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Well prepared for battle, Jyotish Khanna and Annabel Thornton travelled to Saskatchewan in order to take on the best in Canada at the Jr. National Debating Championships. This team met all challenges over which they had control and established themselves among the most respected teams in Canada by winning the highest accolades as the top B.C Team. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their control, they missed the semi-finals by a small margin but garnered maximum respect from those who were most knowledgeable. Congratulations are due to these two fine debaters and their future in debate looks very bright!

Out of the 75 teams competing at the Nationals in Halifax over the last week, the GNS team of Jackson Gao and Jamie Thornton place 15th. This is an excellent result for these boys and for the school!

The GNS Debate team came away with the bronze medal at the Provincial Mock Trial on Saturday, April 16, 2011 in Victoria. The team lost in a very close battle to Brentwood College School from Mill Bay. The eventual winners of the Mock Trials was Fraser Heights. Congratulations to all competitors from the Debate Club!

What a year! - A delegate to World Team Qualifier - David Denhoff
Largest School qualifying team to Provincials
Team to Senior National Team Debates - Jamie Thornton and Jackson Gao
Delegate to 2011 Senior National Debate Seminar - Jean Strong
Two delegates to Junior Nationals - Jyotish Khanna and Annabel Thornton
Delegate selected for 2012 Senior National Debate Seminar - Christian Taylor

Great job gang!

Each year, the GNS Debate Club organizes the Provincial Mock Trial Championships held on Law Day, April 16, at the Provincial Courthouse in Victoria. To do this, we must find seven experienced courtroom lawyers who would be willing to give a few hours of their time to act as courtroom judges for this event. With the date of competition fast approaching, we are still in need of a few volunteers to fulfill these roles, this year. If anyone knows of a lawyer that can help, please contact John Baty at jbaty@mygns.ca.

The debaters will return from Provincials today on the 11:00 a.m. ferry instead of the 9:00 a.m. ferry as initially anticipated!
Back at Pemberton Woods at 1:15 p.m.

There were 172 debaters at the Provincials in Langley, BC this weekend, best in their class from around the province with three classes of debate - novice, junior and senior. As well, there was speech competition. And we qualified the largest contingent from any school.


Here are the results:
Alex Hughes, Annabel Thornton, Jyotish Khanna, Candace Rissley and Jamie Thornton all qualified for speech semi-finals. Jamie Thornton made the final and received a bronze medal.

Novice Debate:
Ella Van Cleave and Rhys Wynn Williams, out of 20 teams, came 4th.
Prabhanj Daniel and Alex Hughes came 5th.
Individual 4th and 5th for Ella and Prabhanj

Junior Debate:
Christian Taylor and David Denhoff take gold team
Christian takes gold individual and David bronze
Jyotish Khanna goes to Jr. National Seminar in Estevan, Sask in May
Christian Taylor goes to Sr. National Seminar in Regina, Sask in November

Senior Debate:
Jamie Thornton and Jackson Gao take bronze team
Jamie takes 4th individual
Jamie and Jackson go to National Debating Championships in Halifax, NS in April

It just keeps going!!! Thanks for the kind words and the support for these great kids!

Speech Night

Novice:
Alex Hughes made the semifinals

Junior:
Annabel Thornton and Jyotish Khanna made the semifinals

Senior:
Jamie Thornton and Candace Rissley made the semifinals

Final Results will be announced at the banquet on Saturday night.

The debaters are off to the Law Foundation Cup Provincial Championships on Friday morning. There is much excitement both for the prepared topic on Restorative Justice, but for the prepared speeches and anticipation for the impromptu topics to come.

John Baty's cell number in case you need to contact him is 250 415 3106. We wish all of the debaters the best of luck. Results and updates to be posted here!

Today, Monday, February 21, the Debate Club will be giving out the Chatterton Cup. Those who have been involved in the three tournaments held in-school this year will have their names inscribed on the cup, thus allowing them to come back years from now and have a tangible statement of their involvement in the program during the 2010/11 school year. But as a special recognition of ability, three - one novice, one junior and one senior debater will have their names inscribed as the most successful of this throng. Congratulations to Alex Hughes in Novice, David Denhoff in Junior and Jamie Thornton in Senior.

As these honours are being handed out, Alex Hughes, Jyotish Khanna, Jamie Thornton, Prabhanj Daniel, Rhys Wynn Williams, Ella Van Cleave, David Denhoff, Christian Taylor, Jamie Thorton, Jackson Gao and Katie McGoldrick continue to prepare for the upcoming Law Foundation Cup/Provincial Debate Championships. With the excellent input of resource person, Mrs. Katy Hutchison, they are working on the resolution "Be it Resolved that restorative justice be made a major part of Canada's criminal justice system". The best of luck to them in their quest to succeed in Langley on March 4 and 5!!

Spring has sprung!

The sun may not be shining in our region yet, but the Regionals was the breath of spring for Glenlyon Norfolk School on Saturday. Our school held the Vancouver Island qualifier for the Provincials and we felt the sun on our cheeks.

Alex Hughes was the top speaker in Novice with Alex and Prabhanj Daniel as the gold team, Rhys Wynn Williams and Ella Van Cleave as the silver team and Kadie Freeman and Elaine Kim as the bronze team.

David Denhoff was bronze Junior speaker, with David and Christian Taylor as the silver team and Jyotish Khanna and Annabel Thornton as the bronze team.

Jamie Thornton was the top speaker in Senior, with Jean Strong as bronze, Candace Rissley in fourth and Katie McGoldrick in fifth. The top team in senior was Jean Strong and Candace Rissley with Jamie Thornton and Jackson Gao taking bronze.

Advancing to the Provincials at Walnut Grove School in Langley on March 4 and 5 and preparing individual speeches for Friday night competitions and a prepared topic " BIRT restorative justice should play a major role in the Canadian criminal justice system" are Alex Hughes, Prabhanj Daniel, Rhys Wynn Williams, Ella van Cleave, David Denhoff, Christian Taylor, Jyotish Khanna, Jamie Thornton, Jean Strong, Candace Rissley, Katie McGoldrick and Jackson Gao. And in waiting are Anabel Thornton and Carly James who are alternates to the team!

56 debaters came out Thursday night to participate in the third in-school debate tournament of the year. Supported by 24 adult judges, this throng of enthusiastic young minds demonstrated their ever increasing facility with language and thought. Pizza was consumed, pictures were taken and good times were had by all. Topics prepared and debated during the event included:
Gambling should be curbed

Genetic engineering is dangerous

Youth is soft

The marriage contract is outdated

Hockey is too violent

The drinking age should be raised

There is too much emphasis on marks

Competition is good

Education is wasted on the young

Technology has outstripped morality

The debate retreat, the mini-workshops, the Chatterton cups, and the preparation and the skills sessions - are all about to come to fruition as 20 of these Chatterton debaters will be competing at the GNS-hosted Vancouver Island Regional Debate Championships on Saturday February 5. They will be supported by the other debaters who will chair, and parents and other volunteer judges who will provide their sage advice. The topic they are now preparing for is "Be it resolved that Canadians are not as tolerant as they think they are."

Glenlyon Norfolk School is hosting the Debate Regional Championships on Saturday, February 5 from about 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Sue Siluch (psrsiluch@shaw.ca) is coordinating judges and definitely needs a large number to help. Please contact Sue if you are able to give up your day for what is a fascinating process. You will learn as much about young people and debate in your day as you will give of your time to the school!
You will be well fed and the coffee never empties!

It's almost here! The next phase of the Chatterton Cup is Thursday, January 20. Debaters should arrive in Mr. Baty's classroom for pizza and de-brief by about 6:15 p.m. The night will be over by about 9:15 p.m. Any parents still willing to judge, contact Jennifer Scarth!

Though there were snow drifts at Shawnigan on January 12, the GNS debate club made their way up the mountain and triumphed at the Simon Bruce-Lockhart Debates. The Cup was awarded to our team of 12 as a result of the three senior teams of Jamie Thornton and Jackson Gao, Julian Butterfield and Candace Rissley, Jean Strong and Lauren Hogan and our bronze junior team of Jyotish Khanna and Annabel Thornton. Of particular note was the fact that out of the 28 island senior debaters our senior debaters scored the top 6 places as individuals. A most pleasant afternoon and evening. Next stop, Regional Debate Championships at Glenlyon Norfolk School on February 5!

Golden Gnome time . . .

Every second year over the past 6 years we have won the Golden Gnome debate event at Oak Bay. And on the odd year we have just missed winning it. This was the odd year. Today we had our two senior teams of Jackson Gao and Lauren Hogan as well as Jamie Thornton and Jean Strong in the quarterfinals. Jamie and Jean then made the senior semi-finals and lost on a much debated split vote. I guess this means next year will again be our year.

However, let it be known that, while waiting other results to arrive, we do know that Jamie Thornton won the silver individual gnome (odd little creature, that gnome) and, what might be even more spectacular was the fact that Jyotish Khanna and Annabel Thornton won the golden gnomes for junior team debate while Jyotish picked up the bronze individual gnome.

Great day, team!!!

David Denhoff, as one of 24 debaters chosen from across Canada, attended the qualifying competition for team members of the February 2012 Team Canada that will be traveling to South Africa to represent our country at the World Schools Debating Championships. Though a grade 10 delegate to this qualifier, David competed very well among the grade 11 delegates that gathered for this event at Havergal College, a lovely old girls school in Toronto. He is awaiting the final decision of the adjudicators this week.

A real highlight of the trip was the opportunity to attend the Munk Debate at Roy Thompson Hall televised by BBC 1 around the world. This debate involved Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens. They were debating the resolution, "Be it Resolved that religion is a force for good in the world". What was really exciting though, was the fact that even with 2700 people in Roy Thompson Hall itself, we discovered that tickets to the event were being scalped for hundreds of dollars that very day. I guess what we can conclude from this is that debate can, in fact, reach those ethereal heights of popularity attained by the N.H.L. or the N.B.A. - maybe there is hope for intellectual interchange after all!

http://munkdebates.com/home.aspx

GNS triumphed in many categories at the Newman FISA Provincial Independent School Championships Saturday.

Though the team is in a rebuild year, they are glad to report some good results from the tournament that took place at Pacific Christian School.

With 20 other independent schools offering 54 novice, 48 junior and 60 senior competitors for our debaters to contend with, a few notable results included:

NOVICE
Ella Van Cleave - 2nd speaker
Rhys Wynn-Williams - 4th speaker
Ella Van Cleave and Rhys Wynn Williams - 1st overall team

JUNIOR
Christian Taylor - 10th speaker
David Denhoff - 11th speaker
Christian Taylor and David Denhoff - 4th overall team

SENIOR
Jamie Thornton - 3rd speaker
Jackson Gao - 8th speaker
Jamie Thornton and Jean Strong - 4th overall team

Over sixty Middle and Senior School debaters got together Wednesday night and took part in the second Chatterton Cup of the year. The energy was palpable and the growth of debater ability was obvious as twenty-four parents judged and gave debaters their input.

Topics debated at this Chatterton Cup: (BIRT= Be It Resolved That)

Round 1

BIRT Hollywood has a lot to answer for
BIRT tobacco products should be banned
BIRT luck is more important than skill
BIRT hockey is too violent
BIRT the drinking age should be raised
BIRT chivalry is dead

Round 2

BIRT winning is everything
BIRT order is more important than justice
BIRT luck is more important than skill
BIRT our leaders should pay more attention to public opinion
BIRT capital punishment is justified
BIRT legalized gambling should be curtailed
BIRT this house is glad that chivalry is dead

This event, not only a learning experience for the newer debaters, is one that helps prepare the teams attending the Newman FISA Independent School Championships at Pacific Christian Academy on Saturday so that they will be ready for the impromptu side of things.

Not only will those teams be exposed to impromptu debating at Newman FISA, but they will show their more experienced growth by debating two topics: "be it resolved that sanctions on North Korea be discontinued" and "be it resolved that cosmetic surgery for children be eliminated".

On Monday night 46 of our debaters gathered in the Gudewill Library for the second mini debate workshop. After learning some of the finer skills of cross-examination at the first workshop in October, students learned aspects of putting together a rebuttal that could finish off a debate with power and debate persuasion. Working in pairs, students chose one of 23 topics, engineered two to three points for each side, imagined the debate and arguments, and constructed a rebuttal speech that provided high impact clarity and simplicity. With the refined cross examination and rebuttal skills they have learned since the last Chatterton Cup, debaters should be able to offer a higher level of performance in the upcoming Chatterton cup scheduled for Wednesday, November 17.