By Julia Ivanova, 11e
Dec. 17, 2019
Imagine having to know about a variety of topics, such as private prisons, beauty, Academy Awards, election finance, relationships, etc., and then, in front of judges, speak in English for 8 minutes competing with 27 other speakers, all to win a debate tournament!
That’s exactly what 9th grade BEST members, Malena Malcheva, along with her team mates, Rozali Terzieva and Yasen Jekov, had to go through.
Earlier this month, on Dec. 1, these students won first place in the novice division for debate at the regional BEST competition; this earned them a spot in the BEST National Tournament in Sofia in April 2020. “The win definitely wasn’t easy, the long preparations paid off,” said Malena, who herself won the award for “Best Speaker.” The team also won the “Sportsmanship” award: “I think one of the most important things is to have a friendly debate because we need to distinguish the difference between being competitive and being mean,” Malena added.
The Geo Milev BEST club had two more teams, one from the 9th grade with Denislav Drachev, Peter Georgiev and Preslava Stoyanova, who finished 4th and who will also compete in Sofia; and one from 10th grade with Alexander Ivanov, Irina Georgieva and Beyonse Buteva, who placed 7th in the very competitive varsity division.
Debate requires wide-ranging knowledge and the ability to think on your feet, and excellent English skills. You have to think quickly and have strong arguments in order to be able to compete. Most students join this club to practice their English, expand their knowledge and share their thoughts and opinions — and others just for fun!
At the beginning the BEST club wasn’t very popular and its current members didn’t even know it existed. They found out thanks to the teachers who actually lead BEST – Zornica Haralambieva and Vannah Lusk (Fulbright ETA last year) and Prue Salasky (Fulbright ETA this year). The students share a powerful connection with these teachers because thanks to them, their whole life turned around. These teachers inspire the young teenagers and give them a community in which they can express themselves. “BEST was one of the things that attracted me to Fulbright’s Bulgarian program. I have seen the transformative power of debate for students learning English,” said co-coach Prue. “It’s incredible to see their talent and drive.”
Malena chose this club because she wanted to have a safe place where she could share her ideas about the world we live in. She was doing oratory before joining BEST and after she joined her life changed for the better. “Time passes so fast when you do something meaningful with it,” she says “It’s a place where I feel comfortable and where I feel at home.” Most of the members have worked together for a year now and they have become really good friends. “Going to our weekly practices just feels like going home to my family, ” Malena says. Her team mates added, “We synchronize so well, each one of us has an area that he/she is better at, we can rely on each other.” Some of them have even became best friends!
Peter, who joined the club this year, says, “The negative thing is that you have to put in a lot of time and effort.” However, Malena finds this a small price to pay for all of the pros that the club gives you.
In summary, the BEST Foundation gives many opportunities to widen your communication and speaking skills while creating a safe environment by allowing teenagers to bond and giving them a voice. If you like to talk a lot and make new relationships, then that’s definitely the place for you!
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Ø The BEST Foundation (https://bestfoundation.bg) promotes English education, civic engagement and creative expression in Bulgaria through the power of debate, prose, poetry, oratory and duo.
Ø There are two divisions, novice for 8th and 9th graders; varsity for 10th through 12th graders. Competitions are held in poetry, prose, duo, oratory and debate.
Ø The BEST club meetings are every Tuesday, after or before the classes (13:20 first shift; 12:20 second shift) in the Creative Room of ELS “Geo Milev”. Everyone is welcome!
Ø School Newspaper website: gpaeburgas.org/Fullbright