We are the Yale-NUS Debate Society.
We are a welcoming and open community for Yale-NUS College students to develop their debating skills. Meet the Society members who are part of the Pro-Ams OrgComm:
Anna Nielsen
Anna Nielsen ‘23 decided to join debate when she realized she needed to face her fear of public speaking after puking on stage in front of the entire school. This marked the start of her love and hate relationship with debate. Over the years she has managed to build up her confidence and is now capable of talking in front of people without feeling overwhelmed with nausea.
Jonathan Fu
Jonathan Fu ’23, undeclared, is looking for the major that will disappoint his parents the most. As the token American, he needs the metric system and Celsius translated. His favorite things to do are wonder what’s going to happen to America, convince people that he rooted for the Warriors before they started winning championships, and rue the lack of sweater weather in Singapore.
Joshua Vargas
Joshua Vargas ’23 joined debate in high school because his old crush told him to. He’s awkward as ever, but he stayed because being angry about politics is fun. A rising sophomore and Urban Studies major from the Philippines, he handles the Society’s communications and oversees marketing for Yale-NUS Pro-Ams.
Ng Min
Ng Min ‘22 is an Urban Studies major who spends most of her time explaining to people what that is. She has been debating for almost eight years now, sustained by a genuine belief in the value of the sport. Even though her new love in college is rock climbing, she still enjoys competition training with her good friends and is working with them to make debating better and more accessible.
Steven Sy
Steven Sy ’22 is an Anthropology major and avid beyblader. His relationship with debate has been a long and rocky seven-year journey, with its own honeymoon periods, vitriol-filled breakups, moments of intimacy, alongside all the laughter and tears in between. These days, he’s reached a stage of comfort in his relationship with debate, complete with the amazing people that made the long journey worth it.
Thiti Thitipankul
Thiti Thitipankul ‘23 hopped onto a lonely long-haul when he joined debate back in middle school. Every now and then he’ll land at familiar destinations, but more frequently find himself in places he’s never been and with people he’s never met. Through clear skies and turbulent storms, buckled in with a cabin full of the incredible people he’s met along the way, he’s certainly glad he didn’t miss this flight.