UGM Wins Bawor for First Time, UI Debater Defends JFF Title

Bawor Cup 2014 Champ - UGM (Alif & Indri)

#1 Universitas Gadjah Mada (Alif Satria & Indriani Pratiwi) emerged as the winner of the 2014 Bawor Cup. It was the first time for the school to champion Purwokerto's annual debate, which has benefited from its past ties with the World Universities Peace Invitational Debate. WUPID stopped running last year. The winning debaters also came out as co-best speakers of the tournament. In the final on Sunday, they defeated #2 UI, #3 Binus University and host #8 EFEC Universitas Jenderal Soedirman C.

On the same day, Roderick Sibarani from Universitas Indonesia championed the Just For Fun debate for the second time in a row and also took home the funniest speaker award. On Sunday, he won the tournament with Magreta Kailla Adenta who was also his partner during the victorious run in this year's ALSA UI English Competition. JFF 2014 followed the tournament's tradition of having fantasy motions and had topics related to Disney. Magreta also topped the individual tab.

NUDC 2014: UI Wins First Title, Breaks Binus Streak

NUDC 2014 Champ - UI (Dennys Kapa & Aulia Anggita)

Universitas Indonesia has the most successful debating society in the country with a room full of trophies from all major nationwide debate tournaments bar one - the National Universities Debating Championship (NUDC), the top school-based British Parliamentary contest. That void finally has been filled. #1 UI (Dennys Kapa & Aulia Anggita) won the 2014 NUDC last night after defending the final motion that proposed Indonesia should invest more in the arms industry.

UI dashed the hope of #2 Binus University (Rivera Kathrin & Marchella Febriyanti) that were bent on grabbing the fourth consecutive title for the Jakarta-based school. The other finalists were #4 Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indriani Pratiwi & Wida Wahyuni) and #7 Universitas Sanata Dharma (Sekartiyasa Kusumastuti & Tethy Pesoa), which both came from Yogyakarta. The UI, Binus and Sanata Dharma, the top three in the final, are eligible for funding to go to the 2015 World Universities Debating Championships in Malaysia.

UI's Dennys Kapa came out as the best speaker of the tournament, a title that last went to an UI debater in 2012. He graduated from a high school in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, one of the most impoverished provinces in Indonesia. Today's victory crowned his years of national success that include two ALSA UI championship titles, the last one won with her NUDC partner Aulia Anggita. He is an example how a debater from a non-Java high school can excel on the national stage when he can find a suitable institution and receive a supporting environment to train and enhance his skills.

In the novice category, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Novarian Budi & Husna Amirah) from East Java came out triumphant after defeating three non-Java teams Universitas Andalas, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara and Universitas Mulawarman. The best novice speaker award went Ida Ayu Pradnya Paramita from Universitas Udayana Bali, who was a member of Team Indonesia in the 2013 World Schools Debating Championships. The former high school debating star is an example of a talented non-Java debater who decided to stay in her home province after graduation. Udayana reached all the way to the main quarterfinal.

DOTY 2014: UI Debaters Contest Gadjah Mada Reign

Universitas Indonesia debaters Roderick Sibarani and Magreta Kailla Adenta sailed to the top of the 2014 Debater of the Year table after their win in the recent ALSA UI E-Comp, breaking the dominance of speakers from Universitas Gadjah Mada. The UGM trio of Romario Tambunan, Indriani Pratiwi and Alif Satria had been taking the lead since they won the Indonesian Varsities English Debate in January. Romario still holds pole position for now but the margin is razor thin. The UGM reign may still emerge this year as the trio seem to be present in almost every tournament while UI debaters are more selective.

The other competition that contributed to the table for April 2014 was the English Parade in Malang. Although SKEPTIC, a competition in Yogyakarta in April, was billed as national, it was not considered due to its lack of participation from strong debate clubs from outside that city. The full list can be accessed here. The top 10 individuals on the DOTY 2014 as of April 2014 is as follows:

1. Romario Tambunan (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
2. Roderick Sibarani (Universitas Indonesia)
3. Indriani Pratiwi (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
4. Magreta Kailla Adenta (Universitas Indonesia)
5. Alif Satria (Universitas Indonesia)
6. Vicario Reinaldo (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
7. Cindy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta)
8. Melisa Irene (Binus International)
9. Erwina Salsabila (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
10. Revian Wirabuana (Universitas Parahyangan)  

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: Key Results (Varsity)

Champion: #1 Universitas Indonesia A (Terry Muthahhari, Magreta Kailla Adenta, Roderick Sibarani)
Finalist: #3 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta A (Cindy Fransisca, Kario Teguh, Silvya Suwandy)
Best Speaker: Roderick Sibarani (Universitas Indonesia A)

Top Speakers
1. Roderick Sibarani (Universitas Indonesia A)
2. CIndy Fransisca (Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta A)
3. Wida Wahyuni (Universitas Gadjah Mada A)
4. Magreta Kailla Adenta (Universitas Indonesia A)
4. Romario Tambunan (Universitas Gadjah Mada A)
6. Indriani Pratiwi (Universitas Gadjah Mada A)
7. Albert Santoso (Universitas Indonesia B)
7. Kirana Kania (Institut Teknologi Bandung A)
9. Terry Muthahhari (Universitas Indonesia A)
9. Aulia Widyaputra (Institut Teknologi Bandung A)

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: Key Results (High School)

Champion: #2 SMA 4 Denpasar A (Denny Adiputra, Yunindita Prasidya, Putu Ayu Saraswati)
Finalist: #4 SMA 1 Denpasar A (Elizabeth Hanakata, Biani Himawan, Keila Ayu Anandasita)
Best Speaker: Yunindita Prasidya (SMA 4 Denpasar A)

Top 10 Speakers
1. Yunindita Prasidya (SMA 4 Denpasar A)
2. Putu Ayu Saraswati (SMA 4 Denpasar A)
3. Alif Azadi (SMA Modal Bangsa A)
4. Denny Adiputra (SMA 4 Denpasar A)
5. Gracia Nicole Tan (SMA 4 Denpasar B)
6. Vincentius Michael (SMAK 1 Penabur Bandung A)
6. Kevin Bonaparte (SMA 17 Makassar B)
8. Yandiaz Siregar (SMA 4 Denpasar B)
9. Muhammad Armiya (SMA Modal Bangsa A)
9. Keila Ayu Anandasita (SMA 1 Denpasar A)
9. Bagus Santosa (SMA 1 Sidoarjo B)

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: UI, SMA 4 Denpasar Recapture Titles

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014 Champions:  UI A

Universitas Indonesia and SMA 4 Denpasar won the ALSA UI English Competition, the country's longest running debate tournament, in 2011 and 2012 in their respective categories. They both lost their titles last year but reclaimed them today. #1 UI A (Magreta Kailla Adenta, Roderick Sibarani, Terry Muthahhari) defeated #3 Universitas Atma Jaya A (Cindy Fransisca, Kario Teguh, Silvya Suwandy) in the varsity category while #2 SMA 4 Denpasar A (Yunindita Prasidya, Putu Ayu Saraswati, Denny Adiputra) outclassed cross-city rival #4 SMA 1 Denpasar A (Elizabeth Hanakata, Biani Himawan, Keila Ayu).

UI's Roderick Sibarani, who was part of the UI team that won in 2011, topped the speaker tab. The best high school debater was Yunindita Prasidya from SMA 4 Denpasar, which also produced the three previous winners of this award. ALSA UI E-Comp continues to be the most complicated event to run as there are parallel debate competitions as well as a Model United Nations conference for high school students along with individual-based English contests on the sides. However, debate remains the crown jewel of this annual occasion.

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: UI v Atma in a Classic Final After 5 Years

Teams from Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta met a couple of times in the final of major English debate competitions when the activity began to spread in this country in late 1990s. But such encounters dwindled after the turn of the millenium. There was only one final match in Indonesia's three classical tournaments between the two, in 2009. That record will change this afternoon.

#1 UI A (Magreta Kailla Adenta, Terry Muthahhari, Roderick Sibarani) will face #3 Atma Jaya A (Cindy Fransisca, Kario Teguh, Silvya Suwandy) in the final of this year's ALSA UI English Competition, one of the classics. In the last encounter, Atma Jaya defeated UI in the 2009 ALSA UI E-Comp final to grab its first title from the tournament. The other classics are the Indonesian Varsities English Debate and Java Overland Varsities English Debate. UI beat Atma Jaya in IVED 1999 championship debate but the tables turned in the JOVED final a few months after.      

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: High School Title Goes Back to Bali

#2 SMA 4 Denpasar A (Yunindita Prasidya, Putu Ayu Saraswati, Denny Adiputra)  and #4 SMA 1 Denpasar A (Elizabeth Hanakata, Biani Himawan, Keila Ayu) defeated their semifinal opponents to create an all-Bali final in the high school category of the 2014 ALSA UI English Competition and secure the title stays in the hands of a Balinese school for the fourth time in a row. The former won the trophy in 2011 and 2012 while the latter was last year's champ. No other institution-based debate tournament is more prestigious for Indonesian high schools than ALSA UI E-Comp. The cross-city rivalry shows the seriousness in both schools in developing their debate programs is above the rest. The final will run this afternoon.

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: Varsity Semis Involve 4 Title Holders

UI's faculty of law - home of ALSA UI E-Comp

There are only 4 universities that have won the ALSA UI English Competition debate, Indonesia's longest-running debate tournament, and their representatives will face off in the 2014 edition's semifinals tomorrow. Since mid-1990s, teams from Universitas Indonesia, where the championship is held annually, have only lost the title 4 times to 3 other schools, including last year when Institut Teknologi Bandung debaters snatched it for the second time.

In the first semifinal match, #1 UI A (Magreta Kailla Adenta, Roderick Sibarani, Terry Muthahhari), which is bent on reclaiming the throne, will meet #5 ITB A (Kirana Kania, Aulia Widyaputra, Midia Arifandi), which wants to keep it. In the second one, #2 Universitas Gadjah Mada A (Indriani Pratiwi, Romario Tambunan, Wida Wahyuni) will debate against #3 Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta A (Cindy Fransisca, Kario Teguh, Silvya Suwandy). UGM won the title in 2007 while their opposing school grabbed it two years after.    

ALSA UI E-Comp 2014: An All Bali or a Non-Bali High School Final?

For the last three years, Bali high school teams have won the ALSA UI English Competition, the most prestigious school-based debate tournament in Indonesia, and the streak can continue in 2014. SMA 4 Denpasar, the 2011-2012 champions, and SMA 1 Denpasar, last year's winner, are among the 4 last standing teams. In the semifinals tomorrow, the former will go against SMA Kristen 1 Penabur Bandung while the latter will meet dark horse SMA 17 Makassar, which eliminated the best performing team in the preliminaries, SMA Modal Bangsa from Aceh. If the rival Denpasar teams could defeat their opponents, they would recreate an all-Bali final.

Another scenario is having no team from Bali in the final. The semifinalists from Makassar and Bandung  are no pushovers. Furthermore, the Penabur debaters are coached by Revian Wirabuana, a member of the SMA 4 Denpasar team that won in 2011 who is now studying in Bandung. The other possibilities, of course,  involve one Bali team in the last debate and the likelihood of that is also big. Regardless of the outcome, the semifinals tomorrow offer the tight competition that any debate tournament strives for.