Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2017

/ 17

DEBATING’S WINNING WAYS AT GIRLS GRAMMAR

year, Girls Grammar is hosting this prestigious competition and already many of our Year 11 girls are eagerly preparing for the opportunity to compete.) Later in 2016, Year 11 and 12 Girls Grammar debaters won the QDU Women in Debating Trophy with Isabel Nolan being awarded the Speaker of the Competition Trophy. Earlier that year, Isabel was also offered a position on the Queensland Debating Team, which subsequently retained the National Trophy. This year, Isabel is the 2017 Captain of the Queensland recently hosted a day of the National Schools Debating Championship. Following nearly a full week programme of accomplished and compelling arguments, although making it through to the Grand Final, the Queensland team was defeated by their rival team in a split decision between seven judges. Isabel’s formidable debating reputation, however, was further strengthened by her being selected as one of the five-student National Team to represent Australia at the 2017 World Schools Debating Championships to be held in Indonesia in August. Thanks goes to Grammar Woman, Ms Sadie MacDonald (2014), who was the State Coach this year. She is also currently coaching our 11.1 team, having coached the 2016 11.1s to the QDU State Final win. Sadie is also a member of the National Universities Team which reached the finals in the World Championships in January of this year. Also for 2017, two Girls Grammar teams reached the Grand Final of the BGDA competition with our 12.1 team comprising Lucinda Duke (12H), Abirami Somasundaram (12O) and Ellen Wilson (12L) being the convincing winners of the tournament. So it is that most mornings and afternoons the energetic arguing continues around the School as our girls prepare their cases and hone their attacks. It is still early days in the 2017 Debating Calendar and many challenges lie ahead before our very capable 230 debaters will feel able to take a short rest in anticipation of picking up their pens to begin the cognitive jousting once more. Debating Team and Girls Grammar debaters had the opportunity to watch her in action when we

AUTHOR Mrs Anne Byrne

Science Teacher and Debating Co-ordinator

IN 2017, MORE THAN TWO-HUNDRED GRAMMAR GIRLS ARE ARGUING WEEKLY IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE EVERY CORNER OF THE SCHOOL. TRANSLATED, THIS MEANS THAT AROUND ONE IN EVERY SEVEN GIRLS IS DEBATING IN ONE OF FORTY-SEVEN TEAMS COMPETING ACROSS FOUR TERMS IN FOUR MAJOR COMPETITIONS. WE CAN LAYER THESE EVENTS WITH THE YEAR 7 INTER-HOUSE DEBATING COMPETITION, WHICH ENGAGES ALL NINE HOUSES IN A GLORIOUS MULTI-COLOURED, VIBRANT BATTLE LOADED WITH ASSERTIVELY DELIVERED REBUTTAL. IN STILL OTHER LAYERS, THERE HAS BEEN THE STATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP IN APRIL, THE NATIONAL DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP IN MAY AND, STILL TO COME, THE AUSTRALIAN INDIVIDUAL DEBATING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING CHAMPIONSHIP (AIDPSC) IN SEPTEMBER … ALL TO BE HOSTED IN BRISBANE, WITH THE LATTER TWO BY GIRLS GRAMMAR. Debating has always been a popular and valued co- curricular activity at the School. So why the emergence of so very many argumentative girls willing to work so hard to make their voices heard? Reasons are many and varied. Clearly and importantly, one benefit is the tangible cognitive support Debating offers academic learning. But for most, the real appeal lies with the exhilaration of participating in a robust competition while working with a team to achieve shared goals. And of course, it is always fun to stretch and flex the brain, challenging it to think logically and deeply in order to vanquish a (temporary) foe. Equally, we cannot ignore the impact of the ‘can-do’ factor as increasing numbers of Grammar girls have been earning places on representative teams at state and national levels, even competing in overseas arenas. This has never been more evident than throughout 2016 and in the 2017 year so far. Last year (2016), Brisbane Girls Grammar School Debating saw three Queensland Debating Union (QDU) teams reach the State Semi-Finals with the Year 11.1 winning the QDU Grand Final. This team also won the Brisbane Girls Debating Association (BGDA) Senior Trophy, with Isabel Nolan (12B) – who was in Year 11 at the time competing as a member of the Year 12.1 team – being presented with the Speaker of the Series Award. Also last year, one of our Year 12 students, Caitlin O’Meara (2016), travelled to the USA to represent Australia in the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship and Elizabeth Prins (12B) as part of a Girls Grammar team-of-four, competed in the AIDPSC Finals at Canberra Girls Grammar School. (In September of this

Isabel Nolan (12B), captained the 2017 Queensland Debating Team and has been selected as one of five students to represent Australia on a national team at the 2017 World Schools Debating Championships

WINTER ISSUE / 2017