Otago Regional Debating Competition

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On the 14th-15th of March, we had the Otago secondary schools senior debating competition. Entering the competition with just one team, we managed to secure four wins out of six rounds, placing us in the top echelon of schools at the tournament.

Our first debate did not go our way. We attempted to mutualise the benefits of the opposing team, meaning that we aimed to make all of the benefits that they said on their side appear on our side as well, an approach that ultimately weakened the unique benefits that our side purported. While it cost us the round, it proved to be an important learning experience. We quickly recognised the need for sharper framing and more decisive argumentation.

In our second debate, with the team of myself, Adam L, and Will R, we secured a win on the motion “This House would set a cap on the voting age.” We argued that younger people are inherently invested in the future and therefore bring a long-term perspective to decision-making. We also challenged the idea that such a policy would disadvantage the elderly, instead suggesting that a forward-looking electorate would look to their own futures and provide support. We also argued that they would drive economic productivity and wage growth, rather than prioritising policies that inflate house prices, benefiting our characterisation of “wealthy pensioners” sitting on properties. This round marked a clear improvement in both structure and confidence.

The next two debates on the first day saw a slight team shift, with Alex Y joining Adam and I. Together, we achieved two further wins. In one debate, we argued in favour of top-down development strategies (such as the construction of deepwater ports and steel mills) emphasising their role in fostering national independence. In another, we tackled the portrayal of villains as victims of society in modern media. We argued that this shift creates more nuanced understandings of global issues like alienation (such as in our primary example, 2010’s Megamind) that encourage empathy and lead to real change.

Throughout these rounds, it was especially rewarding to see Will develop as a speaker. Considering this was only his second and third debates, his growth was impressive, and it speaks to the broader trajectory of the John McGlashan College debating team over recent years. There is a clear culture of improvement and support between JMC debaters.

In the tournament was also the swing team, which included extra speakers from the various schools, two of which were at times from our own team, Will and Artie S. This provided a great opportunity to learn for these two new debaters.

The second day brought new challenges. With both Alex and Will unavailable, Adam and I were joined by Aathur T, someone who only went to the tournament to spectate but stepped up when we needed him and lent a helping hand and rounded out our team. In our first debate of the day, we argued in favour of promoting democracy over militarism in coup-belt countries. Our case centred on the legitimacy that democratic systems provide, both domestically and internationally. Thanks in large part to Aathur’s support, we secured the win.

The final round before the semi-finals was a silent round, meaning that we only got the result later that day, where we debated the motion that the widespread televising of youth sports is harmful. We argued that it exposes young athletes to mental health challenges through constant comparison and places them under intense play-by-play scrutiny. Despite a well-constructed case, we narrowly lost this round, bringing our run to an end.

I would like to give particular thanks to Adam and Alex for their reliability and fluency as first and second speakers. Their ability to work cohesively as a team was central to our success. I expect great things from Will, Artie, Adam, and Alex in the future as all are below year 13, they have all shown the gusto and growth mindset to continue improving.

Finally, I encourage others to consider joining the debating team. It is an incredibly rewarding activity that not only builds confidence and communication skills but also deepens your understanding of global issues and your ability to understand viewpoints other than your own by arguing for them even if you would normally not agree. I would like to thank the debating teachers, Mr Schaumann, Ms Smilie, and Zac Brooking, who have given away their Wednesday lunchtimes to develop our skills. I would also like to thank my economics teacher, Mr Wolf, whose class was instrumental in strengthening my knowledge and arguments on economics topics which many of the debates pivoted around.

Overall, the championship was a valuable experience, highlighting our current strengths and the exciting potential of the team moving forward.

-Charles R