St. Patrick’s High School Hosts 9th All Pakistan Declamation Contest 2014

Impassioned speeches mark the day, as also one episode of stage fright induced ‘black-out’!

(Report dated lined Karachi 1-2-14, filed by Adil Ahmad who spent an exhilarating and pleasantly fatiguing day at Karachi’s Beach Luxury Hotel surrounded by a plethora of bright sparks really on fire!)

They came from the length and breadth of Karachi, and as far away as Lahore, with Aitchison College fielding a team of three debators, Ameer Shamyl, Raja Hashim, and Rana Sher Khan. 

There would have been many more, and from further afield, had the mass media not painted such a fearsome, often blood curdling portrait of this mega-metropolis by the sea. Angelo Rayer, the Dean of the St. Pat’s A-Levels Section, is back from a year-long sabbatical in the West, and his attention to detail was evident in the manner in which the event was organized. His able bodied and very competent lieutenants comprised the St. Pat’s Head Boy Saad Ali Faizi, Head Girl Awayah Shahid, and Deputy Head Girl Sehar Tariq, who led from the front a small army of black shirted volunteers whose t-shirts read the legend ‘Stay Calm – Ask a Volunteer’.

51 girls and boys representing 27 schools filled the upstairs Grand Ballroom of the Beach Luxury Hotel, offering a panoramic view of Chinna Creek and its rapidly vanishing stock of mangroves, victim to illegal logging for firewood by an alarmingly increasing city population.

Brother Lawrence, the Principal of St. Patrick’s High School was on hand to deliver the opening address that encapsulated some worthwhile advice to the gathered young adults. “Believe in cooperation rather than competition,” he said, before elaborating on the ‘force of speech’ that gave rise to Churchill, Bhutto, and Hitler. More to the point where these young adults were concerned, he said that speaking convincingly played a huge role in successful job interviews.

The rules of engagement outlawed the reading of speeches and material deemed offensive to the susceptibilities of those present. A rousing national anthem of Pakistan brought all present to their feet, and the spirit soared with patriotic fervour.

Dure Nayab opened proceedings of the 1^st Round as a ‘non-combatant’ on behalf of the host institution, speaking on ‘new and improved 7 deadly sins’.

The 1^st Round comprised prepared speeches timed between 3 to 4 minutes on the topics

‘New and improved 7 deadly sins’ (10), People get the government they deserve (24), and Stupidity should be a crime, and violators should be given the death penalty (18).

24 of the 51 speakers contesting spoke on ‘People get the government they deserve’, indicating a youth entirely dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the country. Close on the heels of this topic came ‘Stupidity should be a crime, and violators should be given the death penalty’ with 18 speakers. ‘New and improved 7 deadly sins’ managed just 10 votes. Much as the topics on offer provoked flippancy, the narratives in most cases stayed sober and serious.

The 2^nd Round comprised the top 10 speakers from the 1^st Round. Matters were made more difficult for those who made it thus far, and they were given 20 minutes preparation time with the topic picked there and then out of the hat.

Aimal Sheikh opened proceedings in the 2^nd Round as a ‘non-combatant’ on behalf of the host institution, speaking on ‘Meeting an alien for the first time.’

Amna Khalili (Mama Parsi) – Paparazzi livelihood versus privacy of celebrities, what is more important?

Rana Sher Khan (Aitchison College Lahore) – The one thing you need to know about finding true love is a good online dating website.

Sidra Maryam (Generations School) – Give me liberty or give me death.

Areeb Khawaja (Fahim’s School System) – Wake me up when I’m wiser and older.

Raja Hashim (Aitchison College Lahore) – Is flattery the key to success?

Ayat Siddiqui (Karachi Grammar School) – There are no bad children, only bad parents.

Ayla Khan (Karachi Grammar School) – If women ruled.

Aliya Zuberi (Lyceum) – Ipod, IPhone, IPad, I cant buy.

Maham Tariq (Aga Khan Higher Secondary School) – If opportunity does not knock, build a door.

Zuha Sohail (St. Patrick’s Girls High School) – Voters should be given the choice ‘none of the above’.

Endless reams can be filled with what these leading lights of our school system had to say, and the manner in which they said it. Suffice it to say that these representatives of the youth of Pakistan are not amused by the manner in which their parents’ generation has handled matters, clearly failing in passing on to the newer generations a better world than the one they inherited.

The 3^rd & Final Round comprised the top 5 speakers from the 2^nd Round. The rules governing this round were clearly meant to separate the men from the boys, with 20 seconds preparation time allotted and the topic picked there and then out of the hat.

Anas Siddiqui opened proceedings in the 3^rd & Final Round as a ‘non-combatant’ on behalf of the host institution, speaking on ‘success comes in ‘cans’ not ‘cannots’.’

Maham Tariq (Aga Khan Higher Secondary School) – If everything in the world had to change to the same colour, what colour would you chose and why?

Amna Khalili (Mama Parsi) – Curiosity.

Ayat Siddiqui (Karachi Grammar School) – What does your cat think about you?

Raja Hashim (Aitchison College Lahore) – Students should be given the right to grade teachers.

Ayla Haseeb Khan (Karachi Grammar School) – You are an ant. Convince an anteater not to eat you.

RESULTS

#10 - Sidra Maryam (Generations School)

#9 - Zuha Sohail (St. Patrick’s Girls High School)

#8 - Aliya Zuberi (Lyceum)

#7 - Areeb Khawaja (Fahim’s School System)

#6 - Rana Sher Khan (Aitchison College Lahore)

#5 - Raja Hashim (Aitchison College Lahore)

#4 - Ayat Siddiqui (Karachi Grammar School)

#3 - Ayla Haseeb Khan (Karachi Grammar School)

#2 - Amna Khalili (Mama Parsi)

#1 - Maham Tariq (Aga Khan Higher Secondary School)

In between the rounds the St. Pat’s Harmonics Society kept the large audience entertained with some excellent renditions of pop music that included both ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Dummadum Mast Qalandar’, as also a number in Spanish dedicated to the Spanish teacher. The St. Pat’s Harmonics Society has for its Vice President Akhzar Khwaja, and includes Sana Amin (singer), Rimsha Masood (singer), Selwyn (Keyboard), Arnold (guitar).

The organizers had clearly done their legwork as evidenced by the plethora of very expensive prizes awarded to the entire top ten comprising of gift hampers, gift vouchers, computer tablets, Tissot watches, and a return ticket to Sri Lanka for the winner. Naturally what mattered the most to the winner was the magnificent Winner’s Running Trophy that will remain in Maham’s custody for the ensuing one year until the 10^th All Pakistan Declamation Contest gets organized in 2015, God willing. 

Public speaker of international acclaim Sidra Iqbal graced the occasion as the chief guest, and gave a morale boosting pep talk to the participants. Had there been a Team Trophy then the Grammarians would have edged out their old rivals, the Aitchisonians, by a whisker. As matters stood the day, indeed the year, belonged to Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, with Maham Tariq the newly crowned champion orator.

Well done St. Pat’s! Great event.

Participating Teams:

Mama Parsi – Lalarukh Wasif, Amna Khalili,

Aitchison College Lahore - Ameer Shamyl, Raja Hashim, and Rana Sher Khan

City School Defence Campus – Khausa Badar,

City School PECHS – Abeer Ali, Javeria Yousuf,

City School Gulshan – Maryam Zahid, Mohammad Shuhood, Syed Nousherwan Kirmani,

Beaconhouse North Nazimabad – Fayez Sohail Malik, Aala Masood Siddiqi

Beaconhouse Defence – Hama Shahzad, Anas Masood,

St. Patrick’s Girls High School – Zuha Sohail,

Lyceum – Arsalan Adil, Aliya Zuberi,

World Academy – Zulqarnain Ansari, Kanza Hasan,

Karachi Grammar School – Ayat Siddiqui, Ayla Khan

Bahria College NORE-1 – Roua Nasir, Syeda Kazim,

Bahria Foundation College – Marium Fatima,

Bahria College Gulshan – Shahzaib Hassan,

Fahims School System – Zain Imran, Areeb Khawaja

St. Michael’s Convent School – Umer Jawed,

Aisha Bawany – Sofia Mansoor, Ehsan Iqbal,

Generations School – Saira Mahmood, Sidra Maryam

Aga Khan School Kharadar – Azka Rehman, Mussawar Ali,

Aga Khan Higher Secondary School – Maham Tariq, Raima Hossian, Shiza Adnan, Isfar Hussain Khan,

Happy Home – Shaza Malik, Sumbul Javed,

Dawood Public School – Maria Shahid, Ummey Hani,

Karachi Public School – Farriha Fatima Gagun,

British Overseas School – Ali Hamza Afghan, Bashir Habib,

Beacon Light Academy – Abbas Alvi, Iman Fatima,

Foundation Public School North – Ebad-ur-Rehman

Avicenna – Aleazar Arif, Bushra Tariq Siddiqui,