English Contest : a story of being an “Adju”

Sunday April 20, 2014 was a little bit special for me. On that day, I was honoured  a chance to be an adjuricator in an English contest. The contest regarded to junior and senior high school students in South Aceh and Southwest Aceh district. However, I had never had an experience to be a judge in any formal contest before, for both of English or Bahasa competition. Therefore, having this kind of experience can be viewed as something extra ordinary chance. In addition, the opportunity become more prestigious because it was my first experience and it went to English spoken contest straightly.

This English contest was held by SMA Unggul Labuhan Haji Raya and therefore, it took place SMA Unggul Labuhan Haji Raya as a host. In this contest there were several kinds of competition to be matched. They were English debate contest, English speech contest, poem reading, story telling, English writing and English drama. For the two earliest to be mentioned were the contests which I appointed to be an adjuricator.

The story how I could be hired as the umpire was another story and it was rather comical. Honestly at first time, I didn’t expect to be an adjuricator in that event. The chairwomen, Ms Mida planned for other ones. She would like to pick a native speaker to be an adjuricator. But, because the time and budget were limit, she canceled it. Therefore, she had to find somebody else to be a judge. Somebody with a good credential, track record and integrity to be a referee.

By the way, Ms Mida is one of my friends. She is an English teacher in SMA Unggul Labuhan  Haji Raya, South Aceh district. I started to keep in touch with her since our first meeting in Banda Aceh while attending to IELTS and Interview test for Australia Awards Scholarship (AAS) 2014. Luckily, thanks to the God, both of us are awarded to be a recipient of that prominent scholarship. Both of us are come from South Aceh, and only two of us come from South Aceh from 21 awardees from aceh province and 500 recipients in over Indonesia.

In the beginning, after realizing that inviting a native or a “bule” was not affordable, then Ms Mida bid English teachers to become the judges for the competition. But, the probem might appear because of subjectivity. By choosing English teacher, then he or she might have an importance to make his or her school to be the winner. Avoiding this problem then she figured out others. In one moment, towards the event, she told me about her school program on Sunday. By coincidence, I told her that I had ever had an experience to be a debater before when I was in senior high school. And even I emphasized her, that I ever became the representative of South Aceh’s debating team to compete in Aceh province.

Knowing this fact, then Ms Mida asked me to take a role in that program. She appointed me to be an adjuricator in English debate contest and public speaking contest. I had no chance to explain that I was only as the participant before, not as an “adju”. However, her decision was final and there was no opportunity to be rebutted. Without any formal document or an official decree, then I became one to give any judgment in that event. One who had a right to judge or examine all of participant involved in the contest.

Had been being choosen as the judge, then I started  to search any kinds of information related to on how to examine ones in a competition, particularly to those joining the English debate and public speaking contest.  What are the criterias to be tested and how someone would be claimed better opposed to anothers. I was aware, that my experiences before were not help as much as the expert would. Therefore, googling on the internet was a wise consideration. And I expected that the information would help me to build strong and well-built consideration so I could be a very keen and just adjuricator.

A high level “truthfull conspiracy”

On the day of the event,  the commite and other related parties had already scheduled that the public speaking contest would go first and then followed by the English debate class. For the other contest, it was fine due to the commite had other juries. Having a speech contest, there were no worries from my compatriot judge, Mr. Rizal and I in examining all of the participants in public speaking contest. We gave our judgment simultaneously, then we gave our assessment to the committee and let the commite to summarize and announce the result. Before it started, sure we should make the same opinion and criteria in examining the contestant.

But, the problem then appeared to the surface. It was about the time that we had so limited time to hold the event. The host or commite wanted that event should be completed in just one day, but in another side, it was impossible to follow. However, we finished the public speaking contest almost in Dhuhur time and break (Ishoma). Hence, accepted or unaccepted the next contest (English debate) would be held after break. Reviewing to scheme and the number of participants in the debate class, it would be nine times of debating class that would be performed. With an estimation one hour for one debating class, so it would need nine hours to accomplish all of the part. It meant, we need an extra day to hold the program.

Apprehending this fact, I offered my compartment, Mr Rizal and the the board to split the participants into two pools. These pools would go from the pre eliminary round up to the semifinal. By following this approach, we could run two debating classes at once, in another word, we carried it out concurently. This technique allowed us to reduce the processing time. As the consequence, Mr. Rizal and I would judge the participant solely and separately.

The debating teams's performance

Knowing that SMA Unggul Aceh Selatan took a part in this debating class, then I told Mr. Rizal that I was graduated from SMA Unggul Aceh Selatan. I was conscious that my position as an alumnus of the school would be viewed as the “crack” of integrity and honesty. Though, I could run a very good and perfect assessment, the sense of subjectivity might appear to the such of event. Avoiding to an expected thought, then I made a “conspiracy” to my compatriot, wherever the pool SMA Unggul went for, I would go and rule for the other one. fortunately, Mr. Rizal accepted my idea.

Being an adjuricator especially in a debating class was not as easy as flicking a hand. It was a highly challenging duty. The participants for each team were slighthly in the same excellence and credential. It was hard to preserve our consistency and objectivity. Both of the team were amusing, and it was hard to define the winner. After having some rounds, finally I let the team from SMA 1 Tapaktuan to take place in the final round. I didn’t think that I had made a suit judgement, that all of the related parties would accept my decision, but what I heard from one of the advisor whose team I decided to be a loser in the chance stated that I had perform the “sense of judging” perfectly and appropriately.

In the final round, the SMA 1 Tapaktuan fought  with the SMA Unggul Aceh Selatan – the school where I graduated from.Despite my hard trying to avoid examining SMA Unggul Aceh Selatan, it was my fate to judge my junior in that event. I ever asked to Ms. Mida to replace my position, the reason was simple, to keep the objectivity of the event.  But, unfortunately,  she refuted it. She forced me to be a judge in final round along with Mr. Rizal. However, I had been bonded in this competition, she added.  In the final round, we (Mr. Rizal and I) got an extra umpire, Ms Mida. After having the debating class in the final phase, the adjuricators decided  SMA Unggul Aceh Selatan to be the winner.

Took a photo with aduricators and advisor

I was honored to be a jury in this competition. The participants were outstanding and excellent students. I was dazzled by their performance. Their English was so fluently and very promising. Overall, the constentants were interesting and I was interested for their presentation. I would like to thanks to the chairwomen who had given me this noble and pride chance. She let me know and feel the sense of the next promising generations all over South Aceh and Southwest Aceh District. These promising generations would be expected to bring a better life and development in Aceh province in general, and in their own district in a particular.