Ocerians Sharpen Their Debating Skills
- Aug 16
- 4 min read
Since its inception, Ocer Campion Jesuit College has seen the birth of several clubs. Some have arrived with great enthusiasm and plenty of fanfare, only to disappear quietly when circumstances became less favourable. Others, however, have proved that they are made of sterner stuff. They have survived changing seasons, busy school calendars and the occasional shortage of enthusiasm, managing to remain active and relevant.
Among these survivors is the Ocer Debating Club, currently under the patronage of Mr. Bwambale Samwel, assisted by Ms. Abedi Fiona.
The club may not always make the loudest noise around the school, but it is certainly making an impact. Its members are being trained in public speaking, attentive listening, rhetoric, the art of formulating and organizing arguments, and—perhaps most importantly—the ability to disagree without turning a disagreement into a quarrel.
In other words, the club is teaching students how to argue without fighting. That is a skill that could probably benefit the entire world!
The fruits of this effort are already becoming visible. And, interestingly, the Debating Club was not prepared to let even the notorious “lousy week” pass without putting its skills to good use.
Eight Teams, One Competition
On Monday, August 10, 2026, Ocer hosted an interclass debate competition that brought together eight teams. With several classes entering the competition, the event promised plenty of arguments—and, thankfully, all of them were meant to remain verbal.
The organizers also took an important step to ensure fairness. Rather than relying entirely on judges from within the school, they invited external judges to assess the contestants. This was a clever move, especially in a competition where students might otherwise be tempted to wonder whether the judges had a favourite class hiding somewhere in their hearts.
The result was a competition in which the contestants had to depend on one thing alone: their performance.
And according to Aber Tracy of S5, the performance was anything but predictable.
When the Young Ones Win
The competition was stiff, and the contestants quickly discovered that age and class level were not necessarily advantages. Seniority might earn a student a little more respect around school, but it could not win an argument.
S5, for instance, found this out rather painfully.
Their team was initially pitted against S2. On paper, perhaps, the older students might have expected to have the upper hand. But debates, as the contestants soon discovered, do not read school timetables or class registers.
To the surprise of the S5 team, S2 won.
“We were puzzled and depressed after losing to our young brothers and sisters,” Tracy recalls.
It was certainly not the result they had expected. But sometimes a defeat can teach more than a victory—provided one is willing to listen.
Fortunately, one of the judges offered words that helped the disappointed team regain its confidence. The judge reminded them that debate is a mind game in which there is no real loss: one either wins or learns.
That perspective changed things.
Rather than allowing the defeat to break their spirit, the team regrouped. Tracy explains that they “carried on with the team and became better.”
And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons of debating: losing an argument does not necessarily mean losing the battle.
An Unexpected Ending
As the competition progressed, the teams continued to battle it out, sharpening their arguments and improving their delivery. And then came the twist.
Despite their earlier defeat, the Senior Five contenders eventually emerged as the winners of the competition.
What an ending!
The same team that had started the competition with the disappointment of losing to S2 eventually walked away as champions. Their journey from defeat to victory turned out to be almost as important as the victory itself.
It was a useful reminder that competitions are not always won by those who start strongly. Sometimes, the real winner is the team that knows how to recover.
Debate as Self-Discovery
Reflecting on the competition afterwards, Tracy, together with her colleagues Achol Deng Garang and Khemisa Kideni, came to see the experience as more than simply a contest between classes.
For them, the competition became a lesson in attitude, perseverance and decision-making.
Tracy observes that “attitude and the decisions one makes determine the future.” A disappointing result, therefore, does not have to determine what comes next. What matters is what one chooses to do after the disappointment.
She goes further, encouraging students not to give up before the journey is actually over.
“Rest when you are done, not when you have finished,” she says.
It is a striking distinction. Sometimes, what appears to be the end is simply an invitation to try again.
And perhaps that is exactly what happened to the S5 team. They did not allow their early defeat to become the final chapter of their story. They kept going, improved as a team and eventually found themselves on top.
Tracy's final reflection may be the most profound of all: “Debate is self-discovery.”
Indeed, debating is not merely about defeating an opponent with clever arguments. It teaches students to listen, think critically, question their assumptions, organize their thoughts and speak with confidence. It also teaches a lesson that examinations cannot always capture: sometimes, you can be completely convinced that you are right and still discover that someone else has a better argument!
The interclass debate therefore proved to be much more than an activity to fill the so-called lousy week. It became a practical lesson in resilience, teamwork, communication and intellectual humility.
And for the Ocer Debating Club, the message is clear: the arguments may change, the winners may change, and the topics may change—but the art of thinking and speaking well is here to stay.
