The Canterbury Regional Schools’ Debating Championships were held over the weekend of 21/22 May this year at Christ’s College. We had fourteen teams from twelve schools competing, including the Nelson-Marlborough Representative team selected earlier in the year. All the usual suspects were there along with teams from further afield – it was great to see schools from the West Coast and South Canterbury competing.
The competitors stepped up to the mark to argue that NZ’s future is clean and green, that graduates should be bonded, that we care too much about sport and in two great semi-finals, that America deserves to lead the world.
The grand final was a showdown between old rivals Christchurch Boy’s High School and Christ’s College – the teams had met a few years ago in the final of the Junior Press competition! Boy’s High affirmed the moot ‘That the media serves us well’ and won the debate when the negative failed to really attack.
The six speakers selected to the Canterbury Squad are: Lyndon Rogers (Christ’s College); Erin Jackson (St Margaret’s College); Glen Mackie (Boy’s High); Liam Connell (St Andrew’s College); Heather Macbeth and Rezza Baghaie (both from Burnside High). The three reserves are Jess Murchison (St Margaret’s College), Jonny Smith (St Bedes College) and Jim Chong (Boy’s High). Best Speaker of the tournament was Erin Jackson.
The competition is always a big event on the debating calendar and all who competed, coached, adjudicated and organised things over the weekend are to be congratulated! We look forward to an even bigger competition next year.