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NSW Schools Debating 2015

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errybody_talks

Stan Wickham (3)
Sam Wolfe said:
That is an odd topic. Certainly one I can't see myself doing justice to, but the ideas behind it are quite interesting. Good signs when the competitions move to more interesting/edgy topics instead of the old chestnuts.
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I'd love to see this topic in GPS or CAS actually - the current ones are just easy for well-connected Australs-type coaches to predict.
 
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ca1cu1us

Frank Nicholson (4)
The other two senior topics were
That the media should not report on information gathered from hacking. E.g. Sony hack and Madison Ashley hack.

The university syllabuses in subjects like history, literature and philosophy syllabuses should include warnings to students for content that may be triggering.
 
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Al92

Allen Oxlade (6)
There is nothing wrong with recycling topics when it isnt overdone. Good topics that are balanced and accessible are sometimes what competitions need. Obviously when you get to the point where the topic comes up multiple times in a year or gets reused year after year like in Premiers' it starts to get problematic. One of the biggest problems with these edgy and contemporary topics is you get stuff like the revoke citizenship topic which was in archdale, gps and sdn which ends up being brutal for one side or topics too inaccessible like the metadata topic which was in round 7 of gps where students just dont understand enough about what metadata is beyond saying it is data about data to articulate how it works and whether it is useful or not.
 
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ca1cu1us

Frank Nicholson (4)
These were the topics for the inter/junior divisions of the archdale grand final:
Intermediate
That Australian curriculum should not prioritise learning about Australia's history over the history of any other country.
That journalists in conflict zones should be required to render assistance to victims even if it detracts from photographing or reporting on the scene
That students and teachers should have an equal say in how the budget of a school is spent
Junior
That we should ban non essential cosmetic surgery nose jobs, face lifts or liposuction.
That we should ban companies that tutor school children after school or on weekends
That the media should not report on the private lives of politicians.
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In terms of topics chosen,
Y9/10 did the history one.
Most of the 7/8 debates were politician private lives. I think one of the year 8 debates (8A?) did the tutoring topic. Dont know what sides each team had outside of seniors.

On topics, I agree that reusing topics is quite bad. The number of australs topics and easters topics that appear in school comps. The best one was the sports round of ISDA where the senior topic was from the sports round at Australs last year and was the obvious choice. Better still was someone said that there is also a world schools video on the topic on youtube. I wouldnt be surprised if some teams had used that topic in training given not only being a useful practice topic but very predictable given the trend. Hopefully next year schools get something that arent rehashed from uni comps/world schools but also are properly thought our re: balance, knowledge and depth.

On reps, all I can say is here is to hoping that CAS topples GPS tonight.
 
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Sam Wolfe

Frank Row (1)
I can confirm that unfortunately both CAS Firsts and Seconds triumphed over GPS last night on the topic 'That we should remove women and children from extremist religious communities'.

I'm told GPS Thirds were successful.
 
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Al92

Allen Oxlade (6)
Is there a breakdown of those results? Or how those point scores work. I presume that is a total across 1st/2nds?
 
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Sam Wolfe

Frank Row (1)
Firsts Results

CAS wins 2/3, lose to Archdale
Archdale wins 2/3, lose to GPS
CHS wins 1/3, beat GPS
GPS wins 1/3, beat Archdale

in the Seconds:
CHS wins 3/3
All others win 1/3 (CAS beats GPS, Archdale beats CAS, GPS beats Archdale)

Whilst Archdale's success was expected, CAS' perhaps less so, given only one of the four speakers was in the State Squad, and none in the final 'team.' Whilst its tempting to call GPS or CHS out, a sample size of only 3 debates makes it difficult to judge debating calibre, though certainly the year 11 strength in CHS make them favourites for next year.

On another note aka_the think has been mysteriously absent. Perhaps studying for HSC, or perhaps disappointed with the performance of his rep squad..? ;)
 
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