Junior Captain of Debating, Obaidullah Zaman, and Senior Captain, Daniel Dizon, report on what was a very successful year.

Junior Debating

In 2023, we had 11 teams from the Junior division participate in Debating. From these teams, eight were under the guidance of our senior debaters, who have made a significant impact on our debating abilities, leading to our numerous awards and overall improvement in our debating skills as teams. Our debates took place every fortnight at Hamilton Girls' High School. Moreover, we would like to express our special thanks to Ms Ashby and Ms Young for their coaching, organisation, and their encouragement of debating at HBHS across all year levels.

By Obaidullah Zaman

Junior Captain of Debating

Senior Debating

On the heels of our successful predecessors, the 2023 HBHS Senior Debating cohort (8 teams) had high expectations to succeed. A few highlights from the year include:

• Two HBHS premier teams in the Waikato Schools Premier Final after a long gruelling year of debating, where “HBHS the 1975” went undefeated winning 7 out of 7 debates during the schools tournament.

• The retention of the Super 8 trophy at the Super 8 Cultural Festival.

• Initiating (and winning) a new online tournament with Palmerston North Boys' High School, Auckland Grammar School, and Westlake Boys' High School.

• Defeating the Staff team in our annual ‘Prefects vs Staff Debate’.

Thanks to our senior students who adjudicate the junior competition and to those who coach a Year 9/10 team, laying down the foundations necessary to ensure future HBHS Debating success.

The senior debating students of 2023 would like to thank Mr Ensing and Ms Young for all their hard work in progressing HBHS Debating. Special mention to Ms Young for taking us under her wing since Year 9 in 2019 and guiding us towards our most successful year in debating yet.

We would like to give our best wishes to the future debating cohorts and look forward to watching your debates.

By Daniel Dizon

Captain of Debating

Debating Achievements in 2023:

Waikato Representative for National Schools Competition: Daniel Dizon (reserve: Josef Gillgren)

Super 8 Cultural Competition: Senior team 🥇; Junior team 🥉

Winners of the inaugural online competition between PNBHS, AGS and WBHS

Waikato SS Senior Premiere Cup: Daniel Dizon, Josef Gillgren, Cam Sundararaj, and Hamish McKelvie

Best Waikato Senior Premiere speakers: Daniel Dizon 🥈 Josef Gillgren 🥉, Adithya Bandaru 5th

Waikato SS Senior Open: 🥈 Nikash Lanka, Conor McCormack, Michael Crowther, and Jonathan Crowther

Best Waikato Senior Open speakers: Nikash Lanka 🥈, Conor McCormack 5th

🏆 Deakin Cup (impromptu debate): Josef Gillgren and Daniel Dizon

🏆 Best Waikato Speaker in Impromptu Debate: Josef Gillgren

🏆 Deakin Cup Novice winners: Krish Patel and Tatva Patel

🏆 Arguably the Best Cup (junior debating): Obaidullah Zaman, Tatva Patel, and Krish Patel

🏆 Year 9 Waikato Secondary Schools Best Speaker Cup: Ollie Shallcrass

Waikato Secondary Schools Adjudicator Service Award: Daniel Dizon and Adithya Bandaru