Grade XI CBSE: The Chairman’s Cup — The Grand Finale

Competitive debate is a challenging and highly rewarding activity for most who become involved in it. The ability to critically analyse a problem and propose workable solutions is invaluable.  On Tuesday, 4th of February 2014, students of Grade XI CBSE attended the Grand Finale of the Chairman’s Cup. The judges were Ms. Jyotsna from IBDP and Ms. Manisha from CBSE Grade XII.

The Programme commenced by highlighting the importance of debate followed by the speakers and their topics being introduced by the comperes — Aswini and Puneeth.

The first topic up for debate was “Is Aam Aadmi Party a Strategy or a Fluke?” The contenders: Lalith, Megha, and Nirbhay vs. Girish, Anjani, and Shivani. The winners who moved on to the Finals: Girish, Anjani, and Shivani.

The second topic up for debate was “Influence of Media on Teenagers”. The contenders: Pravallika, Shreya, and Niharika vs. Swetha, Meghana, and Sushmitha. The winners who moved on to the Finals: Swetha, Meghana, and Sushmitha.

The judges gave them their final topic: “Parents Taking Part in a Child’s Decision-making — Involvement/Interference”. The finalists were given 20 minutes to research, prepare, and practice before they would present on stage. In the meantime, the audience was entertained by the choir singing “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen. Consequently, one of Oakridge’s best singers, Shahbaz, left us spell-bound and longing for more with his solo performance.

This was followed by the elocution competition between 10 participants. The topic was “Pretend you woke up one day and there were no rules. People could suddenly do whatever they wanted. Explain what the world would be like. Use your imagination!” The speeches given by the students were extremely thought-provoking and interesting. The winners of the competition: Supriya Subramanian (First), Meghana Gudluru (Second), and Ashwini Paradkar (Third). 

Finally, the Chairman’s Cup debaters were back, prepared for war on the battleground. After commending the students’ remarkable efforts, the judges announced the winners: Anjani, Girish, and Shivani — The best debate team of Grade XI A!

Students’ Reflections:

Jayesh, Grade XI B: I really loved it and found it one of the most interesting events I ever participated in.

Ankit Tripathi, Grade XI A: It was an amazing experience. I respect the idea and salute the effort of all who made it possible.        

Anjani Reddy, Grade XI A: It gave us a platform to discuss intellectual agendas and an opportunity to research thought-provoking topics.

Supriya, Grade XI C:  “On behalf of Grade XI, thanks to Anjum Ma’am who helped us and gave us the opportunity to enhance our debating skills”.

Mitushi Agarwal, Grade XI D: The Chairman’s Cup was an unforgettable experience. I overcame my stage fear.

Pravallika, Grade XI E: It helped us to gain confidence to express our opinions in public. It also gave us an opportunity to showcase our speaking skills.