Yash Mandloi competed in the Middle School Division and advanced to the National Tournament where he earned a Most Improved Award. Additionally, he was recognized as a Top 15 Speaker at Nationals, as well as his team winning 6th Place Team Award in the Middle School Division along with his teammate, Zara Sharma. Congratulations!
Yash Mandloi “The National Speech and Debate Association is the world's largest honor society based in the US. I am glad that I was part of the first Speech & Debate India cohort while also reaching the Top 5 in the regional round and excelling in the National round of the Tournament. All the sessions were done virtually spread over the month of June 2020, with a global mix of participants joining in from across continents and countries. This experience encompassed many learnings; they include:
- Learning how to collaborate better, especially when under pressure or put on the spot.
- Learning how to keep check of your emotions, being consistently respectful and courteous.
- Learning from others while debating against high calibre opponents.
- Being part of a team and learning from peers
While multiple learnings such as the examples given can be gleaned from the tournament, the experience of debating in this competition is invaluable. All the emotions one feels before the debate begins, the anticipation, the giddiness, the desire to win; I would imagine it is something similar to what Formula 1 drivers feel before a race begins. Apart from the tournament, participants also have a chance to be a part of the leadership circle as an extra credit, which comprises handpicked students taking leadership roles for the upcoming season tournaments. Overall, participating in this debate competition has improved me in innumerable ways and I would highly recommend it to other students.”
