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The session started with a warm welcome addressed to all the students. The sixth graders were introduced to the club and were asked to speak of their expectations from the club. Quite a lot of students stated that debate was all about proving your point and convincing your opponent to look at the situation from a different point of view. The students opened up their minds and offered creative suggestions based on their perspectives. The students were asked to come up with unique and influential topics for discussion. They were encouraged to work hard, prepare well, and most importantly, to never lose their confidence. The seventh and eighth graders were asked to share their previous experiences in the club. Students confessed their fear and anxiety the first time they joined the club, and how they learnt to rid themselves of their shyness and stage fear. The students were told that research was another key element in debate, and as a matter of fact, any other form of public speaking. The sixth graders continued to speak about their excitement of joining the debate club, and their hopes for improving their speaking skills and boosting their confidence. Meanwhile, the other students focused on brainstorming ideas for topics. In less than five minutes, a lot of students came up with innovative and fun topics that could be enjoyed by all the members of the club. The session concluded with a message to the students about never feeling discouraged by other's opinions. They were told to keep going, no matter how much anyone judged them. The students left the meeting with bright smiles and light hearts.

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The second session of the debate club started with a brief address to the students. An announcement was made regarding the division of the students into two groups in order to increase the flow of the classes. The students were then provided with two interesting and useful tips to enhance their speaking skills. They were made to understand that researching their topic and using valid points were very crucial. They were also told that each team had to ensure that there was no repetition of points amongst their members by assigning each member with a separate sub heading under the topic such as economic, social, case study, etc. The students also learnt that using anaphoras, anecdotes and humor was a great and efficient way to grab the audience’s attention and emphasize their point. After a short discussion on the importance of these elements, topics were assigned to each grade. The sixth graders were asked to prepare on the topic ‘Should live animal exports be banned?’, the seventh graders on the topic ‘Will India prosper under a monarchy rather than under their present democracy?’ and finally, the eight graders on the topic ‘Are Gandhian ideologies relevant in the 21st century?’ The students were requested to develop three points supporting their relevant topics and to put together the rebuttal to the other topics while their clubmates spoke. They were told that the aim of the debate club was to prepare them for formal debates in the future. Advait Anand, one of the long-standing members of the club, was then asked to share one of his speeches in order to provide inspiration to the sixth graders and to give them a basic idea on how to construct their speeches. The session then came to an end with the promise to have the next club meeting soon.

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The third session of the debate club started off with a greeting to the students. After a couple of minutes of revisiting the topics assigned to the students in the previous class, the tip for the day was shared. The students were told to take a moment to think about the main essence of the topic before providing interesting points that bring out the central part of the argument. They were advised to never stray away from the topic and to prioritize their argument beforehand. They also learnt to name their sub-topics before speaking and to divide their topic into appropriate categories. It was noted that teamwork was one of the most vital qualities needed in an international debate. The session continued with the speeches prepared by the students, beginning with the eight graders. A few students pointed out that Gandhian ideologies such as anti-racism and equality were still relevant in the 21st century. A couple of the students from the audience argued that qualities such as non-violence could put India at risk due to cross border terrorism and other issues. Supporting this point, some of the other eighth graders spoke about how export and import could not be banned because of its economic benefits, while others pointed out that ideologies such as honesty were quite important in the present world, especially in political matters. After a few more minutes of discussion, the seventh graders were asked to speak on their topic, resulting in an enthusiastic show of hands. A student explained that a monarchy would be more effective than a democracy. She drew attention to the victories of the Mughal emperors who ruled India successfully for many years. She also pointed out that large amounts of money were put into elections and this could be avoided in a monarchy. On the other hand, some rebutted that historic sources need not always be true while others argued that the Mughals had had their flaws too. As the session came to an end, the students were requested to note down their doubts and queries for the next session.

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The fourth session of the debate club started off with an acknowledgement to the students after which the tip for the day was shared. The students learned that the points of their argument should be well-developed and fully baked in a way that could convince the audience. After a few minutes of discussion, the sixth graders were given a chance to speak on their topic. A couple of students stated that animal exports should be banned for the emotional well-being of the animals. They stated that moving animals, especially young ones, to unfamiliar places was inhumane as we were separating them from their parents and home. A few of the students from the audience argued that exporting animals could result in a greater population of the species.  After a few more questions, the seventh graders began speaking on their topic. A few students explained that a monarchy would prove to be more beneficial than a democracy because of various reasons. They went on to say that due to the elections in India, not only would great amounts of money be spent, but violence could also sprout amongst those who were unsatisfied with the winning party. Furthermore, due to the vastness of a democratic government, more time was spent in making decisions, unlike in a monarchy. Some students rebutted that hasty decisions may not always be effective and others that monarchs could misuse their power. The discussion came to an end with the conclusion that both democracies and monarchies had their flaws, but the overall well-being of the nation depends on the government. The session finally ended with the promise to regroup in the not too distant future.

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With a lot of excitement, the students of the debate club gathered for the fifth session. After a warm greeting to all the students, the tip for the day was shared. The students were told to ensure that their points did not contradict those of their teammates. They were also told that it was mandatory to be prepared with three contentions and to prioritize them appropriately. After a brief discussion, a couple of eighth graders spoke about how Gandhian ideologies such as truth and non-violence were extremely significant in the present world. They were told to pause between their lines and to avoid the usage of et cetera as it lowered the overall effect of the speech. Next, a seventh grader stated that a monarchy was far more effective than a democracy due to the large amount of time spent on making decisions, whether big or small. She expressed how democracies often tend to miss the bigger picture in such cases, concluding that a monarchy would benefit the nation and people more than a democracy would. On the other hand, a few students argued  that a democracy provided the people with equality and justice, lessening the discrimination in the society. They argued that a monarchy would not be a good decision as it was not wise to trust a single person with the power of the entire nation. They also added that a person from the royal family would not be aware of the life of a simple person and could therefore not understand the perspective of the people, unlike in a democracy, where any citizen above the age of 25 is allowed to stand in the elections. After a few more minutes of discussion, the new topics were allotted to all the members and the students were requested to work hard and prepare well on their respective topics. The students dispersed the meeting with high expectations of the next session.

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The session began with an address to the students after which the tip for the day was shared. The students were told that it was extremely crucial to pay close attention to the opponents’ argument and take notes in order to successfully rebut the contentions. They were also told to understand the evidence and claim used by the opponent. After a brief discussion, a sixth grader spoke on why more land should be dedicated to national parks. She stated that it was important to increase the number of national parks to reduce the number of attacks by wild animals in human habitations. She also claimed that building more national parks would result in a greater number of trees as well as prevent the illegal practice of poaching. Next, a couple of students spoke on how a monarchy was more beneficial than a democracy. They stated that monarchs would already be aware of their future as a ruler, giving them more years of experience compared to a democracy. They also stated that it would be impossible to make long term decisions in a democracy due to the fact that the government changes every four to five years owing to periodic elections. After receiving a few questions from the audience, a member of the club expressed how national sports like hockey should be given more importance than popular sports like cricket. She started off by mentioning that the media paid more attention to popular sports despite the fact that hockey has a rich and beautiful past. This often resulted in the society being more inclined towards popular sports, a classic example of which was the Cricket Ganesha Temple in Chennai. The students were made to understand that an important part of debates was to utilize opportunities to bring in humor to their speeches, while also working on their presentation in order to convince the audience and change their perspectives. As the session came to an end, the students were requested to be prepared with their topics for the next session.

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The session began with a welcome to the students gathered for the debate club. After a quick discussion, the tip for the day was shared. The students were made to understand that it was important to pay attention to your opponent’s speech in order to pick out the areas where your points contradict. They were advised to use the clashes between their speech and their opponent’s speech to their advantage by using the ‘They say, I say because” format while rebutting the opponent. After a brief discussion, the instructions for designing the club logos were shared. The students spent the rest of their time using their imagination and creativity to create interesting and colourful logos that represented their views on the debate club. The students dispersed with the promise to meet again in the next session of the debate club, when the voting to choose the final logo would be conducted.

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The students once again gathered for the eighth session of the debate club. After greeting the students, the tip for the day was presented.      It was explained that in order to successfully rebut your opponent, it was important to address each and every contention. They were also told to try their best to prove their opponent’s evidence or claim wrong. After a quick round of questions, a student spoke on how Gandhian ideologies were irrelevant to the twenty first century. She stated that it was unwise to follow virtues such as non-violence, as it would put the country at stake during war. After a few more minutes of discussion, a student spoke on how less land should be dedicated to national parks, while providing a short story on the struggles of a crocodile to emphasize her point. She stated that the transporting of animals to national parks would result in mental strain for the animals. A student rebutted, stating that national parks were beneficial to scientists to observe and experiment on animals. He also argued that it was crucial to keep animals in a controlled and supervised environment. After further discussion, a seventh grader spoke on why live animal exports should be banned. She claimed that the animals could not handle the long travelling period and that the welfare conditions were extremely poor. A student from the audience argued that it was wiser to improve the conditions of live export instead of banning it. The students were requested to be prepared with their corresponding topics before the next session.

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The members of the debate club came together for the ninth session. After welcoming the students, the debating tip for the day was shared. The students were told that in a situation where the opponent’s contention was similar to their own, it was important to compare both in order to prove that your case is stronger. After a brief discussion, a seventh grader spoke on the disadvantages of live animal exports. She stated that transporting animals through water would increase the already rising ammonia levels in the oceans and seas. She also declared that live animal exports where animals were forced to travel long distances against their will and without any proper veterinary care was a disregard to humanity. Next, a student spoke on how and why solar power would be the energy of the future. She stated that solar panels, while expensive, were made out of silicon, which was the second most abundant element of the world. She also claimed that solar panels were more beneficial considering the fact that it was one of the cleanest sources of energy.  After accepting a few questions, another student spoke on how the number of people using solar panels was rapidly increasing, while also stating that a large number of countries were contributing to solar energy, proving that it was the energy of the future. A student from the audience rebutted, saying that solar panels only used 22% of the sunlight. He also stated that solar panels would not work at night or in darkness. After further discussion, the students dispersed with high expectations for the next session.