Haybah Shabira, an archaeology student at UGM, secured second place in the IDN Times 2024 Student Debate League competition. Along with her two teammates, Nawfal Aulia Luthfurrahman from the Faculty of Economics and Business, and Meira Davina Jasmine from the Faculty of Law, Haybah traveled to Jakarta in June 2024 to compete for the championship against other competitors from various universities across Indonesia.
Given the intense competition among participants, Haybah and her team underwent intensive training, particularly through the Gadjah Mada Debating Society, the debate community at UGM. Additionally, Haybah and her two teammates, who formed the UGM delegation, conducted research on the debate topic and held regular discussions to align their perspectives, enabling them to work together effectively as a team.
“The biggest challenge in the competition was the initial awkwardness I felt toward my team members because they weren’t very close yet. However, after several joint training sessions, the sense of collaboration grew stronger, enabling us to advance to the final round,” Haybah explained.
Being part of the UGM delegation and winning second place was a very valuable experience for Haybah, as it allowed her to represent UGM in a national debate competition and compete against other Indonesian debate teams.
“In the future, I hope to participate in other debate competitions to hone my skills and achieve further accomplishments. I hope this achievement can inspire others not to feel inferior and to continue taking opportunities to develop themselves,” said Haybah.
Haybah’s perseverance and achievements in the field of debate competitions reflect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the area of Quality Education through the enhancement of students’ skills. Through their interests and talents, it is hoped that students will continue to learn and become an inspiration to many people.
Author: Febriska Noor Fitriana
Photo: Haybah Shabira
Editor: Sektiadi
