Oratory Article
Competition Debating
In my more than a decade involved with Cranbrook Debating, I cannot recall a time where we experienced a second round of clean sweeps in a single season of the ISDA Competition! Friday night’s debates against Bellevue Hill rivals, Scots, were tremendous and secured for some teams the chance to debate in this year’s Octo (out round) finals: Year 8, Year 10, and Senior A. More teams could yet be added to this list, but we must wait for confirmation after Round 7 following Easter.
See below the ISDA topics, for which Cranbrook was negative in all debates:
| Division | Topic Area Round 6 ISDA: International Issues |
| 7 | That developed countries should pay developing countries to preserve their rainforests. |
| 8 | That developed countries should pay developing countries to preserve their rainforests. |
| 9 | That Australia should prioritise relationships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. |
| 10 | That the International Community should jointly manage vital shipping channels & sea lanes (e.g. the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal). |
| Senior B | That the International Community should jointly manage vital shipping channels & sea lanes (e.g. the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal). |
| Senior A | That the International Community should jointly manage vital shipping channels & sea lanes (e.g. the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal). |
See below the updated tally:
| ISDA Division | Round 1 vs SACS | Round 2 vs St Caths | Round 3 vs Kincoppal | Round 4 vs Kambala | Round 5 vs Shore | Round 6 vs Scots |
| 7 | WIN | Loss | WIN | Loss | Loss | WIN |
| 8 | WIN | TBC | WIN | WIN | WIN | WIN |
| 9 | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss | Loss | WIN |
| 10 | WIN | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss | WIN |
| Senior B | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss | Loss | WIN |
| Senior A | WIN | WIN | Loss | WIN | WIN | WIN |
Eastside debaters went up against one of the strongest schools in their competition, and pleasingly came away with a solid win rate, with triumphs for Years 7, 8 and 10. Currently, the 7s and 12s sit top of their respective ladders, and the 8s and 11s are tracking a respectable second place so far.
See below the Eastside round topics:
| Division | Topic Area Round 4 Eastside: Economics |
| 7 | That the government should limit the prices of groceries. |
| 8 | That the government should limit the prices of groceries. |
| 9 | That Australia should implement the “old rent law”. |
| 10 | That the government should offer interest free loans to young people, that are repaid off future income like tax. |
| 11 | That the government should offer interest free loans to young people, that are repaid off future income like tax. |
| 11 | That the government should offer interest free loans to young people, that are repaid off future income like tax. |
See below the results for Cranbrook:
| Eastside Division | Round 1 vs Sydney Grammar | Round 2 vs Scots | Round 3 vs Reddam | Round 4 vs Sydney Boys |
| 7 | Loss | Loss | WIN | WIN |
| 8 | Loss | WIN | Loss | WIN |
| 9 | WIN | WIN | Loss | Loss |
| 10 | Loss | Loss | WIN | WIN |
| 11 | Loss | WIN | WIN | Loss |
| 12 | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss |
Due to the Easter long weekend, there are no competition debates this Friday 29th March. The next debates are scheduled for Friday 5th April – see below for details.
Cranbrook success in Rostrum Public Speaking heats
Last Thursday afternoon, Year 9 student Kernel He and Year 12 student Owen Woolford ventured to Ascham for the preliminary heat of the 2024 Rostrum Competition. Rostrum, celebrating its 50th year, is a national competition that provides secondary school students with the opportunity to express themselves on important issues and convey a message.
Kernel spoke about hostile public architecture in the junior division and Owen spoke about hyperpop in the senior division. Both gave outstanding speeches, which were noted for their originality, engaging voice, and, at the senior level, for not relying on any notes whatsoever. The ability to speak with clarity and authenticity were highly valued by the judging panels, and Kernel subsequently won his heat while Owen came a close runner-up in his heat. Kernel will therefore progress to the Regional Final (Semi-Final) in May and should the winner of the senior heat be unable to attend, Owen will be called upon to attend the same Regional Final.
This is a terrific achievement for both students and a credit to the work of the Public Speaking coaches and teachers in recent years.
Mock Trial Round 1 result
On Wednesday morning, Cranbrook took on its Bellevue Hill rivals, Scots, in Round 1 of the 2024 Mock Trial Competition. Run by the NSW Law Society and presided over by actual lawyers and magistrates, the Mock Trial Competition introduces students in Years 10 and 11 to the NSW judicial system through simulated criminal and civil cases.
In this first round, Cranbrook held the plaintiff side in a civil case in which a company was being sued for negligence under Section 5B of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). The Cranbrook side was represented by the following students:
- 1st barrister – Hudson Woolford
- 2nd barrister – Gus Robinson
- Solicitor – Plai Garnjara-Goonchorn
- 1st witness – Jax Taylor
- 2nd witness – Cameron Li
- Magistrate’s Clerk – Oscar Xing
The trial – particularly its formalities and protocols – was a learning curve for the students in their first ever competitive event, who did an admirable job with their case. Perhaps my favourite – certainly humorous – part of the trial was the question of whether horses can, in fact, ‘sense trouble’ in relation to the incident at the heart of the matter!
Based on the evidence presented over 3 hours, the magistrate awarded the win to Cranbrook as the plaintiff. However, in Mock Trial, winning the case doesn’t necessarily mean you win the round (around 50% of wins do not equate to a round victory). In what was an extraordinarily close scoring of individual performances by a handful of points, Cranbrook unfortunately didn’t win the round, with that honour going to our neighbours up the hill.
The team was fortunate to receive detailed feedback from a generous magistrate, which will help shape responses in the second round. For next time, the team will be working on their formalities, protecting their witnesses, and cross-examination skills.
AMEB Voice and Communication sign up now open
Starting after the Easter break, Cranbrook will be introducing the AMEB Voice and Communication syllabus to students in Years 7 and 8 who find speaking publicly a challenging experience and who are eager to develop the confidence and skill to express themselves with purpose, clarity and flair. The AMEB course may be familiar to those whose children work through grades of Music for their chosen instrument. For Voice and Communication, it will involve engaging with a range of text types like prose and poetry, speaking in a range of contexts (some favourites include performing a magic trick to an audience or presenting a verbal media report) as well as learning good vocal exercises and posture techniques to communicate well.
Students involved will be led by a public speaking coach and teacher with experience in this field, receiving small group tuition and support so they can prepare for the formal external assessment component of the AMEB. This involves speaking in small groups and individually to a panel of assessors, who will provide marks and feedback. Involvement in Voice and Communication is designed to be long term, with students moving up grades (levels) each year, eventually having the opportunity in senior years to try their hand at the Voice and Communication Certificate course. It is anticipated – based on advice from AMEB – that Years 7 and 8 students will likely start on either grade 4 or grade 5 (level 2) of the syllabus. More details can be found on pages 71-92 of the syllabus guide.
Key details for sign up:
- VAC will run Fridays 3.30-5.00pm and one weekday lunchtime (TBC) as a drop in session with the teacher/coach
- Students involved will be coached during Terms 2 and 3, with exams happening at the latter end of Term 3/beginning of the September school holidays
- To maintain the small group environment conducive to coaching and keep costs reasonable, VAC will initially be open to a total of 10 students from across Years 7 and 8
- The cost for participating will be $140, which covers the cost of the final external grade exam
Students in Years 7 and 8 have received an email inviting them to sign up to VAC via an online form, with a close date of 8.15am Tuesday 2nd April. Parents of students who sign up will then be sent an Operoo form to sign should they wish their child to participate, which will also contain details about payment.
The first 10 student names received will be given preference. We look forward to launching this opportunity, which will offer a formal avenue for students interested in becoming better public speakers.
Upcoming oratory events
- Inter-School Model UN Day with Shore, Sydney Boys High, Rose Bay Secondary, and St Catherine’s this Thursday 28th March
- No after school oratory events Thursday 28th March or Friday 29th March, owing to the Easter long weekend
- Final Mock Trial, Mooting, and Social Debating for Term 1 next Thursday 4th April
- ISDA Competition Debating R7 vs Ascham (home) and Eastside Competition Debating R5 vs SCEGGS (home) next Friday 5th April
- Final Public Speaking for Term 1 is Monday 8th April from 3.30-5.30pm
Oratory programmes above are fully subscribed for Semester 1
There has been a lot of recent interest in participating in one or more of our oratory programmes listed above. However, close date for sign-ups have long passed and we are presently fully subscribed across all debating, public speaking, and Model UN. We are therefore unable to accept new enrolments. However, students keen to gain access to our resources and prepare themselves for Semester 2 sign-up are welcome to reach out to me (note, we only accept expressions of interest from students directly). Sign-up for Semester 2 offerings will circulate via student email in mid-June.
Contact
Should you or your son have any further questions about any of Cranbrook’s oratory programmes, you are welcome to reach out to the Head of Oratory and Student Journalism, Mr Benjamin Smith, at bsmith@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. In the first instance, students should be making contact about getting involved.
Essential information and highlights for parents will be posted here on Cranbrook Connect as part of the Thursday Link. Students involved in oratory programmes will receive updates via their respective Canvas or TEAMS channels.
Benjamin Smith
Head of Oratory & Student Journalism