St. Karen’s Collegiate School hosted the first edition of its Inter -School Debate competition , The Verbatim: Word for Word, bringing together students of std 9&10 from eleven reputed schools. Participants presented their views on the topic “Holistic Living Is a Pipe Dream with Modern Technology and Fast-Paced Life” with clarity and conviction.
The event began with the symbolic Hope Tree Ceremony, part of the school’s Social Impact Initiative, reflecting hopes for a more mindful and empathetic world. Director Mr. D.P. Galstaun graced the occasion, and the competition was judged by Dr. Muniba Sami, Dr. Nandini Mehta and Dr. Avhinav Shetty Jaiswal, with Ms. Priya Manish Kumar serving as moderator.
The competition concluded with seven outstanding performers being honoured:
• Best Speaker (For): Vriti Singh – The Tribhuvan School
• Best Speaker (Against): Aardhya Sharma – Foundation Academy
• Best Rebuttal (For): Maryam Sayed Kaha – Open Minds A Birla School, Danapur
• Best Rebuttal (Against): Akshat Priyansh – Delhi Public School
• Moderator’s Choice Award: Kumari Akansha – St. Karen’s High School
• Noteworthy Speaker: Athrava – St. Karen’s High School
• Promising Speaker: Devpreeti Mukherjee – St. Karen’s Secondary School
The inaugural Verbatim set an inspiring benchmark, celebrating meaningful dialogue and the powerful voices of young debaters.