By Khalida Sarwari
It can be a lot to think about for most 13-year-olds, but over the course of three days Siva Sambasivam contemplated U.S. policy toward North Korea and then whether it would be worth increasing military and economic aid to Jordan. And just when he thought he was out of the woods, he had to opine on whether compulsory voting should be mandated in the U.S.
All of that contemplating was in preparation for the 2016 National Speech and Debate Tournament in Salt Lake City, where Siva competed against 84 other students from across the country and ultimately came in 10th, earning him a plaque and sage advice from judges. While he said he feels “pretty good” about the outcome of the competition, he believes he still has room for improvement.
“I understand I may have been good enough to be a finalist, but my ultimate goal in high school is to be the best debater in the country,” said the incoming Saratoga High School freshman and recent Redwood Middle School graduate.
It appears that debating runs in Siva’s family. He learned about the competition through his older sister, Sivakami, an MIT graduate. Like Siva, she was a finalist in the tournament.
The competition, which took place June 14-17, was a simulation of the U.S. Congress and required students to debate a range of foreign and domestic policy topics, including “taking action against North Korea,” “increasing military and economic aid to Jordan,” “banning the use of cellular devices while driving” and “mandating compulsory voting in the U.S.”
Most of the debates placed Siva in a room with about 30 other students and required the contestants to each give a three-minute speech. When he wasn’t the one speaking, Siva said he’d listen and jot down notes and then argue either in favor or against the topic before engaging in a cross-examination. Contestants were graded on how well they presented their arguments and answered the questions, he said.
To prepare for the tournament, Siva said he tried to read as much as he could about current events and practiced speaking whenever he had the opportunity.
He became interested in speech and debate around the summer after sixth grade, he said, as he was trying to understand the U.S. government better and realized that he enjoyed public speaking. Before long, he realized that debating helped him express his ideas and understand different issues better.
“I personally feel that expressing your ideas and expressing your beliefs is the only way that you’re truly going to get anywhere in the world,” he said.
Siva will continue to debate at Saratoga High, where he plans to join the speech and debate club and enter more tournaments, including the National Speech and Debate Tournament if he qualifies again next year. Someday, he hopes to put those skills to use possibly in a career as a lawyer or politician, but for now he’s looking for any opportunity to become involved in policy initiatives in his local government.
“I encourage anybody who really wants to either understand the U.S. government or even has a fear of public speaking, [they] should definitely go into speech and debate in high school or middle school,” said Siva, adding, “You’re never going to overcome it unless you start trying.”
When he’s not arguing a point, Siva can be found on the basketball court, a sport he plays competitively, or typing away on his laptop, contributing articles to the Daily Californian, UC-Berkeley’s student-run newspaper. He is also a member of Boy Scout Troop 508 and is getting ready to start his Eagle project soon.
Again, it’s a lot to take on for most 13-year-olds, but for Siva, it’s all in a day’s work.
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