkable feat considering it was Austria’s first participation in many years and only the second time ever. Achieving four wins on this international stage marks a significant accomplishment for the team. You can find the full results here.
The finale was held in the Palata Srbija. The two finalists were the teams from Scotland and Bulgaria. In the end Scotland won.
I loved this experience and cannot wait for the next tournament. Such championships not only improve debating skills, but also serve as a platform for making friends from all around the world.
See you at the next tournament in Panama!
