Most Memorable Yet – ISKL Students Astound at 42nd SEA Forensics & Debate Tournament Held Since 1965

42 years, and still going strong, that’s how long the prestigious SEA Forensics & Debate Tournament has been going on ever since ISKL’s establishment in 1965.

Held annually, this year ISKL and nine other competing schools from Malaysia converged at the new Ampang campus to partake in the fields of Solo Acting, Duet Acting, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, Debate, Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking.

The event took place on February 13 – 15, 2020, and is a beautiful way to witness students deliberate, speak, and talk their hearts out – where they have developed their passions and competencies that enabled them to showcase their critical reasoning, collaboration, and communication skills.

Nervous, yet excited – this was the general mood shared amongst ISKL High School participants where the consensus bordered on “I am so thrilled to give my speech, anxious but looking forward to it, and I am feeling pretty nervous – I am not going to lie.'”

It highly reflects the pressure and expectations the students benchmarked for themselves in delivering impressive performances.

Patricia Podorsek, the Tournament Director, shared how the competition opened her eyes to thought-provoking ideas, terrific passionate speeches, functional dramatic expression, and excellent original writing.

“I have been in and out of (the competition) rooms and have heard some terrific student work, in particular, at Original Oratory, where the students wrote their own stories and gave their speeches.

‘One such student wrote about the ‘silent killer’ of modern society – which in her eyes, she defined it as loneliness, and gave different examples from around the world.

‘I have also seen some terrific Debate topics such as western values, cultural imperialism, and also about how artists push the limits beyond what society finds palatable.

‘It was all fascinating,” she commented.

As the tournament came to a close, many of our ISKL students were recognized for their incredible achievements. They were:-

• Finalists Gabi W. (Original Oratory), Bilal A. and Sasha F. (Oral Interpretation), and Fehma Z. (Extemporaneous Speaking).

• Anshika B., who earned gold in Impromptu – an outstanding feat in her sophomore year.

• Isabella J., who won silver medals in both Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu disciplines. She also received the prestigious and coveted Anne Russell Award for outstanding tournament participant.

• Debate team consisting of Ryan L., Tanmay G., and Bryce V., who won the gold medal with an impressive 5 – 0 decision in the finals.

• Ryan L. also received Debate’s Outstanding Participant Award and the Alan McLean Award – a new SEA honor granted to students who demonstrate the spirit of engagement and positive leadership with visiting schools.

• Asha O. also received the Alan McLean Award, for her fabulous contributions as an executive student leader for the tournament’s operations.

ISKL thanks all participating schools and students for delivering memorable and outstanding performances, and we are proud of them and our ISKL participants who have worked so hard.

Their performances were testament to the amount of practice and hard work that they have put into developing these life-long skills.

The schools taking part in the tournament this year were the Dalat International School, the International School of Kuantan, Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, SMK Assunta, SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, SMK Taman Seraya, St. John’s Institution, SMK St. Mary, Wesley Methodist, and the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Due to ongoing concerns about Covid-19, this year’s tournament was limited to schools within Malaysia.

Special thanks go to everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, resulting in an outstanding event which helped maintain strong links to the broader Malaysian community.

And last but not least, ISKL is proud to uphold the legacy of the late Alan McLean, whose leadership and insight was a driving force behind the SEA Forensics & Debate tournaments.

You will be in our hearts.