On Sunday 3 September, three teams from Nayland College participated in the debating Impromptu Cup.

The competition has only been running for two years and has had great success. The standard form of debating gives both teams a chance to prepare for 30 minutes before the debate with three speakers per team, but in this competition, debaters are given only five minutes to prepare their points and are required to speak for a maximum of six minutes in teams of two. Competitors faced teams from schools around the region and participated in four rounds and a final.

The fiery debates ranged from a wide variety of topics. One team must pick one out of two moots (topics), and the other team decides if they are for or against the moot. The moots were about banning zoos, banning single sex schools, increasing video referencing in sports matches, requiring all war monuments to acknowledge both sides of the conflict, and finally, letting parents vote on behalf of their kids. 

 Nayland competed with one senior and two junior teams, consisting of students Annabel Batt & Isla Swanney (senior), Luke Halcrow & Ivan Shabashev, and Matilda McMullen & Emerald McCartney (junior). The judges zoomed in from Wellington and offered their expertise and feedback for the participating debaters. 

The finalists were Emerald & Matilda from Nayland, and Eisa & Riley from Waimea. The moot was "THW prioritise searching for a habitable planet for humans in space exploration," and after a gripping debate, Waimea took home the trophy. Emerald won the award for Best Junior Speaker and Annabel got 3rd Best Speaker of the tournament.

Debating is a great way to critically think about policies and how they affect individuals in the future, and the wider world. It is also a great way to gain confidence speaking in front of people, as well as tearing down their case and finding flaws in one's ‘model’. It encourages you to become more aware and observe what is happening in our world. If you are interested in joining the debating club at Nayland and participating in debating tournaments such as the Impromptu Cup, we meet every Monday in Room 30, guided by the knowledgeable Mrs Bloomfield.