BEST Balkan Voices Tournament at AUBG, Blagoevgrad – March 31-April 1, 2018
On March 31st-April 1st, the BEST Foundation and the American University in Bulgaria hosted Bulgaria’s first-ever international oratory tournament, Balkan Voices. 39 students competed in the Original Oratory event, where they presented a 10-minute self-authored speech raising awareness and calling for action on an issue of concern.
Coaches and chaperones from around Bulgaria joined their students on AUBG’s beautiful campus, and we were pleased to have several AUBG students and staff, BEST alumni, and other community members as volunteer judges for the tournament. The tournament also featured several students new to BEST, from Sofia, Yakoruda, Svilengrad, Dobrich, Polski Trambesh, and National College I.L.Caragiale in Bucharest, Romania.
BEST would like to thank Boriana Shalyavska, Stefan Novoselski, and the entire AUBG Admissions team; Professor Anna Jouviskaia and AUBG alumnus Andrey Anastassov; the cast and crew of the AUBG musical Spring Awakening; and former Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev.
Balkan Voices was BEST’s 5th tournament of the 2017-2018 school year. Previous regional tournaments were held in Pleven, Sliven, Sofia, and Dobrich. BEST will hold its National Tournament in Plovdiv on 27-29th April 2018.
Here are the winners:
Nicholas Britnall - Tsanko Tserkovski School, Polski Trambesh
Mihaela Kafedzhiyska - Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad
Georgi Paparkov - Yane Sandanski MSHS, Gotse Delchev
Nikolai Nikolaev - Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana
Mirela Georgieva - Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS, Lovech
Nikolai Gaidarov - Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana