Middle School Debating Team
SMC Middle School Debating Team: Round 1
Week 2 of this term saw our Middle School Debating team take on Endeavour College to debate the Round 1 topic “that teachers should allow students to call them by their first name”. This was the first time many of our debaters have competed and they are to be commended on their thorough research and the excellent arguments they prepared for the affirmative position. Our first speaker, Ellie Tonev, drew on research evidence that indicated the use of first names allowed for more productive relationships between students and their teachers to develop, leading to improved wellbeing and academic outcomes for students.
Frank Marino, our second speaker, argued that research shows it promotes improved classroom management and allows us to move with the times and away from gendered titles, like our parliamentarians have. Marco Didyk, our final speaker, rebutted claims from the other team that calling teachers by their first name would lead to a lower level of respect for teachers, as the nature of the relationship is a more important determinant of respect than the titles used.
The result was a close one, but Endeavour College were the victors for Round 1. We would like to acknowledge Charlie Randall who skilfully took on the role of Chairperson for the debate, and Grace Hamilton-Ucinek who supported the speakers by helping to research arguments and consider possible rebuttals. Hearty congratulations to all for their dedication and outstanding performance on the night!
SMC Senior Debating Team: Round 1
On Wednesday, 17 May 2023, the Senior Interschool Debating team participated in their first debate at Adelaide High School. The night’s topic was “That we should change the Australian Constitution to enable an Indigenous Voice to Parliament”, a critical issue facing Australia presently. We were the negative team and competed against Trinity College. This is the first time St Michael’s has entered a senior team in the Debating SA competition in many years.
It was a very high-standard debate, with both teams showcasing the extensive research and time that had gone into preparing their side’s case. They certainly did the College proud. It was also fantastic to have their parents’ support on the night. Although we lost by a narrow margin of 2 points, which is very close in debating, it was a great start to the Senior team’s debating season. Special mentions go to Aleks Matic, Cara McLennan, and Giovanni Troia who were our three speakers on the night, Tom Larforgia who was timekeeper, as well as Ella Joyce, Asha Gallagher and Shouryamik Amrut who assisted in researching the topic and developing arguments.
Bridget Kearins & Stacey Moros
