JOIN USThe students of various schools and colleges battled it out for the title of best debater, at the eighth edition of ‘Verbattle’.
The competition was held at JSS Auditorium. The finals of the event — as well as junior and beginner debate competitions — came to a close with the teams from Mangalore emerging as the winners.
Rakshith Shetty and Panchami Pradeep, from Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, Mangalore, won the competition. The teams from Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College and CMR National Public School gave them a tough fight.
The topics for the final round in the senior category were: ‘Education should be compulsory at the high school level,’ ‘Debates are entertainment with a purpose’ and ‘Dishonesty is what defines politics today’.
In the junior category of ‘Verbattle’, meant for students in the age group of 12-16 years, Shivani Shenoy and Annapoorna Chakrabarty from Little Rock English School, Bramhavar, were declared the winners. The teams from Vidyashilp Academy, Bangalore and St Mary’s English School, Udupi, were declared the runners-up. Deepak Thimaya, the presenter and founder of ‘Verbattle’, said that the competition has become better since its inception.
The competitors felt that it was a great stage for them to prove their mettle and test their oratory skills. “‘Verbattle’ is a one-of-its-kind platform, which gives great exposure to us.
We learn so much from each other and take back pleasant memories. It is a tremendous learning experience for us,” said Vaishnavi, one of the finalists of ‘Verbattle’ junior category. Each of the teams articulated their point well and gave the winning teams a good fight. The students were clear about their point of view. The students could be seen interacting with those of other schools and colleges.
The students also felt that such events helped them increase their awareness about topical events taking place in the country.
“‘Verbattle’ is a podium where students from all age groups can express their thoughts freely, without any hindrance,” shared Sai Shakti, a finalist of the senior category from Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College.