IPB Students Won the National Debate Competition
Again another achievement was by a group of students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). They were Futiha Hikmatul Husna, Randi Firman Syah, and M Farhani Uli Nuha, they won the third winner of the National Debate Competition held at Andalas University, Padang, on 20-23 September 2017. The competition was nationwide and was participated by representatives of major campuses in Indonesia.
The theme of the National Debate Competition was " Membangkitkan Sikap Kritis Pemuda Bangsa Terhadap Isu Nasional untuk Generasi Emas Indonesia (Generating the Critical Attitudes of Youth on National Issues for Gold Generation of Indonesian)". In this competition the participants are required to think critically on the national issues being discussed. The IPB’ representatives were rarely participating in the similar competition, and they are confronted by 16 teams of major campuses in Indonesia.
"At first we did not expect to win the champions, because their opponents were more were more knowledgeable and experienced. Some of them even came from the Faculty of Law which is in line with the theme of the debate competitions. We are science students and were demanded to be expertise in legal and political arguments," Husna said.
The participants of the National Debate Competition were diverse and from various parts of Indonesia. IPB delegates come were from cohort 2016 and 2017. They are still new compared to those of other high-level participants and have frequently participated in debate competitions.
The debate competition consisted of three rounds, namely the preliminary round, quarter final, then the final round. In the semifinal round IPB group met the group of the Faculty of Law of UNAND (Padang) as the host for such debate. For IPB Group, it was the forum to show their capability. Although the academic discipline of IPB is not law or politics, but its representatives proved that they are able to compete and argue in the law and politics.
After undergone through various stages of competition, IPB representatives finally won 3rd winner for this competition. "For us we are able to compete and reached the big four was beyond prejudice, because the theme was far beyond our academic discipline in science. We are required to be critical and avoid apathy, and this discussion is not a simple discussion but a discussion for a solution, "Husna added.
Hopefully in the future, students must be critical of the problems and to keep abreast of national developments. Critical thoughts should be prepared and expressed, one of which will be in the debate competition. (Wied)
