errybody_talks
Stan Wickham (3)
In early 2014 an ambitious thread was launched on this forum. Not content with discussion of an athletic manner, while also disillusioned with the lack of scholastic allusions in political forums, one contributor resolved to create a new space where those interested in the rhetorical arts could discuss, banter, harangue and yes - you guessed it - debate school debating.
Though the forum got off to a slow start, it gradually earned notoriety, and perhaps even infamy, amongst school debating circles, and aliases of all kinds - representing schools from all over the place - began to pop up.
Results were conveyed efficiently, jokes were told heartily, and verdicts complained about occasionally.
Liam Donohoe (perhaps better known to us as aka_the_think), we salute you sir!
In 2016, the turn of the new year has seen a changing of the guard. The illustrious class of 2014 and subsequently the class of 2015 have stepped aside, moving onto bigger and better things, while a new breed of young rhetoricians wait in earnest as pre-season training camps build anticipation.
Consequently, the previous forums - which were designed to deal exclusively with the year 2014 and 2015 and nothing else has become obsolete. Despite a significant rise in value, demand for a new forum has increased significantly - it is truly the veblen good of G&G.
Therefore it is with great pleasure that I provide a supply to meet the people's demand, as did my honourable predecessor in 2015.
The primary aim of this forum - and I say this with all sincerity and without any irony - is to actually discuss debating, but banter will be tolerated, if not encouraged (but be respectful).
This year the thread hopes to build on the success it achieved last year and the year before - it'd be great to have more people involved across a larger spectrum of competitions/schools so that more results are posted and the speculation isn't limited to the same old crowd. And - contrary to the geographical prefix assigned to the forum's title - contributions and discussions from interstate will be accepted.
In 2016 we are sure to see the return of the usual crowd, as well as some new faces/pseudonyms. Because this forum's appeal goes beyond standard debating circles (I imagine) I will update Mr Donohoe's previous introduction:
For the uninitiated, debating in NSW is a highly competitive affair, indeed it is probably the most competitive state/territory in the world, let alone Australia. There are a few main competitions that run throughout the year at a school level:
ISDA (Independent Schools Debating Association) - ISDA is made up of 32 independent schools (as you probably figured). It is generally considered to be the most prestigious, and also the most difficult competition to win. It runs during terms 1 and 2, with competitions in all years from 5 - 12. At opens levels there are two tiers - Senior A and Senior B. Scots College is the reigning champion of the ISDA Senior A title.
GPS (Great Public Schools) - Many would be familiar with the GPS, the 124 (odd) year old academic/sporting union between Sydney Grammar, Sydney Boys High School, St. Ignatius' College (Riverview), St. Joseph's College, Newington College, The Armidale School, The Kings School, The Scots College, and Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore). The GPS competition is an interesting competition, as it isn't the quantity of the teams that makes it difficult to win, but rather the quality of the teams - every team is strong (generally). Sydney Boys High is the reigning champion of the Opens 1st competition, they were undefeated in 2015. This competition is contested in term 3.
CAS (Combined Associated Schools) - The CAS, like the GPS, is a union between a number of well-know schools throughout NSW, including Cranbrook School, St. Aloysius' College, Waverley College, Trinity Grammar School, Knox Grammar School, and Barker College. Barker won the competition in 2015.
Catholic Schools Debating Association - The CSDA competition isn't a particularly prestigious competition, but it is one of the largest competitions in NSW with over 200 schools competing. This competition runs from the later stages of Term 1, through to the start of term 3 if teams make finals. I don't know who the reigning champion is.
CHS (Combined High School) - The CHS competition is very large, and is highly competitive. The Premier's Debating Challenge is the name given to the competition, which is administered by the Arts Unit, a department of the government that aims to provide arts-based opportunities to school-aged kids in the public education system. In the year 11 & 12 competition, North Sydney Boys High School won in 2014. This competition runs between terms 1 and 3.
Archdale - The Archdale competition is administered by AHIGS (Association of Heads of Independent Girls Schools), with 21 schools in it, this competition is among the most competitive in NSW. The competition runs from the later stages of term 1, through to term 2. The 2015 chamption was Methodist Ladies College.
SDN (Schools Debating Network) - This is a small competition that runs in term 3 that includes St. Ignatius' College Riverview, Wenona School, Ravenswood School for Girls, Abbotsleigh School for Girls, Pymble Ladies College, Pittwater House, and Stella Maris.
Friday Evening Debating - A B Grade competition contested in Terms 1 and 2 by a number of elite schools which are involved in other more prestigious competitions at the same time.
Eastside Debating Competition - A competition that it is mainly competed in by schools around the Eastern suburbs of Sydney. This competition is often won by SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Girls High School as they enter their highest teams in the open grades, due to not participating in ISDA. Currently, Sydney Boys High School are the reigning champions.
Clearly there is an abundance of competitions in Sydney, and I am sure that there are many more that I haven't named.
In addition, there is a large amount of representative debating that takes place around Sydney, including fixtures between GPS, CAS, Archdale, and CHS merit representative teams.
Perhaps most importantly, there is a NSW-wide representative team, the aptly named NSW Schools Debating team, which has won the most Australian Schools Championships (out of all the states and territories) by a fair margin. Beyond that, there is an Australian Schools team, which competes at a World Schools Debating Championship, which, thankfully, Australia has won the most of, again by a fair margin.
On a side note, NSW Universities consistently perform well at World University Debating Championships, especially the University of Sydney.
So, to get things started, does anyone have any predictions for any of the major comps? Or, perhaps preferably, any good pent up banter that's itching to be released?
I'm hoping for another fabulous year of debating in NSW schools, so I implore us all to participate and discuss an art which will always take a special place in everybody's heart.
Let the debates begin!
Though the forum got off to a slow start, it gradually earned notoriety, and perhaps even infamy, amongst school debating circles, and aliases of all kinds - representing schools from all over the place - began to pop up.
Results were conveyed efficiently, jokes were told heartily, and verdicts complained about occasionally.
Liam Donohoe (perhaps better known to us as aka_the_think), we salute you sir!
In 2016, the turn of the new year has seen a changing of the guard. The illustrious class of 2014 and subsequently the class of 2015 have stepped aside, moving onto bigger and better things, while a new breed of young rhetoricians wait in earnest as pre-season training camps build anticipation.
Consequently, the previous forums - which were designed to deal exclusively with the year 2014 and 2015 and nothing else has become obsolete. Despite a significant rise in value, demand for a new forum has increased significantly - it is truly the veblen good of G&G.
Therefore it is with great pleasure that I provide a supply to meet the people's demand, as did my honourable predecessor in 2015.
The primary aim of this forum - and I say this with all sincerity and without any irony - is to actually discuss debating, but banter will be tolerated, if not encouraged (but be respectful).
This year the thread hopes to build on the success it achieved last year and the year before - it'd be great to have more people involved across a larger spectrum of competitions/schools so that more results are posted and the speculation isn't limited to the same old crowd. And - contrary to the geographical prefix assigned to the forum's title - contributions and discussions from interstate will be accepted.
In 2016 we are sure to see the return of the usual crowd, as well as some new faces/pseudonyms. Because this forum's appeal goes beyond standard debating circles (I imagine) I will update Mr Donohoe's previous introduction:
For the uninitiated, debating in NSW is a highly competitive affair, indeed it is probably the most competitive state/territory in the world, let alone Australia. There are a few main competitions that run throughout the year at a school level:
ISDA (Independent Schools Debating Association) - ISDA is made up of 32 independent schools (as you probably figured). It is generally considered to be the most prestigious, and also the most difficult competition to win. It runs during terms 1 and 2, with competitions in all years from 5 - 12. At opens levels there are two tiers - Senior A and Senior B. Scots College is the reigning champion of the ISDA Senior A title.
GPS (Great Public Schools) - Many would be familiar with the GPS, the 124 (odd) year old academic/sporting union between Sydney Grammar, Sydney Boys High School, St. Ignatius' College (Riverview), St. Joseph's College, Newington College, The Armidale School, The Kings School, The Scots College, and Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore). The GPS competition is an interesting competition, as it isn't the quantity of the teams that makes it difficult to win, but rather the quality of the teams - every team is strong (generally). Sydney Boys High is the reigning champion of the Opens 1st competition, they were undefeated in 2015. This competition is contested in term 3.
CAS (Combined Associated Schools) - The CAS, like the GPS, is a union between a number of well-know schools throughout NSW, including Cranbrook School, St. Aloysius' College, Waverley College, Trinity Grammar School, Knox Grammar School, and Barker College. Barker won the competition in 2015.
Catholic Schools Debating Association - The CSDA competition isn't a particularly prestigious competition, but it is one of the largest competitions in NSW with over 200 schools competing. This competition runs from the later stages of Term 1, through to the start of term 3 if teams make finals. I don't know who the reigning champion is.
CHS (Combined High School) - The CHS competition is very large, and is highly competitive. The Premier's Debating Challenge is the name given to the competition, which is administered by the Arts Unit, a department of the government that aims to provide arts-based opportunities to school-aged kids in the public education system. In the year 11 & 12 competition, North Sydney Boys High School won in 2014. This competition runs between terms 1 and 3.
Archdale - The Archdale competition is administered by AHIGS (Association of Heads of Independent Girls Schools), with 21 schools in it, this competition is among the most competitive in NSW. The competition runs from the later stages of term 1, through to term 2. The 2015 chamption was Methodist Ladies College.
SDN (Schools Debating Network) - This is a small competition that runs in term 3 that includes St. Ignatius' College Riverview, Wenona School, Ravenswood School for Girls, Abbotsleigh School for Girls, Pymble Ladies College, Pittwater House, and Stella Maris.
Friday Evening Debating - A B Grade competition contested in Terms 1 and 2 by a number of elite schools which are involved in other more prestigious competitions at the same time.
Eastside Debating Competition - A competition that it is mainly competed in by schools around the Eastern suburbs of Sydney. This competition is often won by SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Girls High School as they enter their highest teams in the open grades, due to not participating in ISDA. Currently, Sydney Boys High School are the reigning champions.
Clearly there is an abundance of competitions in Sydney, and I am sure that there are many more that I haven't named.
In addition, there is a large amount of representative debating that takes place around Sydney, including fixtures between GPS, CAS, Archdale, and CHS merit representative teams.
Perhaps most importantly, there is a NSW-wide representative team, the aptly named NSW Schools Debating team, which has won the most Australian Schools Championships (out of all the states and territories) by a fair margin. Beyond that, there is an Australian Schools team, which competes at a World Schools Debating Championship, which, thankfully, Australia has won the most of, again by a fair margin.
On a side note, NSW Universities consistently perform well at World University Debating Championships, especially the University of Sydney.
So, to get things started, does anyone have any predictions for any of the major comps? Or, perhaps preferably, any good pent up banter that's itching to be released?
I'm hoping for another fabulous year of debating in NSW schools, so I implore us all to participate and discuss an art which will always take a special place in everybody's heart.
Let the debates begin!
