GCU wins 117 oratory awards

Government College University Lahore has won as many as 117 oratory awards by beating top educational institutions of the country at the national debating events in first half of the academic year 2010-11 (six months). The GCU Debating Society on Monday hosted a reception in honour of its fourteen best orators who have performed exceptionally well during the last six months and won 22 team trophies and 34 best speaker awards.
Addressing the debaters, GCU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ikramul Haq (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) said that the GCU debaters have somehow always proved more successful in their academic and professional lives than non-debaters as in debates, the preparation and delivery of arguments provide students with the opportunity to think critically, develop research skills, improve their communication abilities, and increase their self-confidence. Professor Ikram said debate enables students to express their views effectively and to respond cogently to arguments with which even they disagree.
He assured the students that GCU would provide them all facilities to participate in national as international debating events. Addressing the ceremony, GCU Debating Society President Zulqarnain Cheena said that GCU had lifted team trophies at all the debating contests including at the Pakistan Air Force College, Raisalpur where GCU orators beat the 71 top educational institutions of the country. He said that GCU also secured 17 distinctions at the Chief Minister Speech Contest, which is a record. He said that they have also won at UET, FC College University Lahore, Chand Bagh School Beconhouse, LGS and LUMS. He said that declamation-style debates remained the strongest side of the GCU Debating Society.
He hoped that GCU DS would this year break its own record of 148 oratory awards, which it made during the academic year 2008-09. GCU Debating Society Adviser Professor Saddique Awan said that the function was organised to encourage the GCU debaters, so that they can perform with more commitment and hard work during rest of the academic year.
Later, shields were given to the best GCU orators including Ali Zafar, Saad Ul Hassan, Kamran Hussain, Ahmed Chaudhry, Umair Mushtaq, Jawad Ali Abid, Umar Gee Saleemi, Zulqarnain Cheena, Almas Sabeeh Saqib, Gadhaun Salam, Ahsan Raza, Shoaib Ahmed, Ali Gee Saleemi and Muneeb Raza for their extraordinary performance in national debating events.