Campus causerieA report on the Inter-University Debate and Competition for reciting passages from Shakespeare [Archives:2005/850/Education]
On May 17, 2005 the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Sana'a, hosted, on the Old University Campus, the Seventh Annual Inter-University debate and competition for reciting rhetorically powerful passages from Shakespeare and thus kept alive the tradition of Inter-University events that it started about seven years ago. In addition to the host university, four other universities that participated in the competition were: University of Thamar, University of Hodeidah, University of Ibb and University of Taiz. Dr Khalid Tameem, Vice-Rector for Students' Affairs of University of Sana'a, was the chief guest. Dr Mohammed Abdul Aziz Yusr, Dean, Faculty of Arts as well as a large number of teachers and guests also attended the function. The university professors who evaluated the performance of the competitors were Dr Avadesh Kumar Sharma, Dr P. A. Abraham, and Dr Azam.
The competition was keenly contested and University of Sana'a got the top honors in both the debate and the competition for reciting passages from Shakespeare. In his address to the guests and the audience, Dr Khalid Tameem appreciated the contribution of the English Department of the Faculty of Arts, and in particular of Dr D. Thakur, for the all-round education of Yemeni students. He pointed out that many generations of students were indebted to Dr Thakur for all that he has done for the teaching of English in Yemen. Dr Mohammed Yusr also lavishly praised Dr Thakur and his colleagues in the Department for their signal services for the qualitative improvement of education in general and for that of English Language Teaching in particular.
The student that came first in the debate was Ahlam Abdul Raheem al-Silwi, a fourth year student of Sana'a University. The second position was bagged by Talal Ahmed Abdo, a student of Taiz University. Nahla Mohammed Haneiber, a final year student of Sana'a University, came third in the debate.
In the recitation section, Samira Ahmed Saa'ad al-Othary, a fourth year Sana'a University student won the first prize. Ghalia Kassem Sallam Said, a fourth year Sana'a University student won the second prize. Kadijah Ahmed Ali Hammady from Taiz University won the third prize. It was felt that the students who came first in the debate and the recitation competition illustrated world-class excellence.
As during the debate and recitation competition during the last few years, Dr Thakur this year added with great emotion that during his teaching sessions and more so when training students for debate and recitation he has had for years a dream that some day in the near future students trained by him and his colleagues in the Department would make a great name as international writers in English and would speak in the United Nations with so much force, energy, skill and vitality that representatives from all different parts of the world will clap heartily and say that they are wonderful speakers.
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