On the 6th of february I set up an organized debate at my school. Despite its seeming simplicity, it was anything but. It was one of the most demanding, thrilling, and rewarding things I’ve done this year, despite food accidents, no-shows, and shouting battles that almost got the entire thing canceled, it all worked out in the end
What I Discovered
If I learned anything from this experience, it’s that planning is only one aspect of organization—actually organizing things involves much more. The food doesn’t arrive on time, people don’t show up, people who didn’t register do show up, there isn’t enough money for food, and there is even less food than anticipated—there are always a hundred things that go wrong. However, through Despite all of that, there’s a weird, electric rush to witnessing your vision come to life.
And there was pride. utter pride. I’m proud to have accomplished this. a week or two before my friends and I chose a topic, and I assisted in bringing everyone together in the school library to debate, question, and confront one another on it. Attending an event is one thing, but being the driving force behind it is quite another.
And I now realize how much work, attention to detail, passion, and yes, even tears and sweat, go into making something like this. I now have a whole newfound appreciation for student leaders, event planners, and anyone else who has ever created something from the ground up.
How We Made It Happen
Initially, we printed flyers and displayed them across the entire campus. We promoted frantically to encourage people to participate, even reaching out to fifth graders, and offered the winner a cash prize of 100 riyals. The debate’s subject was whether or not nations should answer for the deeds of past governments.
About 22 students enrolled after two weeks of nonstop promotion. We put everyone in a WhatsApp group and asked them to vote on the subject. After everything was finalized, we prepared a presentation for the discussion, placed an order for food—which naturally arrived late—and worked behind the scenes to oversee everything from crowd management to event flow.
What Went Right
To be honest, I was surprised by how well the debate went. I was afraid it would be slow and awkward, but it wasn’t. Not even close. In the best way possible, it was loud, enthusiastic, and fast-paced. The atmosphere in the room made the entire event seem to end in a matter of seconds, and there were even instances where people were literally screaming at each other.
The most notable thing was how well-prepared everyone was. Participants took notes, presented their points, and showed a genuine interest in the subject. We made it our goal to include the students who were quieter or less engaged though there were undoubtedly a few outliers. We wanted them to feel heard and to gain knowledge from our presence, even if they didn’t say anything.
What Went Wrong
Of course, not everything went according to plan. The teachers I had thought would be present did not appear. A few students were unable to attend and Many were complaining about the delayed food. Since the school was in charge of the certificates, they were delayed, and we had no awards for second or third place. We even spelled someone’s name incorrectly on a certificate since we were unsure of how to spell it.
However, the event persevered despite all of those challenges.
Concluding remarks
In retrospect, I can honestly state that one of the highlights of my year was the ZSIS Debate Competition. I learned more than I could have ever imagined from the early morning preparatory meetings to the hectic afternoon of the event itself. It showed me that anything that could go wrong is likely to do so when you’re planning something. However, I also learned what it’s like to witness a concept you came up with with your friends come to life.
It was tense. It was Hectic. However, every second was worthwhile.
