Y10 GE Debate Reflection

Class: Yann   Name: Weiquan (Jonas) Yan

I watched as the countdown timer flashed every second, with the sound of flipping papers filling my ears. In that moment, everything became real—the debate I'd been preparing for weeks was finally underway, and we had just one minute to figure out the best way to counter our opponents' arguments.

Our topic was: “The Journey to the West helps the Monkey King (Sun Wukong) discover his true self instead of causing him to lose it.” Our position was clear—we believed he did not lose his true self. Even though the book is widely loved, I found myself lacking inspiration since it had been years since I last read the classic.

But not just for my own sake—I thought of my wonderful teammates—we had to win this debate. With that determination, we dove into research, consulting everything from Google Scholar to CNKI, exploring both the original text and expert interpretations. After days and nights of reading tens of thousands of words and running several mock debates, we were finally ready for the final showdown.

All ten debaters were dressed sharply and seated in their assigned spots. The first team had just finished their case introduction. Then, a clear voice from the judge's table announced, “Now, each team will have one minute to discuss the case. And then we will have the first crossfire.” With barely a pause, the countdown began.

Immediately, I waved my hand to gather my teammates, and we started our discussion. “Did they mention something about the Id and Ego?” I heard someone ask. “Yeah, they claimed it was a pseudoscience, right?” echoed around. I turned slightly and said, “Do we have any evidence for that? Somebody pulls it up now—I’m going to use it. We can dismiss that point, but we need to defend that he didn’t lose his true self.”

Keira, our lead debater, quickly rifled through her folder, pulling out a stack of papers as she declared firmly, “Leave it to me—I got this.” I responded, “Great! Horton and Lois, keep track of their words and capture every potential fallacy. Martina, get ready for the next part; I’m here to help if needed.”

Within two seconds, the bell rang, signaling the end of our discussion. I took three deep breaths and glanced at Keira, my crossfire partner. She met my look firmly, and we dove into the crossfire round. Though we were more anxious than hurt, we emerged victorious.

Looking back, I realize that if we hadn’t communicated and collaborated so effectively, who knows what might have happened? Moreover, throughout the debate, it felt as though it wasn’t just the Monkey King searching for the Scripture—we were, too. Every teammate embraced the spirit of teamwork, discovering their own version of cooperation. Honestly, that was far more meaningful than any title like “Best Debater” or “Winner” flashed on a PowerPoint.