Arau Open

Arau Open Public Speaking and Debating Championship 2010

20-24 May 2010

UiTM Arau, Perlis

My first experience of public humiliation. Enough said.

When it comes to talking, I always messed up. I always don't know what's the right thing to say. And I always tend to tell things as it is, which most of the time caused heartache to people. That's why I resort to keeping my mouth shut. And ever since I was at a very young age, I'm insecure about my incapability to pronounce "R". 

So, I'm still wondering why I joined debate. I'm not regretting my decision. Just constantly have that "what the hell were you thinking?!" moments. 

Oh, I think I remembered the reason why. I mentioned it during the very first Echoes Club's meeting I attended back in 2008. "To win an argument against my mother." That's what I said, right Mag? Haha. That's the only meeting I attended until 2010.  I didn't plan to rejoin the club, to be honest. Despite there are people asking me to. 

I rejoined because I got busted by my mother for lying to her. Well, technically I didn't lie. You see, back in 2008, I told her I joined the Echoes Debate Club, and she approved of it. That's it, it was true. I didn't tell her I stopped attending the meetings. She didn't ask me about the club whatsoever. So, like I said earlier, I didn't lie.

How did my mother found out I'm not an active member of the club? Well, all thanks to one birthday party which both my mother and Kimberly's mother attended. We didn't know our parents were schoolmates. Kim's mother started talking to my mother. They found out their daughters are in the same course, same campus. Then her mother told my mother about her debating activities. That's when my mother turned to me and said "Aren't you supposed to be in debate too?". (Yes, I was at the party too. Kim wasn't there.) 

I know I couldn't hide things from my mother anymore, as she can just call Kim's mother and ask her. So, like it or not, I have to be an active member of the club. And being a good friend, I dragged Alia with me. Just because. Kim's thrilled, obviously. Now three of us together in the club.

Anyway, back to Arau Open. I was somewhat excited and nervous at the same time. I was in the same team with Azel and Kimberly. Kim wanted to make me the third speaker, because in class, I like to rebutt other people. She's forgetting that its a totally different thing being in class, talking in front of a group of people you know, and in tournament, talking in front of other team and adjudicators and knowing that you're being judge for your presentation and that it's crucial to make a good impression. The pressure is different. 

Nevertheless, we tried with me as the third speaker for the first round against PUTRA X. The motion was THW force priests to marry of leave holy order. Our team was the proposition and PUTRA X was the negative. Oh, I forgot to mention that we're debating Austral style, which I only know about the night before during the briefing. (Yes, I only found out there's different type of debating style the day before the tournament.) We lost that round. And that's the only time I was the third speaker during the whole tournament. Azel changed me into the second speaker, and Kim as the third. 

As the name of the event stated, there's public speaking as well. I didn't participate of course. Kimberly did, Firdausi forced her to. Kimmie being Kimmie, she was hilarious of course. Azel described it as "making no sense at epic level". She was given the topic "The Deepest Cut" for the first round, and somehow she relates it to losing a chicken named Noel. Then, for the second round, she was given the topic "Universe". The Ryan Higa's stalker used his video "Off The Pill - Bieber Fever" video as inspiration. I'm pretty sure the first 2 minute was exactly the same, word for word, from the video. That shows how big of a stalker Kim is. 

All in all, it was quite an experience. Hey, I faced my fear of speaking in public! You should be proud of me. And I meet new people. And just like in all other events and activities I participated, whether its sports or music, the Sabahans and the Sarawakians stick together. I don't know why, but I'm glad we do. The Borneons always have more fun.

And knowing my mother and our enthusiastic club advisor, Firdausi, I will be in debating world till I graduate. Fat chance those two will let me quit the club. I better get used to all the public humiliation I will face. I should improve my debating skill to make them more bearable.

Oh, how I miss my bowling and karate days. And all the other activities that doesn't require me to open my mouth and talk. 

Here's the list of motions during AO.

Round 1: THW force priests to marry or leave Holy Order.

Round 2: THW take guns aways from Malaysian police.

Round 3: THW endorse nuclear option in Malaysia.

Round 4: THW prosecute executive board of oil companies.

Silent round: THW mandate airlines to weigh passenger with package.

We didn't make the cut, so I couldn't remember what the motions for semi and final.

Oh, KBM won against UT MARA. 

P.S.: I won't upload pictures from the event here. You just have to search for them in Kim's Facebook album.