Competition Reports
Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships 2022
From the 11th of February to the 16th of April, our Secondary School Team, comprising of Caden Wong, Keegan Goh, and Gabriel Wong—all from 3.16—alongside Zachary Khoo from 4.16 and David Kwah from 4.10, competed in the Singapore Secondary Schools’ Debating Championships, the official MOE debating competition for the secondary school circuit. After winning multiple challenging preliminary rounds against schools such as SCGS and NUS High, and debating on topics ranging from governmental oversight to economic sanctions, we entered the Quarterfinals, during which we emerged victorious against National Junior College. We eventually placed 4th overall in the highest debating division, Division 1, of the competition. Furthermore, we are glad to share that 3 of our speakers have attained an Individual Top 20 award in our division, with David, Zachary, and Caden ranking as 19th, 17th, and 10th best speakers of the tournament respectively.
We must thank our coach, Jared Yeo, for his unwavering dedication throughout these enriching months, as well as Ms Christina Raj, Mr Jacob Mok, and the Senior Admin for their utmost support. But above all, we owe our accomplishments to God, who blessed our journey till the very end. To God be the glory, the best is yet to be!
Zachary Khoo (4.16)
NYJC Infernus Cup 2022
On the 8th and 9th of April, our IB division fielded 2 teams comprising of Eashwar from 6.13, Visruth from 6.09, Abhinav from 5.09, Liu Xinyi from 5.07, Jabelle Lim from 5.04, Edward Koh from 5.18, Ananya Saha, Lucas Looi, Wong Jen Sen—all from 5.15—and Gokul Hari from 5.08, for the NYJC Infernus Cup, a JC-level debate tournament specifically for novice debaters. After 2 preliminary rounds, one of our teams made it to the Quarterfinals (wherein we beat Jurong-Pioneer JC), and then to the Semi-finals (wherein we beat NYJC themselves). We eventually emerged as 1st runners-up, narrowly losing to RI in the finals.
We must thank the Senior admin, our coach Axl Chua, as well as our teachers Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok for their dedication and support.
Visruth Vivekanand (6.18) and Vijayaraj Eashwar (6.13)
NUS Students’ Political Association Debate Series 2022
On the 19th and 20th of February, the ACS (I) IB Debate Team sent a team consisting of Joshua Ong (6.18), Thaddeus Heng (6.18), Thea Clara Burhan (6.16), and Meng XiangDa (6.13) to compete in the annual NUS Students Political Association Debate Series. The team engaged on complex motions to do with Singapore’s policy-making and foreign policy in the region. After 3 Preliminary Rounds, we broke into the Quarter-Finals in 4th place, with two wins out of three, before unfortunately losing to Raffles Institution in the Quarter-Finals. Nevertheless, our individual speakers clinched accolades, with Thaddeus and Joshua placing as the 3rd and 9th best speakers of the tournament respectively.
We would like to thank our coach Mr Axl Chua Kai Jun, together with our teachers Mr Jacob Mok and Ms Christina Raj for their unwavering faith and continued guidance throughout! Above all, we give our thanks to God, without whom none of this would have been possible! To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Thaddeus Heng (6.18)
MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships 2021
From the 3rd to 5th of June, the ACS (I) Debate Club sent two teams to compete in the annual MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships (MIDCs), a national tournament involving numerous junior colleges and pre-tertiary institutions in Singapore. Our Team A was comprised of Tam Dixi (6.01), Matthew Goh (6.10), Tanay Jacob (6.14), Chin Guan Wei (6.18), and Sana Kir (6.18). Team B consisted of Ethan Cheong (5.04), Erika Lee (5.09), Thea Burhan (5.16), Kang Yong Hyun (5.16), and Meng Xiangda (5.16). Both of our teams participated in six gruelling preliminary rounds, debating a variety of complex motions on topics such as environmental activism, sports, and online education against strong opponents such as National Junior College and Raffles Institution. Team A won 4 rounds, breaking in 7th place and Team B won 3. Team A then participated in the Quarterfinals where they clinched victory against Hwa Chong Institution before losing to our sister institution, Anglo-Chinese Junior College. Moreover, two of our debaters placed in the top twenty best speakers, with Matthew ranking 14th and Tanay, 10th. We are immensely grateful to our teachers-in-charge, Mr Jacob Mok and Madam Christina Raj for their invaluable support, as well as our coaches, Mr Michael Lee and Mr Samuel Wittberger, for their patience and tutelage. Above all however, we give our thanks to God, without whom, none of this would have been possible. To God be the glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Tanay Jacob (6.14)
Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Championships 2021
On the 29th and 30th of May, the ACS (I) Debate Team sent a team comprised of Ephraim Wu (1.09), Jerome Ong (1.09), Gabriel Wong (2.01), Edward Sum (2.03), and Keegan Goh (2.09) to compete in the Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Championships 2021. The team engaged in a wide spectrum of motions, ranging from Big Tech to politics. With God’s grace, ACS (I) emerged victorious, and broke 5th into the quarterfinals, where we unfortunately we lost marginally by a 2-1 split.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our coach, Michael Lee, our teachers-in-charge, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, and our seniors. Finally, we owe our success to God, without whom none of our achievements would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Keegan Goh (2.09)
Oldham International League 2021
From the 30th of April to the 2nd of May, the ACS (I) Debate Club sent a senior team comprised of Tam Di Xi (6.01), Matthew Goh (6.10), Tanay Jacob (6.14), Chin Guan Wei (6.18), and Sana Kir (6.18) to compete in the Oldham International League due to their stellar performances in the 2021 Oldham Cup. The team engaged with a series of motions over a broad spectrum of topics and themes such as geopolitics, the environment, and pop culture. ACS (I) won 4 out of the 6 preliminary rounds—beating worthy opponents Team Singapore and Team Hungary—being the only school team qualifying for the knockout-rounds amidst a sea of national teams, before being defeated by Team South Africa. We owe our success to the support and guidance received from members of the Senior Admin, alumni, our teachers-in-charge, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, as well as our coaches, Mr Samuel Wittberger and Mr Michael Lee. However, we are most grateful to God, without whom none of our achievements would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Tam Di Xi (6.01)
Oldham Cup 2021 (Senior Division)
From the 23rd to 25th of April, the Debate Club IB school team comprising of Tam Dixi (6.01), Matthew Goh (6.10), Jishnu Talukdar (6.12), Tanay Jacob (6.14), and Sana Kir (6.18) competed in the 7th Annual Oldham Cup organized by Anglo-Chinese Junior College. The team engaged in several complex motions on an array of topics such as politics, economics, and the environment; debated formidable local and international teams such as Team China; and won 4 out of the 6 preliminary rounds. We ultimately emerged as semi-finalists, beating Raffles Institution in the octo-finals and Eunoia Junior College in the quarterfinals before losing to our sister institution ACJC.
We owe our success to the support and guidance received from members of the Senior Admin, alumni, our teachers-in-charge, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, as well as our coaches, Mr Samuel Wittberger and Mr Michael Lee. However, we are most grateful to God, without whom none of our achievements would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Tanay Jacob (6.14)
Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships 2021
From the 27th of February to the 24th of April, our secondary school debate team, consisting of Caden Wong (2.11), David Kwah (3.10), Zachary Khoo (3.16), Jonathan Yeoh (4.09), and John Lagman (4.11), competed in the Singapore Secondary Schools’ Debating Championships. After winning multiple gruelling preliminary rounds, we broke into the top 8. Striving on, we defeated Raffles Institution in the quarterfinals. We fought our hardest in the 3rd/4th-placing Finals but lost to RGS in an extremely close 3-2 split decision, placing 4th overall in the top debating division of the competition. Jonathan also ranked as the 7th best speaker in the tournament. We must thank our coach, Michael Lee, for his utmost dedication and support; our teachers in charge, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok; and the Senior Admin. We are also extremely grateful for our seniors and alumni. Last but not least, we would like to thank God, from whom all blessings flow. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
David Kwah (3.10)
NUS Students’ Political Association Debate Series 2021
On the 20th and 21st of February, the ACS (I) Debate Club sent a team comprised of Year 6 students to compete in the annual National University of Singapore Political Association’s Debate Series 2021. The team, consisting of Tam Dixi (6.01), Matthew Goh (6.10), Tanay Jacob (6.14), Sana Kir (6.18), and Chin Guan Wei (6.18) had to engage in numerous motions on Singaporean politics, including the presidential office and homelessness. We faced worthy opponents, emerging victorious against talented schools such as Hwa Chong Institution and Dunman High School. With God’s grace, we made it to the Quarterfinals where we faced strong debaters from Raffles Institution and unfortunately lost. We are extraordinarily grateful to the support and encouragement from the members of the Senior Admin, alumni, our teachers, Mr Jacob Mok and Ms Christina Raj and our coach, Mr Samuel Wittberger. However, we give our thanks most to God, without whom, none of our achievements would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Tanay Jacob (6.14)
International Debate Weekend 2021 (Senior Division)
From the 22nd to 24th of January, the ACS (I) IB Debate Team participated in the International Debate Weekend—a series of friendly debates against teams from around the world. As part of this, we had the opportunity to debate against international teams such as Team China, Team Vietnam, and Team Indonesia, as well as local teams such as those from ACJC and NYGH. Over 8 rounds of gruelling debates, we had the privilege to hone our debate skills while interacting with debaters from a myriad of backgrounds.
We are truly grateful to our teachers, Mr Jacob Mok and Ms Christina Raj, for their constant support, as well as our coach, Samuel Wittberger, for his invaluable advice and guidance throughout the competition. Finally, we thank God for the opportunity to participate in this international debate series—without Him, none of this would have been possible.
Matthew Goh (6.10)
International Debate Weekend 2021 (Junior Division)
The International Debate Weekend (IDW) was an exciting experience that my team and myself were lucky enough to have experienced. Over the weekend of the 22nd to 24th of January, we were able to push ourselves to debate against strong teams not only from Singapore, but from beyond like Vietnam and Qatar. Through thick and thin, we managed to work together and tackle difficult motions which only further honed our craft. However, the biggest takeaway was how we were able to bond as a team as we played off each other and spurred each other on to greater heights. I am grateful for having participated in the programme.
John Lagman (4.11)
Debate Association Debating Championships 2021
On the 30th and 31st of January, our debate team (Caden Wong 2.11, David Kwah 3.10, Zachary Khoo 3.16, John Lagman 4.11, Jonathan Yeoh 4.09) took part in the Debate Association Debating Championships 2021. After 3 hard fought preliminary rounds against strong opponents, our team broke second to enter the quarter finals. However, it was not to be as we lost marginally in the quarterfinals. Withstanding this, our speakers were able to place highly on the individual speaker rating, with Jonathan, Zachary and John placing at overall 2nd, 4th, and 20th Best Speaker of the tournament respectively. Overall, the team took away much and improved from strength to strength. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our coaches for supporting and giving us constant guidance, as well Mdm Christina Raj for her constant support. To God be the glory, the best is yet to be!
Jonathan Yeoh (4.09)
Thoburn Cup 2020 (Senior Division)
On the 24th of October, the Anglo Chinese School (Independent) Debate Club sent 2 IB-level teams to participate in the 2020 online Thoburn Cup. The teams comprised of Tam Di Xi (5.01), Matthew Goh (5.10), Jishnu Talukdar (5.12), Chin Guan Wei (5.18), Gabrielle Lee Kurniawan (5.18), and Sana Kir (5.18). The debaters endured 3 rounds, during which, they argued on the theme of ‘Labour’ and engaged in motions on topics such as artificial intelligence and labour unions. During the course of the competition, our teams seized decisive victories against formidable opponents such as Raffles Institution and Anglo Chinese Junior College, with Team A and Team B securing Champion and 1st Runner-Up positions respectively. Our individual speakers also clinched various accolades with Tam Di Xi ranking as the 8th best speaker, Matthew Goh and Chin Guan Wei both attaining joint 6th best speaker, and Gabrielle Lee Kurniawan emerging as the overall best speaker of the tournament.
We attribute our success to our teachers-in-charge, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok for their patience and support during trainings and the competition itself. We are also extremely grateful to our coach, Samuel Wittberger, for his guidance and encouragement during our debate journey. Last but certainly not least, we thank God for His grace and faithfulness and without whom, none of this would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be!
Tanay Jacob (5.14)
Thoburn Cup 2020 (Junior Division)
On the 24th of October 2020, ACS (I) sent a secondary-level team of 5 debaters—consisting of David Kwah from 2.09, Zachary Khoo from 2.09, Reine Chung from 2.11, Jonathan Yeoh from 3.09, and John Lagman from 3.11—to the online Thoburn Cup 2020. We debated against astute and brilliant teams from St. Margaret’s, Katong CHIJ Convent, and Paya Lebar Methodist’s Girls School. A wide variety of topics were discussed, ranging from Artificial Intelligence to the wage gap. The team fought close battles and emerged victorious in all three rounds of painstaking yet thrilling debates.
In the end, based on scoring tables, we emerged 1st Runners-Up in the tournament, losing to United World College by only a few points.
We would like to thank our teachers, Madam Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, for their ceaseless support and our coach, Ng Hui Wen, for her patient mentorship and guidance. Finally, we give thanks to the Lord, without whom, none of this would have been possible! To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Zachary Khoo (2.09)
Oldham Cup 2020 (Senior Division)
From the 3rd of April to the 12th of May, the ACS (Independent) Debate Club sent 2 IB teams comprising of Tam Di Xi (5.01), Matthew Goh (5.10), Chin Guan Wei (5.18), Gabrielle Lee (5.18), Gwee Yixin (6.09), and Thomas Loke (6.18) to compete in the 2020 Online Oldham Cup. Over the course of 5 rounds, we faced off against local teams such as St Andrew’s Junior College, Dunman High School, and Nanyang Junior College, as well as international teams from Canada, China, and Greece. Our speakers clinched several honours, with Gabrielle Lee (5.18) as 14th best speaker, Gwee Yixin (6.09) as 6th best speaker, and Chin Guan Wei (5.18) clinching 2nd best speaker of the tournament.
First and foremost, we would like to thank God for his steadfast faithfulness to us throughout this competition. We are also grateful to our teachers, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, for their continued support, as well as our coach, Nicole Seah, for her invaluable feedback and guidance throughout our journey. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Matthew Goh (5.10)
Oldham Cup 2020 (Junior Division)
From 3 April to 12 May, ACS (Independent) sent a team to participate in the junior division of the 2020 Oldham Cup, comprising of Jonathan Yeoh (3.09), Harith Menon (4.09), and Euan Lim (4.11). The tournament was truly a unique experience for the team, not only because it was an international tournament with teams from all over the world, but also because it was conducted online via the video conferencing platform, Zoom. After winning 4 out of 5 gruelling preliminary rounds, we made it to the quarterfinals, where we faced rivals Raffles Institution. After an incredibly close debate, we inched past them to the semi-finals on a 2-1 split decision. Unfortunately, after an exhilarating debate with Team Canada, we just fell short of attaining victory, losing the debate in a narrow 4-3 split. We would like to thank our teachers, Ms Christina Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, for their continued support as well as our coaches, Hui Wen and Nicole, for taking the time to conduct training with us online during these difficult times. Most importantly, we would like to thank God, without whom none of this would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Harith Menon (4.09)
Thoburn Cup 2019
On the 19th of October, the school sent a team to Thoburn Cup, comprising John Lagman from 2.01, Jonathan Yeoh from 2.09, Harith Menon from 3.09, and Joshua Ong and Euan Lim from 3.11. The team emerged first runners up after 3 gruelling rounds on the issue of sports. Harith emerged 2nd best speaker of tournament, Jonathan 4th and Euan 8th. We are grateful to our coaches and teachers for the help they gave us while preparing for the tournament. Above all, we are grateful for God, without whom none of this would be possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Harith Menon (3.09)
HCI Debate Invitationals 2018
On the 4th and 11th of August, the ACS (Independent) Debate Club sent a team comprising Harith Menon (2.09), Matthew Goh (3.11), Tanay Jacob (3.13), Chin Guan Wei (3.15), and Tam Di Xi (3.16) to compete against other top schools in the Hwa Chong Institution Debate Invitational 2018. Our team made it through the 3 preliminary rounds with a total of 3 wins and defeated worthy opponents from Raffles Institution in the semi-finals. However, despite valiant efforts, we lost in the finals and emerged as first-runners’ up. As an added honour, Matthew Goh was also awarded the Overall Best Speaker Award for the competition.
First and foremost, we would like to thank God for his steadfast faithfulness to us throughout this competition. We are also grateful to our teachers, Mr Jacob Mok and Ms Christina Raj, and our coach, Timothy Ong, for their invaluable support and guidance throughout our journey. To God be the Glory, The Best Is Yet to Be.
Matthew Goh (3.11)
MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships 2018
From the 31st of May to the 2nd of June, our school’s IB Debate Team, consisting of Jonathan Loke (6.06), Michael Lee (6.06), Gabriel See (6.05), Wesley Ng (5.19) and Luke Tay (5.19), competed in the MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships held at ACJC against other pre-tertiary institutions in Singapore. The team made it past the preliminary rounds with 5 out of 6 wins, ranking 3rd. They subsequently debated their way to the Grand Finals, where they faced Victoria Junior College. With a convincing 5-2 split, the team was successful in claiming the championship, the first time in our school’s history since 2010.
In addition, 3 of the 5 speakers ranked in the top 20 positions, with Jonathan in 11th place, Michael in 8th place and Gabriel in 4th place. Jonathan was also named Best Speaker in the Grand Finals. Thanks must be extended to our teachers in charge, Mr Jacob Mok and Ms Christina Raj, as well as the Senior Administration. We would also like to thank our coaches, Mr Walter Yeo and Mr Samuel Wittberger, for their constant patience and dedication to the team. We are also extremely grateful for our seniors and alumni, whose help was instrumental in our preparation for the finals.
Michael Lee (6.06)
Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Championships 2018
On the 19th and 26th of May, our school’s under-14 debating team, comprising Harith Menon and Euan Lim from 2.09, Jonathan Yeoh and Michael Liew from 1.09, and John Lagman from 1.03, took part in the annual Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s competition. There, we pitted ourselves against many teams, taking part in several gruelling rounds until we made it to the finals of the competition. In the finals, we were pitted against Raffles Institution. Despite our best efforts, we lost the finals in a closely contested 4-1 split and emerged as first-runners’ up. Furthermore, Harith Menon emerged as the 4th best speaker in the entire tournament. It has been an amazing learning journey for the team, learning from our mistakes. We would like to thank the senior admin, our teachers in charge, Miss Raj and Mr Jacob Mok, our coaches, Samuel Wittberger and Walter Yeo, and our seniors, all of whom have supported and guided us through our journey. Lastly, we would like to thank God, for without whom none of this would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Harith Menon (2.09)
ACJC Orator’s Trophy 2018
On the 24th of February, the ACS (Independent) Debate Club sent Harith Menon from 2.09 to compete in the annual ACJC Orator’s Trophy competition. He persevered throughout the competition, speaking on complex issues, and, despite facing stiff competition from schools like RGS, MGS and Nanyang Girls High, he made it to the finals where he eventually attained second place.
He would like to thank the senior administration, the teachers-in-charge and his coaches for showing constant support and understanding throughout the entire competition. Lastly, he would like to thank God, without him none of this would have been possible. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Harith Menon (2.09)
ACJC Methodist Schools’ Debate Cup 2017
On 21st October, the ACS (I) Debate Club fielded two teams to compete in the Methodist Schools’ Debate Cup 2017. Both teams performed well, facing off against each other in the final round. Team A, comprising Matthew Goh (2.09), Keane Tan (3.10), Thomas Loke (3.11), Bryan Tan (4.10) and Luke Tay (4.11), emerged as the overall champions of the tournament after 3 wins and was awarded the Bishop Dr Robert Solomon Cup. Team B, comprising Dixi (2.10), Guan Wei (2.11), Matthew Tham and Jonathan Lim (both from 3.10), and Joshua Wee (3.12), achieved 2 wins across the 3 rounds. In addition, our debaters from both teams earned competition speaker rankings of note, with Joshua Wee placing 10th, Luke Tay placing 7th, Matthew Tham placing 6th, Thomas Loke placing 5th, Bryan Tan placing 3rd, and Jonathan Lim emerging as the top-ranking speaker, clinching the prestigious Ernest Lau Cup. We would like to thank God, for His unwavering faithfulness and support throughout our training and the competition itself, as well as the Senior Administration, coaches, teachers, and seniors for their support and guidance. To God be the glory, the Best Is Yet to Be.
Bryan Tan (4.10)
Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Championships 2017
For the 2017 ACS (I) U-14 debate team, 20th May marked the beginning of our competitive debate experience. At Raffles Institution, our team comprising of Krishna (2.01), Chin Guan Wei (2.11), Tanay Jacob (2.08), Tan Di Xi (2.10), and Matthew Goh (2.09) gave the debate championships their all. After 7 hours of intense preparation and debate, we emerged from the preliminary rounds having won two out of the three rounds. Although we did not qualify for the break rounds, we still learnt the essential skills of exploring each motion in detail and choosing the best case to run. These will serve us well in our debate journey in the years to come!
Matthew Goh 2.09
ACJC Methodist Schools’ Debate Cup 2016
On the 22nd of October, the ACS (I) Debate Club sent 2 teams to compete against other Methodist Schools in the Anglo-Chinese Junior College Methodist Schools’ Debate Cup 2016. Team B, consisting of Thomas Loke and Matthew Tham (both from 2.09), Vernon Goh and Jonathan Lim (both from 2.10), and Bryan Tan (3.10) earned themselves 2 wins across 3 rounds, while Team A, consisting of Keane Tan (2.09), Joseph Chan (3.09), Luke Tay (3.11), and Wesley Ng (3.15) came in 1st Runners-Up with 3 wins, edged out on points by Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School. In addition, many of our debaters earned competition speaker rankings of note, with Jonathan Lim placing 3rd, Vernon Goh placing 4th, Joseph Chan placing 6th, Thomas Loke placing 8th, and Wesley Ng placing 10th. We would like to thank God, for His unwavering faithfulness and support throughout our training and the competition itself, as well as the Senior Administration, coaches, teachers, and seniors for their support and guidance. To God be the glory, the Best Is Yet to Be.
Wesley Ng (3.15)
World School’s Debating Championships 2016
The World School’s Debating Championships 2016 were held in Stuttgart, Germany. Team Singapore competed against over 50 other countries on the biggest international platform in school debating, winning 6 out of 8 preliminary rounds against South Korea, Philippines, Croatia, Nepal, Montenegro and Nigeria and losing to Netherlands and Canada. Team Singapore then went on to beat Thailand in the Partial Double-Octofinal and lost to Denmark in the Octofinals.
As a part of Team Singapore, I served in an Observer position. This was to say that I trailed the team during the 8 pre-tournament spars in Stuttgart, as well as during the competition. I also participated in events like Cultural Night and Break Night.
From this tournament, I took away 2 key insights. The first is the nature of discourse on an international level as an inherently vibrant and diverse one; we ought not let our worldview be parochial and constrained by our own geographical boundaries. The second is more specific to debate; there are a variety of different approaches taken toward the art of debate – to this end, there are things to be taken away from these different mechanisms.
This was an invaluable experience that will definitely be enshrined in my memory for a long time. For the learning and the memories, I am grateful.
Christian Yeo (5.17)
Oldham Cup 2016
In April this year, the IB Debate team participated in the Oldham Cup. The competition saw a myriad of local and schools from around the region competing, including the national teams of China and Hong Kong. Nevertheless, the team of Axl Chua (6.12), Natalie Yeo (6.17) and Sundar Vellaiyappan (6.4) defeated schools such as Raffles Institution (Junior College) to emerge 6th. Axl was also named the 2nd Best Speaker of the tournament.
Natalie Yeo (6.17)
Debate Academy Singapore-ITE Debate Series 2016
On 9th to 10th of April 2016, the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Debate Competition Team, consisting of Gaurav Kumar (5.7), Christian Yeo (5.17), Natalie Yeo (6.17), Sundar Vellaiyappan (6.4) and Axl Chua (6.12) participated in the Debate Association ITE Debate Championships, a tournament jointly organized by the Debate Association of Singapore and the Institute of Technical Education. After three rounds of intensive debating on controversial and poignant issues, which affect Singaporeans, such as the question of conditioning of welfare on the attendance of SkillsFuture classes, the team emerged as the 5th team out of 50 teams in the tournament after narrowly losing to Hwa Chong Institution in the last preliminary round. Two of our speakers also excelled and attained individual accolades, with Axl Chua and Natalie Yeo ranking 9th and 18th respectively in the entire competition.
Sundar Vellaiyappan (6.4)
Debate Academy Singapore-ITE Debate Series 2015
On the 18th of April, our debate team participated in the DA(S)-ITE Debate Series 2015. Debating motions such as “THW abolish independent schools”, our speakers did well to acquit themselves, with Natalie Yeo (5.17) ranking as the 17th best speaker in a field of over 80 debaters from other schools.
Timothy Ong (6.5)
Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Tournament 2015
On the 16th and 23rd of May, our club’s under-14s team participated in the Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Tournament, speaking in 6 rounds of intense intellectual and oratorical battle. Breaking 6th out of 8 breaking teams, we persevered on to reach the Grand Finals meeting Methodist Girls’ School. We fought hard and unfortunately after a 4-3 split decision we ended up as Runners-up. Our debaters indeed gained much from this remarkable experience.
The team comprised of Anson Tay from 2.13, Don Teh from 2.09 (both of whom ranked 7th best speaker of the series), Wesley Ng form 2.13, Joshua Wee, 1.11, and lastly Joseph Chan from 2.10 who ranked 3rd best speaker of the series).
We first and foremost would like to thank God, from whom all blessings flow. We would also like to thank the Senior Administration, our coaches, our teachers and seniors for supporting us throughout the intense period of preparation and competition. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Joseph Chan (2.10)
NUS Students’ Political Association Debate Series 2015
On the 28th February and 7th March, members of our IB debating team–specifically Axl Chua from 5.12, Natalie Yeo from 5.7, Joie Tan from 6.10, Gavin Goh from 6.18, and Timothy Ong from 6.5–participated in the NUS Students’ Political Association Debate Series. We faced UWC in the quarter finals, convincingly beating them by a score of 3-0. We then moved on to face Raffles Institution in the semi-finals. After a nerve-biting round where we narrowly edged them out, we faced Hwa Chong Institution in the finals. Unfortunately, after a 4-1 split, we ended up as runners-up of the tournament. We first and foremost would like to thank God, from whom all blessings flow. We would also like to thank our coaches, our teachers, and the Senior Administration ,for their support and guidance. To God be the Glory, the Best is Yet to Be.
Timothy Ong (6.5)
MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships 2014
On the 6th to 7th of June, 2014, our IB debating team participated in the annual MOE-ACJC Intercollegiate Debating Championships. The team consisted of Arthur Lee (5.18), Timothy Ong (5.05), Gavin Ezra Goh (5.18), Jaime Han (6.18) and Kimberley Chiu (5.18). We did our school proud, winning all the preliminary matches to enter the quarter-finals, where we faced NUS High School, and emerged victorious to defeat Victoria Junior College in the semi-final. In a tightly contested Grand Final, we lost to the hosts Anglo-Chinese Junior College in a split decision amongst members of the judging panel. In addition, all three of our speakers (Arthur Lee, Timothy Ong, and Gavin Goh) were honoured amongst the top 20 individual speakers of the tournament. We would like to thank our coach, Mr. Ryan Leow, our teachers, Ms. Christina Raj, Mr. Jacob Mok, and Mr. Gregory Stenta, for their support. We would also like to thank the various alumni who contributed to our cases and gave crucial feedback and guidance, including Walter Yeo, David Crawshaw, Rohan Shah, and many others.
Arthur Lee (5.18)
Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Tournament 2014
On the 24th and 31st of May, the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) debate team participated in the Raffles Debate Academy Under-14s Debate Tournament 2014. After facing tough opponents such as Hwa Chong Institution and Methodist Girls School in the preliminary rounds, we proceeded to break out into the quarter-finals with 3 wins and being placed 1st on the ranking tables. We then proceeded to win the quarter finals against CHIJ St Nicholas, and the semi-finals against Methodist Girls School.
In the finals against our worthy opponents, Raffles Institution, we put up a valiant effort and emerged first runners up.
The team comprised of Joseph Chan from 1.9, and Christopher Low, Gabriel See, Pulkit Athavale, and Michael Lee from 2.10. In addition, Christopher was ranked as the 9th best speaker in the competition, while Pulkit was recognised as the top debater of the tournament.
We would like to thank our coaches, Walter Yeo and Ryan Leow, our seniors, Tim, Arthur, Gavin, Yun Ze, TJ and Axl, the teachers in charge, Ms. Christina Raj, Mr. Gregory Stenta, and Mr. Jacob Mok, as well as other teachers who have been understanding when we were busy with debate.
Thanks to all the supporters who came down to watch us debate and to our juniors, please continue to keep the flame alive, to uphold our rich tradition as a debating school as well as the AC spirit, being men of character while doing so.
Michael Lee (2.14)
ACJC Methodist Cup 2013
On the 19th of October, two teams from the Debate Club participated in the ACJC Methodist Cup Debate Tournament. After a day of intense debating, our senior team emerged as the champions of the tournament and won the Bishop Dr. Robert Solomon Debate Cup. The junior team comprised of Christopher Low from 1.10, Pulkit Athavale from 1.10, Gabriel See from 1.10, Jonathan Loke from 1.11, and Sundar from 3.08; while the senior team comprised of Michael Lee from 1.10, Lee Pak Shuang from 1.01, Gaurav Kumar from 2.07, Axl Chua from 3.16, and Timothy James Chong from 3.14. Additionally, 4 of our debaters made it onto the top 10 best speakers of the tournament, with Christopher placing 9th, Pulkit placing 5th, Axl placing 2nd, and Timothy James Chong placing 1st and winning the Earnest Lau Cup for Best Individual Performance. We would like to thank the senior admin for their unwavering support, our teachers-in-charge Ms. Christina Raj, Mr. Jacob Mok, and Mr. Gregory Stenta, our coaches Mr. Walter Yeo, Mr. Ryan Leow, and Mr. David Crawshaw, our seniors, and lastly (and most importantly) God for blessing us with the clarity of mind and confidence during the competition.
Timothy Chong (3.14)
Harry Elias Partnership Law Debates 2013
From the 20th of February to the 1st of June 2013, Lim Shu En Anne (6.12), Bertrice Hsu Li-Jia (6.12), Keisha Ong (6.10), and Nathalie Koh (6.11) represented Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in The Harry Elias Partnership LLP National Law Debates 2013.
Opposing the motion “Resolved: The Singapore Courts should accord media defendants in defamation suits with special status”, the team beat Andersen Junior College in the General Rounds, qualifying within the top-8 teams to enter the Quarter-Finals. Our debaters went on to beat Temasek Junior College and Raffles Institution 3-0 at the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals respectively to proceed to the Grand Finals.
On the 1st of June 2013, team ACS (Independent) met Hwa Chong Institution at the Grand Finals held at Singapore Management University. At the end of a grueling, challenging round where the team battled the questions of not only their opposing team, but the judges as well, our debaters did the school proud and emerged champions. In addition to winning the championship, the team also received the special award of Best Semi-Finalists and Anne Lim was named the Best Speaker of the Grand Finals.
Lim Shu En Anne (6.12)
Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships 2013
From February to May 2013, the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) debate team participated in the annual Singapore Secondary School Debating Championships jointly organised by the Debate Association of Singapore. After winning two preliminary rounds against SJI (International) and Hwa Chong Institution, we narrowly lost the third round to Raffles Institution. Rebounding from this loss, we managed to beat the top-ranked team in the division table–Singapore Chinese Girls’ School–in the quarter-finals and won the debate against Hwa Chong Institution in the Semi-Finals. On the 3rd of May, we went up against Raffles Institution in an exciting grand final wherein we debated the motion: “This House Believes That Formal Debates Between Candidates Should Be an Integral Part of All Election Campaigns”. In a close 3-2 split decision, we clinched the championship shield. Our debaters also received additional honours–Gavin was named the best speaker of the Grand Final and Timothy ranked 5th overall in the competition. The winning team consisted of Timothy Ong from 4.10, Gavin Goh from 4.16, Wee Yeong Xin from 4.17, Arthur Lee from 4.10, and Axl Chua from 3.16.
Arthur Lee (4.10)
NUS Policy Studies Seminar & Debates Series 2013
On the 6th of April, our school’s IB Debating team contested in the Policy Studies Seminar and Debate Series organised by the NUS Students’ Political Association. Going against opponents from Temasek Junior College, United World College, and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, our team managed to win all our rounds to progress to the grand finals on the 17th of April. In the grand finals, we fought a close and exciting round against worthy opponents Hwa Chong Institution–opponents that we nonetheless triumphed over; we emerged as champions of the debate series. The team consisted of Cheang Kit Lea from 5.18, Jaime Han from 5.18, and Lee Yun Ze from 5.11.
Lee Yun Ze (5.11)
NUS-SCWO Challenge Shield 2013
On the 23rd and 24th of March, our secondary school debate team participated in the NUS-SCWO Challenge Shield, a competition jointly organized by the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Council of Women’s Organizations. After four rounds of intense debating wherein we faced debaters from Temasek Junior College, Meridian Junior College, Nanyang Girl’s High School, and even the National Debate Team, we arose as the top-placed secondary school division team after the preliminary rounds. We then proceeded to secure wins against arch-rivals Raffles Institution in the quarter-finals and SJI (International) in the semi-finals. In a 9-0 unanimous adjudicator decision, we triumphed over the team from Hwa Chong Institution and emerged as champions. Additionally, our debaters Timothy, Gavin, and Arthur were tied for a joint 5th overall speaker ranking. The team consisted of Timothy Ong from 4.10, Gavin Goh from 4.16, Wee Yeong Xin from 4.17, Arthur Lee from 4.10, and Timothy Chong from 3.14.
Arthur Lee (4.10)
Harry Elias Partnership LLP National Law Debates 2012
From the 9th of March to the 9th of June 2012, Lim Shu En Anne (5.12), Bertrice Hsu Li-Jia (5.12) and Keisha Ong (5.10) represented Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in The Harry Elias Partnership LLP National Law Debates 2012, a tournament designed to mirror actual court proceedings and the rigours of civil litigation. Our debaters qualified within the top-8 to face Dunman High School in the quarterfinals. They demonstrated great oratorical skill arguing their case against their opponents in the Interrogatories and faced probing questions from the judging panel comprising of three lawyers and a partner of Harry Elias. Taking the round by unanimous decision, they proceeded to the semi-finals against Anglo-Chinese Junior College. It was a battle of wits and words and ultimately our girls bowed out to their formidable opponents by a 2-1 decision. Considered one of the most gruelling tournaments on the local debate circuit today, it is with pride that our debaters have managed to attain such an achievement. To God be the glory, the best is yet to be.
Lim Shu En Anne (5.12)
Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships 2012
In the annual Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships jointly organized by the Debate Association of Singapore and the Julia Gabriel Centre, we managed to clinch the title of third place after many rounds of intense and vigorous debating. Our school was represented by Lee Yun Ze (4.12), Arthur Lee (3.10), Timothy Ong (3.10), Gavin Goh (3.16) and Timothy Chong (2.07). We emerged triumphant in the first preliminary round against United World College but lost the second round to Hwa Chong Institution. We rebounded from this loss, however, by beating Nanyang Girls’ High School in a close debate in the third round, proceeding to the quarter-finals as the 4th overall ranked team on the league table. After winning against CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent, we lost to Raffles Institution in the semi-finals. All was not lost as we gained another victory over Nanyang Girl’s High School in the 3rd/4th placing match. As an additional honour, Lee Yun Ze attained the title of overall 6th ranked speaker while Timothy Ong ranked 7th.
Arthur Lee (3.10)