Junior Debating

2022 has seen a record number of junior debaters who want to improve their skills to argue convincingly. Eleven teams were entered into the Waikato Schools’ Competition. Our Year 10 team of Ayaan Harunani, Kurt Fuller and Charlie Ruffell reached the semi-finals, having won all five of their preliminary debates. Nikash Lanka, Ayaan Harunani and Conor McCormack won the “Arguably the Best” Cup for Impromptu Debating. Nikash Lanka and Daniel Zhao both received individual awards for top-five individual speakers and diligence respectively.

Our junior team of Nikash Lanka, Ayaan Harunani and Conor McCormack were the Champions of Junior Debating at the Super 8 Cultural Festival. The team of Nikash Lanka, Jonathan Crowther and Ayaan Harunani also won their debate at the Auckland Grammar exchange.

Senior Debating

We have had an amazing group of Senior Debaters who have been able to deliver podium results at every debating event entered in 2022.

In March there were early signs this would be a strong year at the Waikato Regional Competition with two HBHS teams in the finals. Our winners were Levi Pruden, Hitesh Malhotra, Jovan Xin, and Campbell Wood and our runners up were Eddie Bi, Alexander Mayo, and Wyatt Winke.

From this competition Levi Pruden was selected for the Waikato Regional Debating Team (with Campbell Wood as reserve). Wyatt Winke and Cam Sundararaj were selected to train as part of the Waikato Development Squad.

At the NZSS Debating Competition, the Waikato team came second (to Auckland) and Levi Pruden received a Highly Commended Speaker Award.

During the year we have had 8 teams in our local schools’ competition run by the Waikato University Debating Society. Two teams made it to the semi-finals of the Premier Grade. Unfortunately the team of Hamish McKelvie, Josef Gillgren, Cam Sundararaj and Daniel Dizon did not continue to the finals. Our other team of Levi Pruden, Hitesh Malhotra, Jovan Xin, and Campbell Wood took out the final against St Peter's School Cambridge and won the Senior Premier Grade Cup. Levi Pruden, Alexander Mayo and Ishaan Singh received Top Speaker Awards. Hitesh Malhotra and Wyatt Winke received Diligence Awards. Levi Pruden was recognised for his services as Adjudicator for the Junior competition.

In Term 2 our Senior Premier team of Levi Pruden, Hitesh Malhotra, Campbell Wood, and Jovan Xin were successful in winning both the Senior Debating competitions at the Super 8 Cultural Festival and in the Auckland Grammar exchange. This added to the celebrations of our Junior Debaters who also won both debates.

Term 3 saw two teams entered for the Impromptu Debating Competition and again we had two HBHS teams in the final. Levi Pruden and Hitesh Malhotra won the Deakin Cup with Josef Gillgren and Wyatt Winke as runners-up. Josef Gillgren was named Best Speaker and Levi Pruden as Speaker with the Most Distinguished Style. Josef Gillgren also came third in the “Let's Talk About It” competition for prepared speeches.

Our Senior debaters continue to mentor our junior debaters and I am indebted to Hitesh Malhotra, Jovan Xin, Campbell Wood and Levi Pruden for their service to debating over their five years. I thank our conscientious Captains of Debating, Nikash Lanka (Junior), Hitesh Malhotra (Senior), and our teachers, Ms Michelle Coursey, Ms Mandy Fletcher, Mrs Lucy McGirr and Mr Levi Ensing. I look forward to building the strength of Debating at HBHS and to developing more young men who can both listen to and communicate both sides of any argument.

Melissa Young

Teacher in Charge of Debating