|
Eisteddfod
Debating Success
On
Thursday, 5 August 2009, Tenison Woods College entered two
teams in the Secondary Schools Debating competition of the
Mount Gambier Eisteddfod. There was a large amount of
personal time and effort put in to preparing for these
debates.
With one
team of Year 8 students entered in the Junior Secondary
division, and a team of Year 11 students entered in the
Senior Division, Tenison Woods College battled it out to win
both shields.
In the
Junior Secondary division the Year 8 team of Harriet Weston,
Jessica Kent and Natasha Weatherill took the affirmative of
the topic ‘That a foreign language should be compulsory
in Secondary School.’ Their opponents were the Grant 1
team (composed of Year 9 students) and they were judged to
have won convincingly.
They were
also judged to have been the best Junior Secondary team out
of the
eight teams competing and the school was awarded the Junior
Secondary Debating Shield. For Harriet and Jessica this was
their first competition debate so this is an outstanding
result for a young team with so little experience. The girls
were also judged to be the best presented team.
In the
Senior division the Year 11 team of Jessica Hoggan, Laura
McEntee and Alli Wilson came up against tough opponents in
the MGHS 1 team composed of Year 12 students. This time
Tenison Woods College had the negative side of the topic
‘That Australia should increase immigration.’ The
Tenison case was tightly constructed and presented
forcefully and their rebuttal of the MGHS case was
devastating. All three speakers were outstanding and the
adjudicator commented favourably on their speaking ability
and their effective rebuttal, an essential debating skill
which requires a quick mind and good general knowledge.
This team
was judged to be the best of the eight senior teams
competing and were awarded the Senior Secondary Debating
Shield. Congratulations also to Alli Wilson who was judged
to be the best Senior speaker.
|
