2018 was the first year Katikati College competed in at least a decade in any competitive inter-school debating regional finals at a junior or senior level and our students have emerged champions.

On Saturday 20 October our Senior A, Year 10 A and Year 9 A competed at Tauranga Girls' College in two separate tournaments: 

(1) The New Zealand Schools Debating Council Bay of Plenty Development Championships where our teams could compete for: a top four placement and/or, a top ten best speakers placement

(2) The Western Bay of Plenty Regional Junior Debating Finals and the Western Bay of Plenty Regional Senior Debating Finals, in which Katikati College had a team in both finals against Tauranga Boys' College 1. This was the first year Katikati College competed in at least a decade in any competitive inter-school debating regional finals at a junior or senior level. Out teams did incredibly well, emerging champions! Our Year 12 team, comprising Phoebe Robertson, Stella Hamilton-Wallace and Natalie Rochat won the Western Bay of Plenty Senior Debating Finals Intermediate Shield. Maddie Schnackenberg was also winner of this shield, but was unable to compete in the final round. Whilst Tauranga Boys' College's Year 13 team won the debate and were awarded the cup, because our competing team was a Year 12 team we accordingly came 2nd in the overall championship but were the first placed intermediate team and took out the shield. A win all round. These students debated what level of media intrusion we can justify into the lives of our politicians. A very topical topic.
Our Year 10s won The Western Bay of Plenty Junior Debating Finals Junior Premier Cup for first place in the junior championship, again against Tauranga Boys' College Junior 1. This team comprised Grace Fotheringhame, Jess Harray and Caelen Cameron. Debating affirmatively that we should bemoan the rise of the tiger parent.
Impressively, our Year 9s came third overall in the New Zealand Schools Debating Council Bay of Plenty Development Championships, and four of our debaters placed in the top ten New Zealand Debating Council Bay of Plenty best debaters list specifically: Rory Robertson (10th); Grace Fotheringhame (8th =), Jess Harray (8th =) and Skyla Hunter (4th). This is an incredible feat for our young debaters. To achieve this our debaters had to debate teams from all over the Bay of Plenty region, across four impromptu debates on topics ranging from lowering the voting age, to banning zoos, to tiger parenting.
This concludes our 2018 debating calendar. We could not be prouder of our success. We placed first or third in all of the prize givings, but more than that we came together as debaters, learners and as a club and made our mark on the Bay of Plenty oratory scene. Roll on 2019!