From Oct. 16-19, Salar Sekhavat, David Xiong (both ’26) and Ahna Jung ’27 competed in the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition (IISPSC), held in Portland, Maine. The Upper School (US) debaters were selected through a rigorous audition process beginning last spring. Accompanied by US English Teacher Talayah Hudson, the team won the Top American School Award. Salar took home three awards: the Selwyn House Trophy for Top Individual Performance, the Geoff Buerger Top American Speaker Award and the Phil Hansen Citizenship Award. Ahna placed second with her After Dinner speech, and David was a News Podcast finalist.
What made this year’s team stand out at IISPSC?
Ms. Hudson: They spent months over the summer working on their drafts, working on their delivery, working on their presentation and selecting readings. It takes a lot of dedication to give up parts of your summer to work on a persuasive speech or to send your coach videos of you doing impromptus, and that stands out. They were really consistent, and they put in the work to develop those skills in the offseason.
What’s one key tip that’s helped you become a stronger debater?
David: There’s a saying in our debate team that you ‘fake it ‘till you make it,’ and as daunting as it may seem, especially if you are a novice speaker and you’re trying this out for the first time, the best way is to practice.
Salar: When I first started, I was so worried about what I had to say that was going to make us win that round and, because of that, I would get myself stressed when I got up to speak. Then, there was a turning point where, suddenly, I realized speaking was an art. There’s something so special about not knowing what comes next and still being able to weave a story or an argument against your opponents.
Ahna: When I started debating, I was far from a fluent or coherent speaker, but after practicing over and over and just really loving what I was doing, I was able to acquire the skill of becoming a speaker who could articulate ideas.
How did it feel to win the Top American School Award?
David: It was a huge honor, and it’s also incredible because I’ve known my two fellow teammates for quite a long time. It’s great to see all the hard work of the BB&N Debate Program come together on this international stage, and it’s a testament to the effort we’ve all put in to reach this point.
Salar: Not only did all three of us give it our all, we had a really fun time together. Winning that award meant so much more than its title because it was a reflection of how much we liked each other and how much we liked this sport we were engaged in.
How has debate shaped the way you think or approach challenges?
Salar: What it’s really taught is how to deal with the fact that the world is not always black and white and that there are arguments from both sides in most cases. Debate has also given me an appreciation of the variety of perspectives that exist in the world and the skills to question my world and to really peel it apart and see the underlying connections.
Ahna: Debate is a lot of on-the-spot work, and you have to think really quickly in the moment, which has definitely helped me in every aspect of life.
