NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


(DEEP BREATH)


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



WE LOST DEBATE AGAIN!!!!!
TO HUGHES!!!


I can't believe it.

we worked so hard like shit and cooperated so well, unlike hughes which kept bickering among themselves and were not proactive.


This whole this is SO UNFAIR to us, THE OPPOSITION right from the start.

Firstly the motion "That corporal punishment is the only answer to juvenile delinquency" is biased and unfair when debated in a school in which coporal punishment is almost an instituition. I have a feeling that they set the motion just to give some pretense that students could freely give opinions and to be judged fairly when the outcome has already been decided beforehand.


Also, the adjudicators. With them being Mrs Tobias, Mrs Ong and Ms Ow, how do you expect them not to support coporal punishment? To me, they are already strongly in favour of the proposition because of their mindsets in the age old belief of spare the rod, spoil the child. Thus, the debate is already strongly leaning in favour of our opponents. If the English Department really wanted a fair debate, they should have set a motion that did not involve the adjudicators or the school system in such a direct method.


Then, external circumstances as well. Before the debate, the school JUST had to carry out the caning, which would only further help the proposition's case by reinforcing the belief that coporal punishment is good. then the Proposition said that we could not debate about the alternative methods, only pros and cons of CP.


A series of mistakes on our part during the debate weakened us further, but the most babaric thing was yet to come.

It was just after the 2-minute interval for all debators to confer. i was busy recollecting myself after being bombarded by points from all my other debators. I did not rush as in the schedule, we still had a 5 minute floor debate, which would give me time to organise my reply speech.


HOWEVER, HORROR OF HORRORS.


They cancelled the floor debate, now they introduced me, and flustered and not fully ready yet, i went up.

I freaked out. I don;t like not having sufficient time to prepare, so when i went up, i blanked out. The proposition reply speaker, at least had time to prepare a bit and even ticked me off by saying I was not supposed to rebut in reply. Goodness, i did NOT REBUT!!!! I merely reiterated the vital flaws.


So in the end, we were humiliated. At first i was about to think we won because Constance got best speaker. then chairperson announced, the winner is Hughes.


My heart SANK....simply SAAAAANKkkkkk.................


All the hard work had failed. Plus error on our part, as we were not supposed to talk about alternatives as the motion said 'not THE answer', not 'not THE ONLY answer'


I think if only, we had realised this lethal mistake, if only there was a floor debate, if only I hadn't chosen Opposition when drawing lots, none of this would have happened.

This is so damn irritating and depressing.

By the way, for those interested, these are the rest of the debate info.

Proposition: Hughes

1st: Zainul

2nd: Tongpei(reply)

3rd: Khunying

Opposition: Auden

1st ME (reply)

2nd:Constance

3rd: Benjamin


That's all i wish to say. I'll be burning the debate research now. Fire has a theurapetic effect on me, very calming.


The phoenix burns tonight
Bright and glorious, fiery end
To ashes in the fading light
Black, lifeless and flaky sand


Then as sweet dawn breaking,
charred dust leaps into flame
Rejuvenating, reviving, restoring
fiery phoenix back from shame


Phoenix, phoenix burning bright
come from ashes back to light