Tzu Chi Secondary School, led by the Speech and Debate Club, sent six delegates last May 6-8 to compete in one of the most awaited events this year, The World Scholar’s Cup (WSC). Albeit nerve-wracking as it is the first time that TCS will be joining WSC again, the teams harnessed their inner alpaca and fearlessly embarked on this incredible journey as they competed against over a thousand scholars from other schools around Jakarta. Soon, they were on their way to Bangkok for the Global Rounds that was held from August 31-September 7.

In an extraordinary display of determination, and teamwork, our students eagerly and resolutely accepted the World Scholar's Cup challenge. Their success was built on hours of in-depth study, engaging debates, and collaborative work. Our Junior and Senior teams triumphed at the regional level, winning various individual and team awards that highlighted their extraordinary skills. These events include Team Debate, Collaborative Writing, Scholar’s Challenge, and Scholar’s Bowl. This earned them a qualification in the Bangkok II Global Rounds, where they also emerged victorious winning silver and gold medals in the writing and debate competitions.

Beyond the tangible rewards, our students have gained priceless life skills as a result of their participation in the World Scholar's Cup. They have gained a learning experience, discovered their talents, and have honed their skills to refine their communication skills, and critical thinking as well as socialize with other students from other schools. Andrew Koesnaidi, one of the participants in the Senior category, said, “It was very stressful and chaotic, but somehow fun. I realized that public speaking was harder than I anticipated, the World Scholar’s Cup made me see that we learn from others. Debating with students from other schools taught me a thing or two on what to improve. We’re just focusing on doing our very best in the final leg of the competition, which is the ToC.”

Additionally, the tournament has given them a love for lifelong learning and a thirst for knowledge that they will always carry with them. They have explored their potential, broadened their perspectives, and developed a profound appreciation for intellectual curiosity due to the World Scholar's Cup. Graciella Angelique Irawan, one-third of the Seniors, expressed,
“ToC will definitely be way bigger than the Globals, which means harder debates but also many more people we would meet. I really look forward to reuniting with all the friends we’ve made in Bangkok and finding new ones in ToC. Above all though, I really look forward to meeting with the school’s teams (both seniors and juniors) once again and being able to be back together, I think that part had always been my favorite part of all this.” Their story, though, has just begun. The students (now referred to as WSC scholars) and their coaches have srtated making arrangements as they prepare for the Tournament of Champions that is held in Yale University. It is another opportunity to showcase the academic and creative prowess of Tzu Chi students.

In the following academic year, we hope to involve more TCS students to join the Alpaca squad. 

Joanna Jamaima Ferriol

WSC Head Coach