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Perhaps one of the most valuable experiences for students is the opportunity to participate in debates. Debates are sometimes pursued as part of class work. Schools also sponsor debate teams to participate in sessions with other schools on a variety of interesting topics. The experience at public speaking and logically and coherently organising and presenting oned thoughts has provem envaluable for a number of students.
The busy-ness of students and staff made organising debates a little difficult at times, but we did manage to work a few in! Erin Ebborn-Gillespie, Melody Pilgrim and Lucy Gregory acquitted themselves well in the Plains FM Radio Debates, reaching the semi4inals, while Lucy joined in flexible formation with Teall Crossen, Megan Hide and Anna Kinnaird for the Press debating tournament and the keenly contested Bayfield exchange, which ended with honours even. Although there were few inter-school debates involving form three students this year, those students showed plenty of promise--Kirsty Hardwicke and Felicity Stedman, for instance, are very poised public speakers, Jacinda Wong is the combative type who loves the parry and thrust of debate, Robert Simmons is a marvellously lateral thinker who always produces the unexpected, Vanessa Gilmore and Shannon Pomeroy handled difficult ideas well and Alice Shanks' arguments were well-constructed. All-in-all the group forms a good foundation for future senior debating teams.
M.N. Broome & D.L Ayers, Lymphad, Cashmere High School, 1993
Public speaking is competed within the College on all levels, as well as outside of the College in both local and regional competitions. In addition, the College also has
several debating teams, covering all levels of the school. These teams actively participate in competitions both locally and regionally, including the Auckland Debating
Association, the Jaycee's, and the Harrop Cup competition.
Sacred Heart College
When you think about debating, what comes to mind? A bunch of nerds fighting a war of words? A contest of intellectual superiority? Maybe that’s what happens elsewhere, but at PNBHS we know how to hold your attention. Throw in about 30 girls from Girls’ High, Freyberg and St. Peter’s, some pretty good insults and a carrot named Ralph and you’ve got the February 16th debate between Boys’ High and the New Zealand University Debating Team. PNBHS’ Tom Young, Sam Forgie and Ashley Schroder were pitted against NZ University Debating’s Matt Cuthell, Ben Hamlin and Chelsea Payne. The moot (topic) of this debate was Genetic Modification (GM) is dangerous, and our team had a hard time convincing the audience that GM is a good thing (they even tried using Ashley’s genetically modified carrot named Ralph). Using big words (ramifications? It’s easier to say consequences) both teams made good arguments over the GM issue with the NZ University Debating coming out on top. The best speaker was Ben Hamlin. This was an interesting debate but I must say, my attention was drawn more towards Chelsea Payne and the female members of the audience, rather than the debate itself.
Jon Pawson, Off The Record, Palmersons North Boys High School, April 21, 2000
