22 November 2018

Debating - Junior Secondary Program

Article by Ms Andrea Dart

Debating - Junior Secondary Program

During Term 4, SICG joined other schools in the Geelong Region participating in the Junior Secondary Program conducted by the Debaters’ Association of Victoria (DAV). Students from 11 schools in some 20 teams gathered at Clonard College which hosted this year’s program.

The program was conducted over a series of four evenings, with the first of these being Training Night. Adjudicators from the DAV explained the basics of debating and focused on the different roles of the three speakers. Equipped with a clear understanding of how formal debates are conducted, students left both confident and excited about the challenges that lay ahead.

Ms O’Brien and Ms Dart ensured that our students were well prepared by supporting their research and helping with the development of their arguments.

SICG took the affirmative side for the Round 1 topic: “That all female athletes should have the same pay and conditions as male athletes.” Although the adjudicator praised our students for their strong arguments and the skills demonstrated in rebutting their opponents’ case, Geelong Grammar scored a win.

In Round 2 our team enjoyed arguing against the proposition “That emojis reduce our ability to communicate” and defeated a very competent team from Saint Joseph’s College. Solid teamwork was a feature of lunchtime preparation and the three speakers performed to a consistently high standard on the evening. With the line of "A smile is worth a thousand words, so our team gives a big thumbs up to emojis" they secured their win.

Students were very excited for the Round 3 fixture against Sacred Heart, and developed four strong arguments against the idea “That violent toys and games should be banned for children”. The adjudicator commended both teams on their good presentation skills in a high level debate. Laura McMahon performed strongly as first speaker with perfect timing and clear delivery of her arguments. Tyson Henry’s delivery as second speaker featured excellent pacing and strong emphasis of key points. Laura Maertzdorf was awarded Best Speaker in our team’s two-point win. Laura’s performance as third speaker was particularly effective with a comprehensive four minutes of unscripted rebuttal.

It has been very satisfying to see the improvement in students’ skills and the growth in their confidence throughout the program. Congratulations to the following students for their participation in all three debates:

Tyson Henry, 8 Chardin, Laura Maertzdorf, 8 Montserrat (Best Speaker, Round 3) and Laura McMahon, 7 Claver

Special thanks are extended to Ms Brooke O’Brien for her support of the team, and her assistance with students’ preparation and rehearsal. Thank you also to parents for their support and attendance at the debates.

Debating 2019 – for all year levels

The DAV offers the opportunity to students in all year levels at schools in the Geelong Region to take part in Debating on the following evenings in 2019:

  • Thursday 2nd May
  • Thursday 16th May
  • Thursday 30th May
  • Thursday 13th June
  • Thursday 1st August

What is required of student participants at SICG:

- a firm commitment to the full program of five debates (no withdrawals are permitted as this is unfair on teammates and on students in other schools who prepare as expected for each fixture)

- attendance at set weekly lunchtime meetings to prepare and rehearse speeches

- a firm commitment to completing speeches in time for rehearsals

- organization of own transport arrangements to and from the venue (Geelong Grammar School, Corio Campus); parents are welcome to attend the debates as members ofthe audience

All participants are assisted and supported with the preparation of their arguments and the rehearsal of their speeches. This ensures that students are equipped with the necessary skills and able to debate with confidence.

Any student who is willing to take up the challenge of Debating in 2019 and who is prepared to make the commitment required is asked to have a parent or guardian express their interest by emailing Ms Andrea Dart: darta@ignatius.vic.edu.au. Expressions of interest close on Friday 8th February after which time the SICG Debating teams will be registered and organized. As the DAV organises both regional and metropolitan competitions which generally run from March through to August, it is necessary to register teams in February for the program to commence in May. We look forward to fielding junior and senior teams next year.

Ms Andrea Dart Debating Co-ordinator

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