Tang Places First At Debate Worlds
Debate Curriculum Committee Captain and upper Eric Tang participated in the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championship (WIDPSC), one of fifteen Americans selected to represent the United States, from Wednesday, March 31 to Tuesday, April 5. Out of the 120 debaters from 11 countries gathered in Pittsburgh, Pa. to compete in the four events (Impromptu, Parliamentary Debate, Interpretive Reading and Persuasive), Tang placed first in Debate, fourth in Impromptu and seventeenth overall.
To join the U.S. team, students in the Debate Association of New England Independent Schools needed to be the top speaker not already qualified for WIDPSC at a New England tournament. Tang placed third at the Exeter Invitational Policy Tournament in November behind two debaters already qualified for the tournament, securing him a spot at Worlds.
“Working with him is genuinely enjoyable as, just like any one of us, he can get excited and giddy over the same things we all do.”
This year, WIDPSC hosted students from Australia, Great Britain, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea and the U.S. After three days of preliminary rounds, the top 10 to 12 students in each event made the finals. The top two (four in Debate, which is 2 v. 2) qualified for Grand Finals, in which Tang triumphed in Debate, being selected as the best of those four qualifying debaters.
In Parliamentary Debate, debaters receive a topic and have 35 minutes with a randomly assigned partner to prepare; in Impromptu, they have two minutes to prepare a five-minute speech; in Interpretive Reading, students recite a five to ten-minute passage they prepared from a book; and in Persuasive, they attempt to persuade someone of a problem that exists in the world and a possible solution in seven to thirteen minutes. Tang chose his Interpretive Reading passage from “The Book Thief” and wrote his Persuasive piece about segregation within the current school system. Although both pieces were crafted and prepared well, he went overtime in his persuasive speech at Worlds, which prevented him from advancing in that area.
Joon Lee, an upper at St. Paul’s School and fellow member of the U.S. team, described Tang’s performance in the Grand Finals of Debate as “commanding,” a feat he considered particularly impressive given that Tang held the audience’s attention “without raising his voice.”
“One thing I was really impressed about in terms of Eric’s debating was how unique his style was,” Kim explained. “Many debaters at the tournament relied on hostile attacks and name-calling; Eric, on the other hand, relied on logic and substance over empty rhetoric … It was a well-deserved victory for him.”
Saihyun Genie Kim, a member of the South Korean team, agreed with Lee that Tang debated in a logical and analytical manner, saying that “it was pretty clear that Eric was the best speaker in the Grand Finals.”
“He started off with an excellent quote that supported his case and wasn’t afraid to directly engage with the opposing team’s arguments,” Kim said. “His speech was great, and I really think I learned a lot from it.”
Another thing that distinguished Tang from the other debaters at Worlds was his gregariously and warm personality. Described by team members, coaches and competitors alike as “ethical,” “humble,” “kind” and “friendly,” he was immediately embraced by all of the members of the tournament, even those competing against the United States.
Science instructor and debate adviser Frances Johnson, who chaperoned Tang during part of the competition, said that from the time they arrived in the airport, he was looking to introduce himself to and meet students from other countries. “By the end of the first day, Eric was wearing a Pakistani flag pin, and by the time I had left Saturday, he had had a meal with every team but the U.K..” Tang later lamented he never had the chance to grab dinner with them.
History instructor and debate adviser Betty Luther-Hillman agreed with Johnson, explaining that the members of other countries rooted for him in the tournament. “When it was announced that he qualified for finals, even better than hearing his name announced was hearing the number of students who cheered when they heard his name,” Luther-Hillman said.
She continued, noting that “it was clear that he was very well-liked by the other students at this tournament, and I attribute that to his friendliness and non-sibi attitude.”
Tang explained that while attending the tournament, one of his goals was to talk to as many students as he could from every country. “It was a phenomenal experience,” Tang said. “I got to talk to kids from all over the world about real world events affecting their countries. For example, I talked to the Lithuanians about how they view Putin’s actions in Ukraine, and the Hong Kong kids about the recent protests in Hong Kong.”
Throughout his years of debate, Tang has been forming friendships with teammates, competitors and teachers alike. His first experience with debate was in his seventh grade year at Head-Royce school in an informal Speech and Debate elective. The teacher, Vylinh Nguyen, recalled Tang as her “go-to model of clear, critical thinker, be it in writing or viva voce.”
Through activities such as an analysis of the most ideal form of government, Tang impressed teachers and classmates with his insightful and provocative comments. “The bottom-line is that Eric taught me more than I taught him,” Nguyen said. “I’m frankly not surprised he dominated the World Debate tournament.”
Tang attended the Head-Royce school for his freshman year and then repeated it at Exeter. From his first meeting in debate, Tang impressed the club and excelled at debate. Luther-Hillman remembered how he “stood out immediately for his polished speaking style and analytical abilities.” The combination of his “graceful speaking,” his knack for making “sophisticated analysis sound simple” and the extent of how well-read he is immediately revealed his potential.
Former Debate Captain and senior Peter Luff said that while Tang excels in all aspects of debate, he believes Tang’s strengths are his public speaking skills. “He delivers such eloquent and beautifully recited speeches … [and can] synthesize all of the points we had been contending into a stunning conclusion.”
Senior Michael Shao, who debated with Tang in the tournament at which Tang qualified for Worlds, also commended Tang’s ability to concisely and powerfully express his points. “His inflection of voice is superb, but most importantly, he is neither too calm to the point where he is lackadaisical, nor is he too passionate to the point where he sounds like a fascist,” Shao explained.
Upper Carissa Chen, another former debate partner, said that as a teammate, Tang is “always cheerful and supportive … he’s really talented at what he does and puts his all into it. I really respect his work ethic and character,” she said.
Upper Aivant Goyal, who has competed against Tang on a number of occasions, said that “his seemingly infinite arsenal of examples and stories is simply impressive ... Working with him is genuinely enjoyable as, just like any one of us, he can get excited and giddy over the same things we all do,” Goyal said.
But perhaps what impresses his teammates most is the way in which, despite his immense successes, he still remains humble and open. Former Debate Captain and senior David Larar remembered how Tang, even “when giving his speech for captainship, tried to play off his qualification to Worlds as a fluke/pure luck.”
The most telling demonstration of Tang’s character and the respect others have for him is shown by the way the room reacted when he won the World’s Parliamentary round. “When he was announced as champion, all of the other debaters from the U.S. delegation crowded around him” cheering as if it were “the end of a football game,” Luther-Hillman said.
“He took his awards with remarkable class and continues to amaze me with his professionalism,” Andrew Steinberg, Tang’s roommate at Worlds, said. “Not only did he prove that he deservedly stands as one of the world’s best, but he did his country proud.”