LAHORE: The Government College University Debating Society (GCUDS) 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, says annual report of the society.
GCUDS President Khawaja Yasin presented the Annual Report 2013-14 to Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rahman at the society’s annual meeting on Tuesday.
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 three consolation prizes, which were won at 92 declamation, parliamentary, recitation and poetry competitions in English, Urdu and Punjabi languages at national and international levels.
Vice Chancellor Dr Rahman said that achievements of shining orators were particularly laudable since they were not exempted from any academic work or exams as was the norm elsewhere. “Yet, they have beaten all the previous records of the GCU and other national institutions by achieving the highest number of awards i.e. 265,” he added.
He termed the Debating Society as a “crown” of the GCU’s student clubs on account of its unprecedented accomplishments, adding that competitive debating had been his forte since student days, as it played a vital role in shaping intellectual landscape of students.
The vice chancellor recalled that that he had rightly enhanced the annual grant of GCUDS at the beginning of previous academic year, which bore fruit.
The vice chancellor especially congratulated Ahmad Chaudhry, Zahid Ali, Khakan Arshad, Hassan Haider Raza, Misbah Mukhtar, Adnan Nawaz, Muhammad Awais, Shahzad Khan, Hafiz Rehmatullah, Hassan Virk, Sana Mansoor, Ismail Sharwani and Khawaja Yasin for their commendable contribution to take the tally this high.
GCUDS President Yasin said that in the 150th academic year of the GCU, the Ravian debaters had humbly paid homage to their alma mater by winning 265 awards. He attributed the momentous victory to the unflinching support and patronage of their vice chancellor, who not only arranged state-of-the-art trainings for them but also funded their trips to represent the GCU at international and national debating events.
Khawaja Yasin said that the vice chancellor had shown a special interest in debates at the GCU and they hoped that he would continue to supervise the same.
The Ravian debaters stamped their seal of competence at prestigious educational institutions all over the country including PAF Academy, Risalpur; Kinnaird College, Lahore, FCC University, Lahore, Aitchison College, Lahore, Army Burn Hall School, Abbottabad, NUST, GIKI, PIEAS, Sadiq Public School, Bhawalpur, UET, Lahore, UAF, COMSATS, KEMU, AIMC, Edwards College Peshawar, GCUF and Chief Minister’s Youth Festival.
Later, the vice chancellor posed for a group photograph with shinning orators of the GCUDS and hoped they would maintain their excellent position in oratory and remain the pride of their alma mater.
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