TONDANO - A prestigious debate competition returned to the UNIMA Training Center for two full days, November 14-15, 2025. The Unima Debate League (UDL) 2025 served as a platform for students from various academic programs at UNIMA to showcase their debating skills and sharp thinking, divided into Open and Junior categories.
Among the competing teams, the Information and Communication Technology Education (PTIK) program stood out as one of the most formidable contenders. PTIK fielded two pairs of debaters: Andrit Dien (5th semester) paired with Serah Zalukhu (7th semester) in the Open category, and Brandon Turangan and Anastasya Ngion, both first-semester freshmen, competing in the Beginner category.
The results exceeded expectations. Andrit and Serah advanced and secured 3rd place in the Open Category, an achievement that demonstrates advanced debating skills amidst competition from senior debaters. Equally impressive, Brandon and Anastasya who have only been in college for a few months, successfully secured 3rd place in the Beginner Category, proving that PTIK’s debating talent is growing evenly from one generation to the next. Both teams compete in the Indonesian division.
PTIK’s success didn’t stop at the team podium. In individual evaluations, three out of four delegates also won Best Speaker awards. Andrit was named 2nd Best Speaker, Serah took 4th Best Speaker, and Brandon secured 7th Best Speaker. One program, three names on the list of best speakers at the same event.
The Unima Debate League is a debate competition initiated by Manado State University as a platform for developing critical thinking, public speaking, and scientific argumentation skills among students. With a tiered competition format ranging from the Beginner category for freshmen to the Open category for experienced debaters, the UDL is designed to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to grow.
What makes PTIK’s achievements this year special is their even distribution. It wasn’t just senior students who shone, but also two first-semester students who had just begun their academic journey. Brandon and Anastasya’s courage to step directly into the competition arena and return with championship titles is a strong signal that a culture of excellence at PTIK is instilled from the very beginning.
This collection of five awards from a single event is expected to fuel the enthusiasm of all PTIK UNIMA students to continue honing their skills, dare to compete, and bring the name of their alma mater to a broader stage in the future.
