Debating
Our Year 11 Seniors and Year 9 Juniors are Archdale Champions!
On Tuesday our Year 8A team, Junior team (consisting of Year 9s) and Senior team (consisting of Year 11s) competed in the Archdale Grand Final at Abbotsleigh. It was wonderful to have such a strong SCEGGS contingent at the Final – SCEGGS was one of two schools to have three teams in the Grand Final, and we came 2nd in the overall Archdale Shield.
Our Year 8A team were runners-up in a split decision after an extremely high quality debate. They were on the affirmative of the topic “that we should abolish formal student leadership positions.” The team consisted of: Flora Balagna, Josephine Hatherall, Anna Luo, and Marina Roberts. This Year 8 team has had a remarkable first two years of high-school debating, having made the Archdale Grand Final also in Year 7, and having won the ISDA Grand Final earlier this year. They are extraordinarily talented, and it is a privilege to witness their dedication to debating and care for each other.
Our Junior team won their Grand Final debate, making them Champions of their division. They were affirmative on the topic “that we regret the notion of a ‘dream job’.” The team consisted of Year 9 Daisy Carson, Ava Dua, Holly Johnston, Pascale Otton, and Amelia Wilcsek. It has been wonderful to watch this team develop and excel over the season, and in their final debate they clearly demonstrated the high standard of debating they are now capable of.
Our Senior team were also Champions of their division. They were affirmative on the topic “that, as a feminist parent, we would send our daughter to an all-girls school rather than a comparable co-ed school.” The Senior division of Archdale includes both Year 11 and Year 12 debaters, so it was particularly impressive for our team of Year 11s to win this division. SCEGGS also won this division last year, so it is exciting to see our consistency in developing competitive senior teams. This year of debaters has been notable for their enthusiasm and success from when they first started inter-school debating in Year 6, and their win on Tuesday was very well-deserved. It is not often that we see a dependable team of eight rotate and support each other throughout a debating season, and this team was the largest in attendance on Tuesday. It was a pleasure to watch their debate and to see their heart-warming celebrations.
The team consisted of Year 11 Gabrielle Cheung, Isabella Collister Estevez, Katharine Conaglen, Bianca Hardge, Simran Murphy, Madeleine Soo, Georgia Tsangaris, and Celia Watson.
Imogen Harper
Debating Coordinator
