The results for the 2007 Hawkes Bay Russell McVeagh Secondary Schools’ Debating Championships are as follows:
Final results:
Winning team: Lindisfarne College (awarded the “Toi te Taiao:The Bioethics Council Trophy For the Winning Team”)
Runner up: Campion College
Members of the Hawkes Bay Regional Team:
Louis Chambers (Havelock North High School)
William Findlay (Lindisfarne College) (Captain)
Abe Ropitini (Lindisfarne College)
Reserves:
Lauren Kilkolly (Hastings Girls High School)
Nathaniel Ratapu (Campion College)
Promising Speaker:
Mike Li (Campion College)
Most Promising Speaker:
Jordan Boyle (Napier Boys High School)
Highly Commended:
Tim Jones (Lindisfarne College)
Best Speaker (awarded the “Toi te Taiao:The Bioethics Council Trophy For the Best Speaker”):
Louis Chambers (Havelock North High School)
Hawkes Bay Regional Debating Team named after a successful weekend.
On the 31st March and 1st April, the Russell McVeagh Hawkes Bay Secondary Schools’ Debating Championships were held at Karamu High School in Hastings. Five teams from across the region, reaching as far as Gisborne competed in the selection tournament at which a Hawkes Bay Regional Team is named. The Hawkes Bay Region has developed by huge leaps and bounds in the past 12 months, thanks to the tireless work of Jill Allan (Karamu High School) with implementing the Russell McVeagh style of debating throughout the regular interschool competitions, replacing the former Jaycee style of debating. The Russell McVeagh style emphasises intellectual analysis and well thought out and articulated arguments. It is a style used at both the National championships, and at the World Schools’ Debating Championships.
Teams debated a controversial motion “This house would allow parents to design their babies”, followed by three limited preparation rounds, where teams were given 60 minutes and 30 minutes respectively to prepare a debate. Topics included “This house would make the learning of the Maori language compulsory in secondary schools”, “This house believes it is legitimate to use torture against suspected terrorists”, and finally “This house believes that we should legalise drugs in sport”. All were very challenging topics which were handled very well, in what was the highest level of competition ever seen in Hawkes Bay at this tournament.
The tournament concluded with the grand finals between Lindisfarne College (Hastings) and Campion College (Gisborne) debating the topic “This house believes that the private lives of public figures are our concern” – a topic where knowledge of current affairs was very useful. The winning team of the tournament was Lindisfarne College comprised of Tim Jones, William Findlay, and Abraham Ropitini, winning by a narrow margin affirming the motion. The team was awarded the “Toi te Taiao:The Bioethics Council Trophy for the Winning Team” for their success.
The Russell McVeagh Hawkes Bay Regional Team, to represent the HB region at the National Championships in August was named after a rigorous selection process as Louis Chambers (Havelock North High School), William Findlay (Lindisfarne College) and Abraham Ropitini. Co-Convenor Matt McGrath said “choosing the team from the amazing pool of talent was a really hard ask – but we are absolutely confident that we made the right choice”.
Other awards presented at the tournament included: Reserves: Lauren Kilkolly (Hastings Girls High School) and Nathaniel Ratapu (Campion College), Promising Speaker: Mike Li (Campion College), Most Promising Speaker: Jordan Boyle (Napier Boys High School), Highly Commended: Tim Jones (Lindisfarne College), Best Speaker (awarded the “Toi te Taiao:The Bioethics Council Trophy For the Best Speaker”): Louis Chambers (Havelock North High School).
This tournament would not have been possible without the generous and enthusiastic support of Jill Allan and Karamu High School who have hosted the tournament over the past four years, Russell McVeagh, The Bioethics Council as well as the eight adjudicators who gave up their weekend to travel to Hawkes Bay to judge at the competition.
Pei Huang, Co-Convenor, Hawkes Bay.
Tim Jones (Lindisfarne)
Nathaniel Ratapu (Campion)
Winning Team: Lindisfarne College, presented with the Toi te Taiao : The Bioethics Council Trophy for the Winning Team
Grand Final Winners Lindisfarne College and Runners Up Campion College after the final.