Debate is a fascinating and powerful tool. It’s all too relevant in today’s political world; we watch presidential elections, and in this new age of unprecedented information sharing, we are often bombarded by contradictory news outlets. Although it can trace its roots back to the famous philosophical controversies of Ancient Greece, the debate is more relevant than ever in modern society. It is a way to thoroughly show both sides of an argument, it is an exercise in logic and reasoning.
And on Saturday, October 29th, Global Youth Philanthropy had its first mock debate, featuring the topic: grades and marks are more important than learning and social skills.
Two teams of two people each were tasked with exploring this issue. Team A, with Molin and Eric, was the pro side—they argued that the statement was true—while team B, consisting of Carinne and Caroline, was the con, arguing that it was false. And after a week of preparation, research, and writing, they were ready to make their case.
The pro side went first, introducing how grades are essential to helping kids understand what areas they need improvement on and how they provide critical motivation for young students. Next, Eric spoke about how focusing on social skills makes students too excited to concentrate and sucks away valuable time. He also touched upon how grades help students challenge themselves and get into a better college.
Carinne then argued that learning helps people get better grades since those that enjoy learning will try harder. She talked about the importance of happiness and mental health and how an overemphasis on grades affects one’s performance. Finally, she mentioned how grades are only a number and that many cheats to attain these grades.
Then the rebuttals followed. Molin, on the pro side, re-emphasized that grades are the result of the effort that students put in school and that no grades would lead to no effort, defeating the whole point of attending school. She also discussed the earning gap between those with higher education and those without. Then, Caroline, on the con side, replied that pursuing grades can lead to burnout and loss of motivation. Furthermore, social skills can help you get a job.
Finally, each side was allowed to make a two-minute concluding speech, telling the judge and any viewers why exactly they were right. Molin and Carinne each artfully delivered their speech from their respective sides.
Afterward, the judge, Ben, provided insightful feedback and gave advice from his own experiences in competitive debate.
The final verdict? As the spectators and debaters held their breaths, he revealed that the con won him over.
Thus was the conclusion of GYP’s first mock debate, which will likely be held again 1-2 times a month from here on out. After this first successful event, GYP hopes to engage more people from different parts of the world. The next mock debate will take place Saturday, November 12th. The topic will be the same, but the teams will be different, and new ideas will almost certainly be explored.
Reported by Caroline Song