On Saturday 24 February, Nayland College participated in the annual regional Kahurangi-Marlborough debating competition. The event was organised by NZ Schools Debating and held at Nayland College.
This year, the event had some of the biggest numbers of students participating. Among those that entered were six brilliant Nayland teams. The year groups that were involved ranged from 9-13. The students gathered at Nayland College on Saturday and later debated in separate rooms.
Rachel Boyack was the guest speaker and gave her top tips on public speaking. Students were given the opportunity to ask questions about her position as a member in parliament. Enlightened and motivated by her words, students dispersed to start one of the four debates that would take place. Students had 30 minutes to prepare and were in teams of three, talking for a maximum of six minutes. Some of the adjudicators were in person and others were on zoom.
The final event of the day were the junior and senior finals. The senior final was Nayland against Waimea. The Nayland team was composed of Annabel Batt, Finn Kerby-Pinguet and Stella Bloomfield, who fought in a blazing and extremely close debate final. Waimea took the win but only by a small margin, meaning Nayland came second overall.
The team representing Kahurangi-Marlborough in national competitions later in the year was announced. The team included Nayland students: Stella Bloomfield and Finn Kerby-Pinguet who returned for another year. Annabel Batt was named as a reserve as well. It is an amazing achievement for so many Nayland students to be part of the regional team.
Debating is a great way to meet new people, develop critical thinking and experience different perspectives. Led by the knowledgeable Mrs Bloomfield, the Nayland debaters meet every Monday lunchtime. The club is always open for new members to join and refine their arguing skills. There are many opportunities to compete throughout the year. The debating club at Nayland continues to grow, with an exceptional legacy.
An enormous thank you to Mrs Bloomfield and NZ Schools Debating for organising the fantastic event.
By Matilda McMullen (Year 11)
