World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship
March 30-April 5, 2016 • Pittsburgh, PA • USA
Hosted by Shady Side Academy
In its 28th year, the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship (WIDPSC) will take place at Shady Side Academy Senior School, located in suburban Pittsburgh, Pa., USA, from Wednesday, March 30, through Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
Approximately 125 high school students from independent schools around the world who have won or ranked highly in preliminary and/or regional competitions will compete in the week-long championship. Countries recently represented include: Australia, Botswana, Canada, China, Cyprus, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, India, Lithuania, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, United States and Zimbabwe. The competition is conducted entirely in English, and students compete in four events. Three events are required of every competitor —Impromptu Speaking, Parliamentary Debating (2 vs. 2), Interpretive Reading — and the fourth event is either After Dinner Speaking or Persuasive Speaking, whichever the competitor chooses.
The championship is aligned with the ideals of excellence, identity and the art of expression, i.e. the ability to communicate and gain recognition and respect for one’s ideas and opinions. Students compete within a global community, learning to communicate and collaborate with peers and adults from diverse schools, cultural backgrounds and countries. The tournament was founded in 1988 by Reading Blue Coat School, St. John's -Ravenscourt School, the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools, Taunton School, Queen Anne's School and The English School, Nicosia. It was one of the first international competitions to individually rank high school students in debating and public speaking.
Our students are very busy preparing for their participation in this Debate Championship with the help of their teacher Mr. James Corkhill and Ms. Karen Mason Corkhill.
The students that will participate this year are:
- Rashel Alpay
- Eftychia Constantinou
- Sonya Sophia Alexandra Fougala-Metaxa
- Lucas James Irwin
- Aris Messios
- Filios Nicolaou
- Krini Papacharalambous
- Joanna Papanastassiou
