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Figure 1.-- |
Many New Zealand schools give considerable attention to debate and public speaking, reflecting the British imprint on New Zealand schools. This is particularly true of the private schools where even primary-age children are often intoduced to debating. peaking in front of an audience can be very daunting to many students. Classroom experiences are an important way of developing speaking skills. 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 competitions at school as well as 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. A related activity is public speaking. Schools offered a range of public speaking opportunities for the sudents.
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
The Form 2 Debating team of Scott Moselen, Clinton Parkes an Leon Butler had a very successful year. They have won two debates to reach th final, with the topic "Thay television is a reflectin of ourselves." These boys have represented their school with pride. Thanks to Mrs. Gaffney who puts in so much work with our debaters and also to David Waite who helped with research.
Frances Douglas Memorial College, 1996
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
.... Just as our year started with a big bang ... so did our debating careers. We unmercifully thrshed our rival schools, continuing our winning streak, by winning 3 out of 4 debates, which inevitably placed us as the runner-up in the Rotary Debating Competition. Not bad, considering we have a male dominant debating tean this year! (Just kidding!)
Another highlight of the year was our participation in the Great New Zealand Debating Competition, which also required endless hours in the library. ... I had to put up all sorts of juvenile and sexist comments expressed by my fellow male debaters, namely: Stephen Jordan and Marvin Yee. Talk about abuse! But later, we got down to work and had a hair-tearing 3 hours of research and discussion about the Privy Council and whether NZ could do without it. Hmmm! Interesting stuff! The Great NZ Debate Competition proved to be an excellent experience, especially for Marvin Yee who was invited back as one of the 6 best debaters in Ackland.
Here let me introduce this year's senior debating team:
Jessie Fung: who has shown great leadership and excellence in debating (I'm not the least biased in opinion here jst because I'm writing this article! Honest!)
Marvin Yee: who is renouned for poking fairies out of the air when he debates.
Mark Simpson: who is renouned for speking literally about nothing.
Stephen Jordon; who never ceases to amaze us with his wit and sarcasm.
Geoffrey McPhail: who is renowned for singing songs from "The Sound of Music: to capture his audience's attention.
Owen Auger: who is our "Master of Tenses" and correct our tenses in preparing debates.
Elham Zadeh: whose grimaces tesemble smiles even in the worst of moments.
And now, our future debaters are Ben Corr, Luke Jacobs, Lucas Reid, Sarah Walter, Stephanie Wayper and Ben Yi. Numbers of yunior debaters this year may be small but their debating skills are large. We can rest assured that the fiture of debating at the college is in good hands.
And last, but not least, on behalf of all school debaters, I would like to thank Mr Baker and Mr Grant for the many hours they have sacrifced for us.
Jessie Fung, "Glenfield College, 1996".
The team had a difficult season this year. Being comprised of many fourth formers, they found themselves in verbal combat with fifth and sixth formers in all their matches. Many topics ranged from: "The first aim of education is a career" to "Would we rather be wealthy than wisw?". Wins and losses have prepared this team for a great seaon of verbal combat next year. Jordan Chaplin, who was new to debating, showed he could foot it with the rest. A sharp mind, underated humour, strength rebuttal meant that Jordon will go far with his debating in the future.
Jared Danielson, Kelsonian (Kelston Boys' High School), 1996
