Talking her way to the top

Competing against 100 of the best debaters and public speakers from 14 countries, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, Latvia, Lithuania, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States, 16-year-old Zeenia Framroze of Toronto, Canada, literally talked her way to the top, winning the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championship, 2010. Incidentally, she is the first girl in 10 years to have won this honor.

Canada’s collective achievements (they won the top three slots) came as no surprise to veterans of the public speaking circuit, but newly crowned champion Framroze was elated by her individual success. This 11th grade student at Branksome Hall, Toronto, has only spent two years as an active participant in competitive speaking, getting involved by chance when she was brought in as a last-minute replacement for a member of her school team.

"We spent 10 amazing days in Lithuania with the events of the championship taking place in two cities, in Druskininkai, a spa town in the south of Lithuania, and in Vilnius, the capital city,” says Framroze, crediting her win to the strong coaching and preparation, along with the nervous energy that tends to take over before each performance. A less conventional aid also proved empowering! "I wore glasses,” she said with a laugh during a telephone interview. "It actually makes me feel more intelligent!”

For the World Individuals, successful participants must excel in four areas of oratory. They must deliver an 11-minute prepared speech to excel in the "persuasive” category; they must showcase their ability to deliver off-the-cuff remarks in "impromptu speaking;” sway judges with their argumentative skills in the "debate” component; and tap into their dramatic prowess to deliver a stirring "interpretive reading.” Students take part in two rounds of competition for each category, and the winner is determined by tallying scores from all eight rounds.

Zeenia Framroze with her trophy for excellence in debating and public speaking Photo: The Canadian Press

Framroze takes her debating assignments seriously and puts in a lot of preparation. She has been known to produce 11 drafts of a speech before she even begins to memorize it! "But the rigors of competitive public speaking are more than balanced by the numerous perks which include international travel, an opportunity to make friends with people from around the world and a chance to develop a crucial life skill,” says the confident young lady.

When asked what or who her inspiration has been, Framroze is quick and gracious in acknowledging that she comes from a family of fine speakers. Her elder sister Camille, a sophomore at Princeton University, debates and did Model United Nations. Her mother Sonya was an orator as a student (and still wins every argument at home!) and Framroze knows about great-granddad Rustam Rustamji excelling in public speaking and debate (he was an ardent nationalist and active in India’s freedom struggle).

Framroze has benefitted from a multicultural background. Born in Philadelphia, USA, she spent her early years there. Family ties and the ‘India Shining’ magnet pulled her parents back to India in 1996. Zeenia and Camille studied at the Dhirubhai Ambani School in Bombay, before their parents decided to move to Canada.

Zeenia’s father Bomi carried the brilliance of his student days to his work place. In USA he worked at American Cyanamid as associate director, Chemical Discovery. He was invited to India as executive director for Gharda Chemicals, a $ 100 m global manufacturing unit. Bomi now has his own company, Opus Organics which does research in pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals. He has many patents to his name. Sonya was associate dean at Bryn Mawr College in USA. In India she started and ran an NGO (nongovernmental organization) involved in rural development in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Now in Canada she has a private practice as a psychologist.

Framroze feels that her experiences, living in India and North America, have given her a world-view and perspective on issues which have proved a great asset in debating and effective communication. Her Pan-American-Indian accent too has been an asset. "I enjoy watching CNN, BBC, and Al Jazeera in addition to reading the newspapers every day,” says the teenager. Public speaking is just a part of Framroze’s schedule, which includes practices for the school basketball team, assignments for her school newspaper and time spent choreographing Bollywood dances which are a big hit with her friends.

While the world is her oyster and she is creating a perfect pearl, Framroze is not without goals. "At this point, I think I would like to go into politics or public policy. But I am open to ideas and experiences and to changing my mind,” she says. This summer she is working with ISHAARA, an NGO for the hearing impaired. She is helping to set up their website and hopes to learn sign language.

Dilnavaz E. Bhagwagar