Over the weekend of May 24 and 25, 2025, the BASIS International & Bilingual Schools • China (BIBS • C) Speech & Debate Championship brought the academic year to a powerful close, with over 180 student competitors, nine campuses, and more than 200 hours of oratory, debate, and performance. More than a showcase of skill, this year’s championship was a celebration of gratitude, legacy, and the transformative power of student voice.
Dr. Erica Smeltzer, Head of School at BASIS International School Guangzhou, shares, “Of all the competitions and initiatives we have added to the network over the past five years, I believe that speech and debate has the capacity to be the most transformative. These competitions ask us to explore new perspectives, master our emotions, and order our thoughts. In the end, speech and debate has the capacity to make us more perceptive people and more balanced communicators. When we come prepared to learn, we bring our best and we walk away even better.”
In just three seasons, the BIBS • C Speech & Debate Program has grown into the largest and most comprehensive curricular forensics network in China. This year alone, more than 1,000 students participated in one or more of the six qualifying competitions across the BASIS International and Bilingual Schools network. This year also marked the exciting debut of Congressional Debate — a format built around collaboration, legislation, and advocacy — further diversifying opportunities for our students to lead with empathy and intellect.
Director of BIBS • C Speech and Debate Program Colin Malinak said, “Every year, I’m inspired not just by the growth of our program, but by the way our students grow as people — courageous, collaborative, and deeply thoughtful in how they choose to speak and lead.”
The Championship
Held at the BASIS International School Guangzhou campus, the 2025 Championship was our most inclusive yet, welcoming students from all nine participating campuses — including first-time attendees from BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen. With 450 individual performances and debate rounds that ran morning to night, the weekend was a high-energy finale to a truly remarkable season.
This year’s themes — gratitude and legacy — asked students not only to perform but to reflect: on the voices that shaped them, the communities that sustain them, and the future they will help shape. These themes echoed throughout the weekend, from keynote remarks to final rounds, and into our culminating awards ceremony.
Celebrating Our Community
We honored the people who make this program possible — the students, of course, but also the educators, administrators, and judges who create the conditions for excellence.
Teacher of the Year: Mr. Fraser Wallace, BASIS International School Nanjing
Administrator of the Year: Ms. Jennifer Roth, BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen
Middle School Student of the Year: Chloe Caier W., BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
High School Student of the Year: Philip Y., BASIS International School Shenzhen
Student of the Year Philip Y., BASIS International School Shenzhen, shares, “Debate has taught me that my words matter—and that listening matters just as much.”
We also celebrated the graduation of four senior competitors whose years of dedication to competitive forensics left a lasting impact. They were awarded graduation honors that they will walk in during their graduation ceremonies to signify the impact they have made on our community.
For the first time, we introduced a new system of recognition for judges whose mentorship shapes the way our students grow. Our inaugural honorees: Murph Ren (BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen), Nicholas Smith (BASIS International & Bilingual Schools Wuhan), and Quiana Burnette (BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen) gave critical, encouraging, and insightful commentary that students and coaches can incorporate into their growth.
Top Honors: Schools and Students
Overall Team Sweepstakes Champion: BASIS International School Shenzhen
2nd Place: BASIS International & Bilingual Schools Chengdu
3rd Place: BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
Our Individual Events Sweepstakes celebrates the top multi-event competitors across the network—students whose performances span multiple genres and styles of forensics with distinction.
- Champion: Sharon J., BASIS International School Shenzhen
- 2nd Place: Ava T., BASIS International School Shenzhen
- 3rd Place: Emma Y., BASIS International School Shenzhen
- 4th Place: Makayla Z., BASIS International School Shenzhen
- 5th Place: Ryan X., BASIS International School Shenzhen
As we close this season, we are reminded that speech and debate is about far more than trophies. It’s about building confident, ethical communicators who understand the responsibility of voice. Our students spoke with courage and clarity this year. They made us proud.
With next year already on the horizon, the BIBS·C Speech & Debate Program continues to expand access, deepen training, and reimagine what student-centered forensics can be.
We can’t wait to hear what these students will say next.
