My journey with the
WSDC Vietnam Team
Representing Vietnam in the International Debate Community has been a huge honour for me. I am filled with pride whenever I bring the Vietnam flag with me up on podiums or stages. This journey has been one of many setbacks and disappointment, but has also been incredibly valuable and unforgettable.
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I joined the National Team at Grade 9, as part of the Jr. Squad and progressed from there on. Here is me taking a picture with all my seniors and amazing, world class coaches!
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Group photo during a training session with Coach John and Kien Corn.
I represented Team Vietnam (as a sophomore) at Asia World School Debating Championship (AWSDC) in Thailand, a prestigious international competition with other national teams.
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Making new friends from all around the world has been my
favorite aspect out of all this. Here is a photo I took with Chelsea from Team USA (the champion of WSDC in 2023!)
LACONIA DEBATE SOCIETY
Get to Know Us
Why Laconia?
Why Laconia? The name Laconia comes from ancient Greece — the land of the Spartans, known for their clarity, courage, and discipline. The word laconic, meaning “brief but powerful”, was born from them.
To speak laconically was to choose words not for decoration, but for truth.
Laconia Debate Society was first founded by my senior Dam Minh Khoi a couple of years ago, but when he left, I refounded it again in TH after 3 years of inactivity. I wanted to spread the culture of debate to young students at the school!
Our Story
Social work in debate
With the help of Vietnam Academy of Debate and Public Speaking, I became a trainer at multiple debate summer camps across Vietnam, in 3 different provinces, spreading the art of debate to 700+ middle and high schoolers.
I also worked at an invited adjudictor for esteemed national tournaments, from World Scholar's Cup to Vietnam Middle School Debating Championship. I assessed debaters' speeches and provided them constructive feedback, helping them improve in future rounds.
Laconia hosted multiple fundraisers, one at InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, to raise money for the Vietnam Debate Association (VDA) and for charity via the Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF). We raised over $10,000 for both causes and saved 5% of the proceeds to pay for our own tournament fees and other club resources.
