LAHORE - The Debating Society of Government College University has set a new national record by clinching 265 oratory awards at various prestigious national and international competitions during the university’s 150th academic year.
It was revealed in the GCUDS Annual Report 2013-14, presented to Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khaleeq-ur-Rahman by the GCUDS President Khawaja Yasin on Tuesday at the society’s annual meeting.
The report highlights that the record 265 awards include 56 coveted team trophies, 18 runners-up trophies, 92 best speaker awards, 52 second-position awards, 44 third-position and 03 consolation prizes, which were won at 92 declamation, parliamentary, recitation and poetry competitions in English, Urdu and Punjabi languages at both the national and international levels.
Talking to the shining orators, the VC said the orators’ achievements were particularly laudable since they were not exempted from any academic work or exams as is the norm elsewhere. “Yet, they have beaten all the previous records of GCU and other national level institutions by achieving the highest number of awards i.e. 265,” he added.
He termed the Debating Society to be the crown of university’s student clubs on account of its unprecedented accomplishments, adding that competitive debating had been his forte since student days, as it played a crucial role in shaping intellectual landscape of of students.
The VC recalled that that he had rightly enhanced the annual grant of GCUDS at the beginning of previous academic year which bore fruit.
The VC especially congratulated Ahmad Ch, Zahid Ali, Khakan Arshad, Hassan Haider Raza, Misbah Mukhtar, Adnan Nawaz, Muhammad Awais, Shahzad Khan, Hafiz Rehmat Ullah, Hassan Virk, Sana Mansoor, Ismail Sharwani and Khawaja Yasin for their commendable contribution to take the tally this high.
GCUDS President Khwaja Yasin said in the 150th academic year of GCU, they, the Ravian debaters, had humbly paid homage to their alma mater by winning 265 oratory awards. He attributed the momentous victory to the unflinching support and patronage of their Vice Chancellor who not arranged state-of-the-art trainings for them, but also funded their debating trips to represent GCU at the international and national events. Khawaja said that that the Vice Chancellor, being himself a debater throughout his student life, had shown a special interest in debates at GCU and they hoped that he would continue to supervise them.
The Ravian orators this year stamped their seal of competence at the prestigious educational institutions all over Pakistan including PAF Academy, Risalpur; Kinnaird College Lahore, FCC University, Aitchison College Lahore, Army Bournhall School, Abbottabad, NUST, GIKI, PIEAS, Sadiq Public School Bhawalpur, UET Lahore, UAF, COMSAT, KEMU, AIMC, Edwards College Peshawar, GCUF and Chief Minister’s Youth Festival.
Later, the Vice Chancellor pose for a group photo with the shinning orators of GCUDS and hoped they would maintain their excellent position in oratory and remain the pride of their alma mater.