Beyond Winning: Debate taught me persuasion, critical thinking showed me the world
- Lead For Taiwan
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
陳又榛 Chen Youzhen / Banqiao High School / Student, 112th Academic Semester
In an interview, Chen Youzhen, a student from Banqiao High School, sincerely shared his journey from joining the debate club to participating in Lead For Taiwan (LFT) courses. His story reflects how a high school student learns and grows through challenges, gradually finding his own learning rhythm and direction for the future.
How the Debate Club Sparked My Critical Thinking
Youzhen recalled his time joining the debate club, admitting he felt very lost at first. "I had no idea how to prepare materials, let alone express my ideas fluently during competitions," he said, though a slight smile appeared on his face. For him, those days were both frustrating and full of learning.
Fortunately, he met a group of seniors who were willing to support him. "They taught me how to gather information, analyze arguments, and even helped me overcome the nervousness of speaking on stage." Through continuous practice and refinement, he gradually mastered debating skills and built clearer logical thinking and confidence along the way.
However, he also admitted that the pressure of debating was quite intense. "When I’m on stage, I have to be ready to respond to my opponent’s rebuttals at any moment. That mental challenge is exciting, but over time it also made me feel physically and mentally exhausted."
Discovering the Joy of Exploring the World in LFT Critical Thinking Classes
In his second year of high school, Youzhen had the opportunity to participate in Lead For Taiwan’s critical thinking course. He described the experience as "a journey of exploration, freeing me from pressure." Unlike the intense confrontations of debate competitions, the course focused on relaxed discussions with team members. "We analyzed the credibility of information together and explored diverse perspectives. It didn’t feel like completing an assignment, but rather discovering something new and exciting."
Youzhen specifically recalled one class where they analyzed a news report. On the surface, it seemed neutral, but upon deeper examination, they uncovered underlying biases.
"I realized for the first time that information can be complex." ............
"This experience changed his perspective on information and taught him to analyze the messages in life more carefully."
Passion vs. Reality: Putting It Aside Temporarily Doesn’t Mean Giving Up
However, as academic pressure increased, Youzhen had to face the reality of making tough choices. The heavy workload in his second year of high school made it difficult for him to balance the time and effort required by the debate club.
"I began to hesitate about staying in the debate club because, while passion is important, the reality of academic pressure forced me to make trade-offs," he said. Ultimately, he chose to put debate on hold temporarily, but he emphasized that this did not mean giving up. "The training in debate and critical thinking has deeply shaped the way I think."
He believes these experiences have taught him to view problems from multiple perspectives and helped him stay calm and discerning in an age of information overload. "These skills will always be with me and will be my advantage no matter which field I pursue in the future."
Aims to Inspire Others Through Critical Thinking
At the end of the interview, Youzhen spoke about his vision for the future. He hopes that one day, he can become an instructor with Lead For Taiwan and share his experiences with even more people.
"I hope to help other students discover the power of critical thinking, learn how to analyze problems, interpret information, and even find their own voice."
Youzhen’s story reflects the growth of a high school student through challenges, as well as his curiosity and hope for the future. He said, “Life is like a debate — sometimes we need to pause and re-examine our stance before moving forward.”
His resilience and thoughtfulness make it easy to believe that many exciting journeys await him in the future.
（圖片僅為示意，非當事人照片）
訪談＆撰文 / 郭于璇
