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Debating 2015
 
Photo by Brendan Biggs

Debating - Senior

Brendan Biggs —

Debating 2015

As I look around my room I see many things reminding me of my time debating at St Thomas’, from Bishop Lyons’ Shield Certificates, to team photos, to random things prompting memories of the practices. Debating in 2015 was one of St Thomas’ best. Whilst we did not win any trophies or tournaments, we had two very strong teams, which were a mix of younger and more experienced debaters.

This gave us a lot more opportunities as a school and we even had extras willing to debate since St Thomas’ hosted the entire first half of the Canterbury Debating Competition. Our skills at debating obviously increased, but many other skills and traits grew and were benefitted through the year. Everyone gained a far greater confidence in public speaking, utilising random information learnt years ago, and impromptu decision making and speaking. These skills benefitted everyone hugely and it was obvious in everyday mannerisms just how much people’s confidence grew.

However debating is not all thinking and arguing; it is also a great deal of fun. Most of it cannot be given sufficient credit in words, but it is always highly entertaining when the opposing teams makes a remark left open to a joke or mockery, which fortunately in debating is seen as a strategy. Over time we learnt each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and would be attempting to guess which poster around the room would be used in the closing speech, which never failed to begin with “as I look around this room…”

Overall debating is a fantastically entertaining activity and also has highly helped in many aspects of life, so I would recommend it to anyone considering or even not considering it in the future.

By Regan Campbell