Debaters Reach NSW Grand Final

The eight-strong team is one of more than a dozen participating government and independent schools across Sydney who have opted into the competition, which provides Years 10-11 students with the opportunity to engage in historical debate on topics directly linked to the History curriculum.

“The debates have proved extremely challenging, especially considering the level of historical contention,” explain Year 11 debaters Mia Rakhit and Anna Yuan.

The debating team of Arkie Addison, Angela Dong, Fenna Kroon, Charlotte McDonald, Kathryn Upton, Mia Rakhit, Mari Watkins and Anna Yuan has defeated strong opponents on the way to the grand final.

After defeating James Ruse Agricultural High School in the quarter finals, the team faced The King’s School on 31 November. The semi final topic, that “Chernobyl was the greatest disaster in Soviet history” tested the students’ insight and grasp of Soviet history, arguing that the catastrophic event effectively resulted in the demise of the Sovient Union.

“In beating The King’s School, we progress to the grand final of the competition, which allows us to further our skills by engaging in another very challenging historical debate,” says Mia.

“History allows students to examine the past and learn lessons they can apply to the future,” says History teacher and team facilitator, Mr Glenn Wykes. “This competition provides participants with a unique opportunity to dig into the past in an engaging, intellectually demanding way; it has the incredible effect of giving them fresh insights and revelations about historical events.”

The College now competes in the grand final, against Tara Anglican School for Girls, in late November.