The fifth Nelson/Marlborough Schools’ Debating Championships were held on Saturday 17 March at Nayland College in Nelson. After five years of competing many of the schools are becoming ‘old-hands’ at the championships, and the adjudciators thought that there has been a definitie improvement in the skills of the debaters.
Over three rounds 10 teams competed to be the Regional Champions debating the topics ‘This House believes that New Zealand should ban smoking’, ‘This House believes the war on terror has done more good than bad’ and ‘This House believes New Zealand should become a republic’. The Bioethics Council final was between Nayland College and Waimea College who had each won all three of their rounds. Impressively 5 out of the 6 debaters in the final were Year 11. Debating ‘This House believes that parents should be able to design their children’, the students demonstrated an impressive degree of knowledge about this complex area with the Nayland College team of Catherine Cumpstone, Abby Ward and Joseph Habgood emerging victorious.
As always a number of awards were made and a Nelson/Marlborough team was selected to represent the region at the National Championships. Prizes given were:
Most Promising Team – Waimea College (Corbin Ballard, Nathan Dermead and Taylor Winter)
Most Promising Speaker – Lydia Stewart (Nayland College)
High Commended Speakers – Joseph Habgood (Nayland College), Caillin Trainer (Motueka High School), Abby Ward (Nayland College)
Nelson/Marlborough Schools’ Debating Team – Catherine Cumpstone (Nayland College), Jono Kenyon (Marlborough Boys’ College), Tom Nelson (Motueka High School) and Reserve James Hurndell (Marlborough Boys’ College)
Congratulations to all those who debated, and thanks to the teachers and others who support this competition, as well as to the regional convenor Dave Turner.