Epsom Students Shine though the World Scholar’s Cup in the USA

From the 12th of November to the 22nd of November, 9 Epsom students were privileged enough to attend the long awaited Tournament of Champions – the concluding round of the World Scholar’s Cup’s 2024 season! The tournament – held in Connecticut, USA – was host to thousands of students in both the junior and senior categories hailing from all over the world. For most of us, it was our first time visiting the States (and arguably the main reason we signed up for the competition in the first place)! Although we had travelled to the USA for the competition, our brilliant teachers, Mrs Perrang and Ms Tisha made sure that we would fully seize the time spent there and I’m very pleased to say that we had a good mix of tourist fun as well as time devoted to studying that contributed to our winnings.

Although we spent the majority of our trip in New Haven, a smaller town in Connecticut, we were also fortunate enough to explore Boston and New York which was a favourite for many! 

“Times Square was as picturesque as I could’ve ever imagined. The flashing advertisements, chatter of excited tourists made the whole experience much more memorable. I remember walking out of the hotel as we all felt New York’s harsh winter breeze, the cold was something none of us could’ve prepared for but wandering around in this new place made the cold feel bearable and unnoticed. We first made our way to Chick-fil-A, our very first American dinner, and we were so, so excited to try the famous Chick-fil-A sauce. Some of us liked it so much that they bought bottles of it to bring home! Every second spent after that was devoted to shopping, trying street food and for some, getting scammed by Elmo and Mickey Mouse! After dinner, we headed to Build-A-Bear to acquire gifts for friends and family. Our last stop for the night was Target! We bought snacks and snacks and more snacks to the point where Alex’s luggage couldn’t close anymore. Needless to say, New York was a blast, I’ve made countless core memories and have formed close bonds with those there. I’ll forever reminisce about New York as a place of greatness and unforgettable, heartfelt fun.”

– Justina W., Y11 Rosebery

“Even though we were only in Boston for a day I can assure you that the Epsom students loved it. Boston felt like a breath of fresh air compared to New York and Connecticut. The landmarks we passed definitely left a mark on us as the history that lay under each concrete step was meaningful. During our day in Boston we visited both prestigious universities in the area: MIT and Harvard which both were exceptional and were up to standard. I believe this visit has led a few of us to think about our life later on and if America is the place for us. Epsom students were able to be in the presence of our future geniuses which inspired us to work harder for our future. I also loved that I was in the same area as the Boston Celtics as I am a huge fan.”

– Alexandra W., Y11 Rosebery

After all the exploring and shopping, it was time to get down to business. As always, the competition consisted of four main events: Team Debate, Collaborative Writing, the Scholar’s Challenge and the Scholar’s Bowl. These events tested our writing and debating skills as well as our knowledge from the syllabus in which our junior and senior teams gave it their best!

“On the first day, we started off with an opening ceremony where we were told about all the amazing activities planned during the competition. We also had a scavenger hunt, where the three juniors were all split up into different teams and had to complete tasks around Yale. This was truly an amazing experience as we got to connect with people from across the world. On the second day of the tournament, we had the Scholar’s Challenge, Collaborative Writing, and Team Debate. This was a true honor – to have the experience of debating against teams from all across the world, getting to know where they’re from, as well as having a true challenge. This was really nice as we all got to share this experience. We learned from the debates, as well as from the collaborative writing. It’s great how we can also use these skills in the future, not only in the World Scholars Cup. We also got to visit the Culture Fair, where we saw a lot of different countries expressing their culture in different ways.”

– Joshua G., Y9 Carr

“There are two moments in the academic sessions of the World Scholar’s Cup that I found to be very memorable. Firstly, the team brainstorming session during the collaborative writing was one of my favourite moments. All three of us in the team kept our wits about us and bounced ideas off each other. I felt a strong sense of togetherness and there was always a moment when someone would come up with an unexpected creative idea, often sparking new inspiration even when we were stuck. But the team debate was also another favourite! I am not really good at debating, but I learnt a lot from my teammates and opponents. The knowledge and learning that I gained from the actual experience was very beneficial and the most valuable of all. I also like the fact that I can feel my small steps of growth, as I am now able to use what I learned, in the next challenge that awaits.”

– Hana K., Y11 Crawfurd

The highly anticipated prize giving ceremony soon arrived and we all waited nervously for our names to appear on the board. The Epsom team, like the rounds before, did exceptionally well in the writing category! Our juniors, Siha, Hannon and Josh were able to successfully secure a silver while our seniors Yi Ro, Justina and Annabel came 13th as a team! Our other senior team, Alex, Hana and Melvern performed spectacularly and managed to bag medals constantly in the other categories as well! In the end, Melvern emerged victorious as the school’s best scholar – bringing home five medals in total!

It’s surreal how the season came to an end in just a blink of an eye.

“Looking back to the day I first saw the assembly introducing the World Scholar’s Cup, I couldn’t have imagined I could have gone this far. I’ve always loved to join competitions, since it meant that I could return home with bountiful medals and certificates, but by competing in the Regional, Global, and Tournament of Champions showed me that the experiences and memories are important as well. From learning how to debate confidently to collaborating with my team for the Scholar’s Bowl, our journey has never been so smooth sailing. The person I was before joining the WSC wouldn’t have had the same faith in my teammates as I do now, and though we already reached our destination, I know that we will always keep the knowledge we earned from this competition and use it in our daily lives. It’s been great so far and if anyone wants to join, you have to consider how much time you are willing to sacrifice in order to compete; WSC consumes a lot of your time but the outcomes are very rewarding. Joining the WSC will forever be the greatest achievement of my life and I will always be thankful to my teammates for joining me on this wonderful journey.”

– Siha P., Y9 Rosebery

“The World Scholar’s Cup was just like the website described: an interesting experience in which we learned things we would most likely never learn in school. It also gave us the amazing opportunity to visit and tour places that we wouldn’t have gone ourselves. The competition itself gives us the chance to meet, befriend, and compete with people we never would’ve met without this competition. We’re also given the chance to strengthen the bond between teammates although there are times where we have opposing opinions, causing us to have fights. In the end, when you get even one medal, especially a team medal, from my eyes, it looked as if the whole team, whether it’s the skittles, junior, or seniors celebrated with all their hearts as they went down to get the medal together, congratulating each other. This feeling of trust and reliability for one another only grows stronger as you qualify from regionals to globals and to the tournament of champions.”

– Hannon M., Y9 Crawfurd

Before we come to the end, it is important that we acknowledge all the work put in prior to the trip that allowed it to be as successful as possible: thank you Mrs Perrang and Ms Tisha for managing visas, making sure we were at the right place at the right time and for ticking all our boxes – despite the exhaustive list. It is your patience, sincere care towards us and vigilant safeguarding that allowed us to return safe and sound, content and happy!

Last but not least, thank you Khai Zhe for your true commitment and loyalty towards the WSC Society. We would not have been able to embark on this journey without your contributions whether it be organising debates, offering guidance on note-taking or even making the mock challenge, no matter how tedious, you were with us on this journey every step of the way and I hope you know that many of us genuinely look up to you! Once again, thank you for always supporting us!

It truly was bittersweet to reflect on this wonderful, fever dream of a trip. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity and will always treasure the memories made whether it be running through the Dubai airport, witnessing bizarre things in Times Square or even playing Hamburger at the restaurants we went to for it is the little things that carry the most weight in the end. Thank you to everyone who made my first trip to the States as special as can be.

By Annabel Elisha R., Y11 Crawfurd

Ms. Tishalani Puvanasan
EAL and Inclusion Teacher