Oratory Article
Congratulations to all ISDA competition teams who debates for another clean sweep of wins on Friday, this time against St Catherine’s in Round 2!
See below the ISDA topics, for which Cranbrook was affirmative in all debates:
| Division | Topic Area Round 2 ISDA: Politics |
| 7 | Debate postponed |
| 8 | Debate postponed |
| 9 | That broken election promises should automatically trigger an election. |
| 10 | That we prefer multi-party systems of government to the two party system. |
| Senior B | That we prefer multi-party systems of government to the two party system. |
| Senior A | That we prefer multi-party systems of government to the two party system. |
See below the updated tally:
| ISDA Division | Round 1 vs SACS | Round 2 vs St Caths |
| 7 | WIN | TBC |
| 8 | WIN | TBC |
| 9 | WIN | WIN |
| 10 | WIN | WIN |
| Senior B | WIN | WIN |
| Senior A | WIN | WIN |
We also saw a terrific set of Eastside results in our pre-season ‘friendly’ round against Reddam, with Years 7, 8, 10 and 12 winning their debates.
See below the Eastside pre-season round topics:
| Division | Topic Area Pre-Season Eastside: Science |
| 7 | That we oppose the privatisation of space exploration |
| 8 | That we oppose the privatisation of space exploration |
| 9 | That attempts to further extend human life through science should be abandoned |
| 10 | That attempts to further extend human life through science should be abandoned |
| 11 | That we should actively halt the development of AI |
| 11 | That we should actively halt the development of AI |
See below the results for Cranbrook:
| Eastside Division | Pre-Season vs Reddam |
| 7 | WIN |
| 8 | WIN |
| 9 | Loss |
| 10 | WIN |
| 11 | Loss |
| 12 | WIN |
This Friday 1st March sees the following debates take place:
| Details | ISDA | Eastside |
| Round | Round 3 | Round 1 |
| Venue | Cranbrook | Sydney Grammar |
| Address | 5 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill | 68/70 Edgecliff Rd, Woollahra NSW 2025 |
| Entry via | Enter via the Rose Bay Avenue pedestrian gate and follow the signs down to Level 4 of the Vicars Centenary Building. | Debating is held on the first-floor level of the Palladium Building, accessible via the Stanley or Young Street entrances. |
| Years 7-9 debate / finish | Debates start 6.30pm / Debates finish 7.30pm | Debates start 6.15pm / Debates finish 7.15pm |
| Years 10-12 debate / finish | Debates start 7.30pm / Debates finish 9.00pm | Debates start 7.15pm / Debates finish 8.45pm |
| Topic area | None advertised | Ethical Issues |
| Spectator policy | Spectators welcome | Spectators welcome |
No bus is provided since all debates are within the Eastern Suburbs this week. Students are required to make their own way to venues after school.
A reminder that all Years 7-9 debaters must be collected by a parent or guardian at the end of the night.
Social and Legal Debating
Last Thursday, Social Debating students developed their understanding of ‘ban’ topics. These require that students consider the outright end or removal of something, prompted by a major concern or problem. Identifying this and explaining why such a drastic action like a ban is needed (or is counterproductive on the negative) is something the students grappled with thoughtfully. Students then had the opportunity to put training into practice with a ban debate on a fresh topic.
Social Debating continues 3.30pm this Thursday 29th February for students already enrolled. Students train with their coach, prep and then debate, finishing at 5.30pm. Social Debating is closed to spectators, and parents collecting their son at the end can do so from the Rose Bay Avenue pedestrian gate.
Mooting students met last Thursday to continue their preparations for the Bond University Competition and were engrossed in hefty case prep work when I said hello to the group. Mock Trial students have their next training at 3.30pm this Thursday 29th February (with Mooting occurring on alternating Thursdays), ahead of the first round of the 2024 NSW Law Society Competition. Students will learn more about the competition structure and requirements and begin to settle into defined roles. Mock Trial students are coached by an expert in this field, Conna, who is also one of our senior debate coaches on a Friday evening. We look forward to seeing who will be our first opposition school in the next few days!
Public Speaking
On Monday, public speakers worked with our new coach, Luisa, on demonstrating empathy, ethics and critical reasoning in speech, commencing with an exercise called ‘hot air balloon’. In this activity, students must decide who (from a pre-set list of individuals) to save from the falling hot air balloon and who to leave behind. It’s a tough call, though compels students to also express themselves in an impromptu setting and be creative with their justifications. There were some interesting calls made! Our next public speaking session takes place 3.30pm this Monday 4th March, with students enrolled putting into verbal practice the research and critical thinking skills from this week’s session.
We will shortly be announcing an additional public speaking opportunity for Years 7 and 8 students who would like to build their confidence and skill and be credited through formal external assessment. More details coming soon!
Model United Nations
This week, students involved with our Model UN lunchtime sessions commenced with their second resolution for the term, this one of the Question of the High Seas. This resolution requires students to research and debate the protection of international sea lanes vital for global trade and security, drawing on recent flashpoints in the South China and Red Seas. All resolutions this year are designed to compel students to explore current events, broadening the scope of their knowledge and appreciation for the world in which they live.
In the wake of the State Conference, students have received notice via our TEAMS channel of the following opportunities:
- Rotary MUNA Competition, to be held at State Parliament in June, and
- Evatt Competition, to be held during the month of May
Students already enrolled in the programme and who are interested in small group coaching for Model UN so they may develop confidence and skill to compete in external events are invited to attend our weekly Thursday morning sessions. Coach Jack will lead these sessions from 7.15-8.15am, with room details published in the dedicated TEAMS channel for students.
Oratory programmes are fully subscribed for Semester 1
There has been a lot of recent interest in participating in one or more of our oratory programmes. 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.
Upcoming oratory events
- ISDA Competition Debating R4 vs Kambala (away) next Friday 8th March
- Eastside Competition Debating R2 vs Scots (away) also next Friday 8th March
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 and Student Journalism