Winners - Tauranga Boys' College: Jacob O'Toole Corrigan, left, Ollie Larsen, Sam Mitchell. Photo / Supplied
Winners - Tauranga Boys' College: Jacob O'Toole Corrigan, left, Ollie Larsen, Sam Mitchell. Photo / Supplied
Tauranga Boys’ College has won the Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Regional Schools’ Debating Championships for the third time.
The event was hosted at the college on Sunday.
The college’s team of Ollie Larsen, Jacob O’Toole Corrigan and Sam Mitchell beat the Mount Maunganui College team of Maggie Reaves, Keenan McGregor, and Elly Shirley in the grand final, a New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council statement said.
This was the third consecutive year Tauranga Boys’ College and Mount Maunganui College had gone head-to-head in the regional grand final.
Tauranga Boys’ College was awarded the Josh Baxter Cup.
The teams in the grand final debated the motion: “This house regrets the prevalence of technopessimism”.
The regional championships, held annually, involved a record-breaking 40 teams and more than 120 students.
Students debated in three preliminary rounds on topics ranging from the appropriate length for parliamentary terms to the best approach to raising children in a digital world.
Students had half an hour to prepare their speeches after finding out what side of the topic they were arguing.
“It’s inspiring to see young Bay of Plenty students engaging deeply with challenging topics,” council president Liam Silverwood said.
Debating fostered intellectual curiosity and sharpened analytical thinking – “invaluable” qualities as students prepared to “navigate an increasingly complex world”.
“We’re incredibly grateful for [sponsor] Cooney Lees Morgan’s continued support, which enabled this opportunity for so many intelligent and expressive students,” Silverwood said.
Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Regional Team: Jacob O'Toole Corrigan, left, Ollie Larsen, Layla Clarke (reserve), Te Aorangi Stewart (reserve), and Pearl Vahey-Bourne. Photo / Supplied
A squad of three debaters was chosen to compete at the national finals of the New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships, to be held in Wellington in May.
The Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Schools’ Debating Team will be represented by: Ollie Larsen (Tauranga Boys’ College), Pearl Vahey-Bourne (Tauranga Girls’ College), and Jacob O’Toole Corrigan (Tauranga Boys’ College).
“These students demonstrated remarkable persuasiveness and rhetorical ability over the weekend, and I look forward to welcoming them to the national championships,” Silverwood said.
The national championships have been held annually since 1988.
They are convened by the council, a charity that works to promote debating in secondary schools around the country.
