Emma Sordi ‘25 Qualifies for Worlds Debate
By FORREST ZENG
Emma Sordi in the Assembly Hall
Courtesy of Anvi Bhate
Upper Emma Sordi recently qualified for the prestigious Worlds Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) this year, a feat that has been achieved by only four Exeter students in the history of the Academy. Senior Colin Jung qualified last year as an upper, making her qualification the first consecutive qualification by an Exeter student. She will head to Canberra, Australia, from April 14-20, 2024, to participate in the competition that draws rhetors from all corners of the world.
The highest-scoring debater at certain WIDSPC qualifying tournaments that has not already qualified is chosen to attend WIDSPC. Despite this extensively selective qualification process, Sordi placed as the highest-scoring debater that had not already qualified for WIDSPC at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Tournament (BB&N).
After receiving the news of her qualification, Sordi described her reaction as elated and full of anticipation. “I was very surprised, since they sent me an email about my qualification a few weeks after the tournament. At the moment, I’m very happy, but also a bit nervous, since it’s a daunting tournament.”
“It was a shared happiness about her triumph and victory,” said senior Eamin Ahmed.
“I screamed ‘congratulations!’ over the phone to her in the middle of a crowd of people at Grill,” Jung said. Jung, who is a co-head of Daniel Webster Debate Society (DWDS) and also coached the Advanced Debate Team which Sordi was on, described his pride. “I’m so proud of her. Words can’t express how proud I am.”
Sordi is a member of the advanced team in DWDS, which primarily focuses on British Parliamentary debate. She credits the advanced team for her dramatic improvement in the last few months. “I honestly wasn’t really that involved until last spring. I only started improving with the advanced team. We practiced and trained together,” Sordi said. “I especially improved when I started practicing with Colin—and I credit him a lot.”
Regarding Sordi’s growth as a debater, Jung said, “She’s always had a tremendous amount of potential and talent. I reached out to her in March, and we’ve worked for almost a thousand hours since then.”
Sordi is known for being a passionate and confident debater. Fellow advanced team member and lower Sam Altman shared, “Anyone who knows Emma will know that she is very charismatic. She has no qualms about getting her opinions across, and that manifests in her debating style.”
“Emma taught me the importance of style,” said teammate and lower Lauren Lee. “She has always been able to express her views impactfully. That’s her special skill.”
Sordi’s qualification is a significant achievement for debate at Exeter. “After Covid, debate hit a very rough spot. It seemed like we lost the competitive edge we’ve been known for,” Ahmed said. “By sending two debaters to Worlds in a row, it shows that we still have a competitive program.”
Her qualification also demonstrates the ability of students to achieve great success in debate without professional coaching. “It’s a testament to the power of student devotion to the club. We don’t need a professional coach. We don’t need extraordinary resources. We just need students teaching students,” Jung said. “We just need the opportunity to train hard and work hard. We just need the opportunity to send our best students to competitions. This result shows what I’ve always known: that our program and our students can hold our own against anyone in the world.”
Sordi is now preparing to compete in Canberra, where she will meet the most talented debaters from across the world. “I’ve never taken a flight that long,” Sordi said of the journey that will take over 24 hours. “I’m kinda nervous, but I’m excited to get to know the debaters that are going. I’m excited to have the experience of being around people that are also interested in the same thing that I am.”
Finally, Sordi expressed, “A big thank you to everyone on the advanced team and all the knowledge and time you guys have given me.” Her fellow club members, students, teachers, and the Exeter community wish her the best of luck in the upcoming tournament.
