Nayland College win Kahurangi-Marlborough Regionals
The Kahurangi-Marlborough Regional Debating Championships for 2016 were contested by 24 teams from 9 schools across the region. Over four preliminary rounds, junior and senior teams debated a range of topics prior to a Junior and Senior final.
The senior category was won by Nayland College, represented by Andre Castaing, Daniel Kirby and Fynn Sawyer, in a final against Nelson College (Harvey Barron, Seth Whittington and Josh Pressman). In the junior final between Nelson College for Girls (Jenna Stallard, Scarlett Morissey-Smith and Georgie Merry) and Garin College (Theo Gabites, Anthony Lam and Daniel Woperis) the Sound Air Cup was won by Garin College.
The talent, energy and dedication of the students who competed was great to see across the day, and this would not have been possible without the teachers and parents who supported each of the teams. Many thanks go to them, and in particular to Sarah Watts of Nelson College for hosting the competition. Finally, thanks also to the volunteers who judged debates in Nelson over the day: Kimberley Savill, Georgie Lomax-Sawyers, Christopher Bishop, Hamish Saunders, Nick Cross, Julia Wells, Aric Shakur, Ailidh Leslie, Scott Fletcher, Ruby Meagher, James Gavey and Siobhan Davies.
The weekend also acted as a selection for the Kahurangi-Marlborough Regional Squad, three of which will attend Nationals as the Kahurangi-Marlborough Regional Team. In a first for the region, a selection debate featuring students not in either final who had particularly impressed the judges over the day was also held after the preliminary rounds. The speakers called back for that debate were Zoe Palmer (Nelson College for Girls), Bonnie Harrison (Marlborough Girls’ College), Burgess Mills (Nelson College), Remus Courtenay (Waimea College), James Crosbie (Nelson College), and Rohan O’Neill-Stevens (Nelson College) all of whom deserve congratulating.
After much deliberation, the coaches and selectors settled upon five speakers to make up the Kahurangi Regional squad. The selected members were:
Kahurangi-Marlborough Regional Squad:
Josh Pressman (Nelson College)
Harvey Barron (Nelson College)
Fynn Sawyer (Nayland College)
Andre Castaing (Nayland College)
James Crosbie (Nelson College)
A number of other individual speaker awards were given out to those students who particularly impressed throughout the tournament:
Best Speaker:
Josh Pressman (Nelson College)
Highly Commended:
Scarlett Morrissey-Smith (Nelson College for Girls)
Rohan O’Neill-Stevens (Nelson College)
Burgess Mills (Nelson College)
Bonnie Harrison (Marlborough Girls’ College)
Most Promising Speaker:
Daniel Woperis (Garin College)
Kimberley Savil and Georgina Lomax-Sawyers
Kahurangi-Marlborough Regional Co-Conveners 2016