By Juan Pablo Mántica (Junior Class of 2018)
The “Academic Debate for Student Leaders,” or DALE for its acronym in Spanish, is an annual event that is important to the youth of Latin America, especially that of Nicaragua. This is a two day event in which students can take on roles regarding past, current, or potential future events that are relevant to Latin American society. The event took place at Hotel Camino Real on March 24 and 25, and it was a complete success. Welcoming the participation of the Oxford School of Panama and schools from other departments in Nicaragua, the event benefited from ethnic and cultural diversity, making it all the more interesting.
Speaking with various NCAI students who participated, mostly positive feedback was received. Some first-timers said that, for them, it was principally a learning experience, which opened their eyes to the real world. They felt that the topics discussed were very serious and had to be handled with great care, but at the same time were fairly interesting, encouraging them to participate again. Experienced delegates were pleased feeling that the DALE congress had improved from previous years, mainly because the committees were more dynamic and the topics were more engaging.
NCAI was very well represented; of note are the 4 students who earned distinctions as the top delegates in their committees, and the several counted among the event’s organizers, including senior Rebeca Reyes who presided over it as president. DALE is growing every year and is always becoming more prestigious and noteworthy; we hope that the same will hold true for the participation of NCAI students, which has been very positive in recent years.
Published on April 7, 2017. Written by Juan Pablo Mántica. Photos by Liam Starkenburg.
