On the weekend of October 29th-30th, the York House Debate team participated in the University of British Columbia High School Debate Tournament.
This tournament is one of the largest of its kind in North America, fielding a competitive list of students from amongst numerous high schools in the province. At this years tournament, students’ debated topics focusing on the role of nuclear power as a primary source of energy in Canada, to the role that developed countries should play in protecting the right of refugee claimants.
York House was well represented at the tournament, with five teams competing in the junior and senior divisions of the event. For many, it was their first time in competitive debate. The students put forth an admirable effort, achieving stellar results in both divisions. Most importantly, the tournament allowed students to gain valuable insight on important matters, and develop their analytical reasoning skills. I look forward to their continued success at future tournaments. Well-done Yorkies!
Three Yorkies participated in the Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition (IISPSC), held in Ottawa this year: Hannah, Laura and Ariana. This was the first time participating in the tournament for all three girls. Laura, Grade 9, was one of the youngest students participating.
Ariana made it to both the Dramatic Interpretation and After Dinner Speaking finals. She placed 2nd in the Dramatic category! All three girls had the opportunity to meet participants from around the world, learn about sportsmanship and get a preview of what the tournament will be like when it’s hosted at York House in October 2011.
Here are the girls thoughts on participating in the tournament:
The International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition (IISPSC) was held in our nation’s capital this year and it was with Olympic pride that I travelled to Ottawa along with my teammates Hannah and Laura as well as my outstanding coach, Ms. Boteju. With no expectations and a lot of nerves we competed in various categories, meeting kids from all over the world in the process. We saw the sights, met incredible people and ate amazing food but the highlight of our trip was definitely listening to our friends as they debated in the Senate Chamber! Internationals were an amazing experience, but we could never have done it without the support of Ms.Boteju. Thank you so much for travelling with us and supporting us in competition; your confidence in us was priceless and we couldn’t have done it without you!
– Ariana, Grade 11
This October, I was fortunate to be able to compete in Internationals for Public Speaking, which was hosted by Ashbury College in Ottawa. Coming into the tournament, I expected to meet people from all over the world and learn new ways to improve my public speaking. However, I did not expect to build strong friendships and acquire a significantly stronger passion for public speaking. I met people from Toronto, Britain, Jordan, Cypress and more. Throughout the trip, I was able to improve and learn by listening to the other competitors and by feedback from judges and coaches. It was a great trip and I cannot wait until York House hosts the tournament next year!
– Hannah, Grade 11
It was an honour to be chosen to represent York House School at Internationals this year. The debate and public speaking competition was held at Ashbury College in Ottawa. As a student in grade 9, I was one of the youngest participants. Throughout the competition, I not only became close friends with Hannah and Ariana, but also became very good friends with students from all over the world. The debating and public speaking at this event was very competitive and I hope one day to be able to debate at such a high level. This was an amazing experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I am looking forward to helping host Internationals next year at York House.
