The META Academics Cell of SiliconTech, the engineering institute of Silicon University, organized an OPEN SWORD (Silicon’s Wing of Oratory Representation and Debate) Session on ‘Under Pressure: The Unseen Struggles of Modern Teenagers’ on 26 August 2026. The session brought together fifteen participants and provided a platform for students to engage in meaningful discussion on the academic, social, emotional, and personal pressures experienced by teenagers in today’s competitive environment.
The objective of the session was to encourage meaningful dialogue, critical thinking, empathy, and confident expression among students. The discussion examined the increasing demands of school, coaching, assignments, examinations, and continuous preparation, while encouraging participants to reflect on whether teenagers are being given adequate opportunities to develop friendships, pursue hobbies, build life skills, and experience life beyond academic achievement.
The SWORD session was conducted as a two-round debate in English and Hindi, beginning with an introduction to the theme and the format of the activity. Participants shared their perspectives on academic pressure, expectations to perform and compete, the importance of life beyond academics, and the need to prepare young people for challenges beyond examinations and careers. The session was hosted by Adyasha Anuska Sahoo, evaluated by Sanjana Mohanta, timed by Diptesh Maharaj, and supported by Grammar Inspector Anjali Panigrahi. The exchange of viewpoints encouraged participants to articulate their ideas clearly while listening to and engaging with contrasting perspectives.
The session concluded with greater awareness of the often-unseen pressures faced by teenagers and the importance of maintaining a balance between future preparation and present experiences. It also strengthened students’ oratory, communication, listening, and critical-thinking skills. Archit Pati, 2nd Year, CSE, was recognized as the Best Speaker (Audience Choice), while Pratyush Sathpathy, 2nd Year, CSE, was selected as the Best Speaker (Evaluator Choice).
