A member of the Jewish community, 17-year-old Sonia Larbi-Aissa, competed among the world’s best and brightest during an international debate in South Africa this January.
Sonia is a junior at The Barstow School and at one time attended Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. She represented the United States at the tournament with two other teammates and an alternate teammate.
Sonia has participated in debate at Barstow since eighth grade and attends a debate camp for girls each summer in Minnesota. Last summer coaches from the United States World Scholars Debating Championships team held auditions for the team at debate camps throughout the country. Sonia decided to try out.
“I applied because it really appealed to me,” Sonia said. “Especially the international part.”
The audition included a debate round with a partner as well as individual speeches.
“It ended up being a really good debate,” Sonia said. “It was really fun.”
Sonia was invited to a more selective round of auditions, but team USA coach Kate Shuster said she knew Sonia would be on the team before her second audition even started.
“We knew right away when we auditioned her that she was a great candidate for the team,” Shuster said. “Within 30 seconds we had agreed.”
Shuster said coaches don’t usually agree on candidates that quickly, but Sonia stood out above the rest.
“She had sterling recommendations and academic credentials but what really stood out to us is that she had unusual poise for someone her age,” Shuster said. “She was a special case and we knew in our guts immediately that she would make the team.”
Sonia was the only Midwesterner on this year’s team. All her other teammates live in California.
“We are really happy that she’s on the team,” Shuster said. “Sonia was a great ambassador, not only from the United States but from the Midwest.”
Sonia found out that she had made the team in the fall and began preparing for the world tournament with her teammates and coaches.
Shuster said the team used technology, such as Skype, to have practice debates and coaching sessions.
“Students were given topics and then asked to deliver speeches,” Shuster said.
Sonia spent at least two hours a week in preparation for the tournament.
International debate differs from the policy style of debate in which United States students participate. In U.S. policy debate students research a topic that they debate throughout the year in pairs of two.
In international debate, the topics vary from round to round and three students participate on each team every round, instead of two.
“Each person gives a speech and then one person gives a reply,” Sonia said.
Sonia gave the reply speeches for the U.S. team during the tournament.
“It’s the most challenging speech of the debate,” she said.
In international debate, participants are given a list of potential debate topics before the tournament to research, but some topics are not revealed to the students until the tournament.
“Half of the rounds are impromptu and half of the rounds are prepared,” Sonia said.
Sonia and her teammates participated in eight preliminary rounds at the tournament. Their topics ranged from racial profiling to foster care reform.
Participants are judged on style, presentation, organization and strategy.
The U.S. team went 2-6 in the tournament.
“A lot of losses were split,” Sonia said. “We would consider that a success.”
Shuster described the international competition as fierce.
“It’s much harder than anything that is available to high school debaters in this country,” Shuster said. “The students we compete against speak four or five languages. ...We are talking about the very brightest students in the world.”
Sonia’s trip to South Africa was as cultural as it was academic.
She said she made friends with debaters from other countries. And during downtime Sonia and other students visited historical sites in South Africa.
Sonia said one of her favorite parts of the trip was a visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held captive.
“It was kind of over powering,” Sonia said.
Sonia will continue to compete with the U.S debate team at other international tournaments this year.
“When you are on the team, you don’t just go to this tournament,” Shuster said.
Sonia and her teammates are slated to compete in the Pan-American Debate Championship in July in Chili.
“I definitely plan to continue this style of international debating,” Sonia said.
Sonia’s mother, Nancy Larbi, supports Sonia’s international endeavors.
“It’s really preparing her for the future and preparing her to be a contributor in the future,” Larbi said. “Your communication skills are very important no matter what role you play in society.”