After a week of competition, the 2025 World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ended on Saturday night, April 5. DA’s three debaters—Edie ’25, Lily ’25, and Avery ’25—did remarkably well in four events. DA survived two eliminations, making it through two rounds of preliminaries to semi-finals and finals. But WIDPSC is a lot more than competition. Spending a week with over 120 debaters representing fourteen national delegations, our students forged lasting friendships through teamwork, mutual respect, and eye-opening cultural experiences.
Highlights of the past week include the breaking down of borders, as friends cheered for friends across national identities; time spent at the Perdana Botanical Gardens, the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, and Kuala Lumpur Chinatown; lots of excellent food; and an expedition to the Batu Caves, where we climbed 272 steps to the shrine of the Hindu God Murugan. Time to begin the long trip back to Deerfield!
