GROUPS Debating
2021 proved to be a year in which the profile of debating continued to grow at a rate unseen for many years. Debating now boasts a number of extremely talented junior teams, with some promising talent showing in our new Year 9 debaters already. The talent among the more senior students also boasts a lot of depth and it is fantastic to see the development of skills and talent across all year levels. A large number of teams were entered in the Canterbury Schools’ Debating Council competition for weekly Thursday night debating. The teamwork and support for one another was clearly evident during these debates. It has also provided an opportunity for boys to form lasting relationships across schools as they engage in a good-natured competition of wit, oratory and creative thinking. College entered two teams in the senior Canterbury regional tournament in March. They were the “Holstein Fresians” featuring George Gearry, Callum Hackston, and Claude Tellick and the “Randal Linebacks” featuring Bruce Chen, Yusef Elnahas
and Thimeth Wijesinghe. The teams faced some stiff competition over the two days of contest. Neither of the teams placed but Callum’s adroit debating talent saw him selected for the Canterbury team, and Thimeth clearly made a favourable impression as he was invited to join the development squad. The Impromptu Cup demands mental agility and quick thinking. It is an intense day of debating which places extraordinary demands on competitors. This year, Callum and Thimeth formed a formidable duo and went head to head in the finals with St Andrew’s College on the topic of commercialising technology to bring dinosaurs back from extinction, which College affirmed. College came in as semi-finalists after St Andrew’s took the win. This was an outstanding achievement in this style of debating. 2021 was yet another year characterised by interruptions and cancellations. This meant the inaugural Whiua te Kupu trophy was contested in a manner much altered from its originally intended format. Whiua te Kupu means to
‘toss words around’, and so captures the spirit of battling with words. Debaters at each year level from St Margaret’s College and Christ’s College competed across several days, both online during lockdowns and in person as conditions allowed. St Margaret’s prevailed and will be the first school to see its name on the plaque which was kindly gifted by Richard Gearry, father of Year 13 student George Gearry, as a way to celebrate and strengthen the bond between our two schools.
150
Christ’s College Canterbury
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software