Ritwik Mittapalli

As Training Officer, my goal would be to bring a tailored programme of workshops to improve people's debating in the most relevant ways.

There are three reasons why I think I have the correct skills to be Training Officer. Firstly, not only am I a good speaker, but also a versatile one. I have spoken in every position and I have a broad range of knowledge on different motion types. This gives me a good understanding of all speaking skills and the ability to teach matter on many different subjects.

Secondly, I have done more judging than most people in the society (including outrounds). This means that I understand what makes arguments specifically appealing to judges. Additionally, I have judged a variety of high-level debates, which has also broadened my knowledge on debating.

Thirdly, my journey of improving in debating has been very holistic. Most of my improvement has come through self-reflection and thinking about my deep-set thought processes and my general approach to debating rather than watching workshops or doing spars. I think this is a key part fo debate improvement.

The major change I would make in the next year would be to stagger certain workshop topics throughout the year to save more advanced parts for when people have improved. For example, doing 'Coming Up with Extensions' early on and 'Advanced Closing Half Strategy' later.