The Huntingtower Bulletin

AIDSPC

(Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships)

During the September holidays, Huntingtower was proud to host the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships. 

 

This was the national championship’s return to a face-to-face event after three years of running online, and there was huge excitement amongst the competitors. Almost ninety competitors from fourteen schools from across the country come to Huntingtower for three days of intense public speaking. At the same time, they were supported by a team of almost forty adjudicators, over thirty student volunteers, and dozens of our behind-the-scenes staff. 

 

This competition requires students to demonstrate a wide range of public speaking skills as they each participate across four events: debate, impromptu speaking, interpretive reading and prepared speaking (either persuasive or after dinner). After 88 heats, more than 2,000 ballots, and over 100 hours of collective speeches, the competition culminated with a set of national finals.

AIDPSC Champions

Huntingtower was represented in the main AIDPSC competition by Chloe D, Nihar P, (Year 10) Sophie L and Olivia W (Year 9). In an utterly outstanding result, all four of these students placed in the top ten overall:

  • National Third Place: Sophie L
  • National Fifth Place: Olivia W
  • National Sixth Place: Nihar P
  • National Seventh Place: Chloe D

Placing in the top ten competitors means that students performed exceptionally over all four rounds of the competition. Not only this, but as all four students finished in the top ten, they have also earned the opportunity to represent Australia at next year’s World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships!

The individual event results also saw outstanding achievements from these students:

  • Sophie L: First Place in Persuasive Speaking, Second Place in Interpretive reading, and Third Place in Impromptu Speaking
  • Chloe D: Second Place in Persuasive Speaking, Tenth Place in Interpretive Reading
  • Nihar P: Third Place in Persuasive Speaking, Fifth Place in Impromptu Speaking
  • Olivia W: Fourth Place in Impromptu Speaking, Fifth Place in Persuasive Speaking, and Sixth Place in Interpretive Reading

These results also meant that the Huntingtower team was the top performing in the competition, making them the Championship Winning Team. It is no longer hyperbolic to say that Huntingtower has the best public speakers in the country! 

 

Speakfest Champions

Alongside the main AIDPSC competition is the association Speakfest development competition. Aimed at students in Years 8 to 10, this competition emulates the main AIDPSC Championships, with students again participating across Prepared Speaking, Interpretive Reading, Impromptu Speaking and Debate. This year Huntingtower was represented by Jade H, Keira L, Prisha R (Year 10) and Grace T (Year 9).

In an outstanding result, all four of the Huntingtower competitors were in the top ten speakers in the overall Speakfest rankings:

  • Speakfest Second Place: Prisha R
  • Speakfest Third Place: Jade H
  • Speakfest Fourth Place: Grace T
  • Speakfest Ninth Place: Keira L

This again made Huntingtower the top performing school in the Australian Speakfest rankings.

There were also a number of outstanding achievements by our students within the competition:

  • Prisha R: Winner of Interpretive Reading and Persuasive Speaking
  • Jade H: Third Place in Interpretive Reading and Debate
  • Grace T: Second Place in Debate 
  • Keira L: Fifth Place in Debate

 

Congratulations to all of the students involved on what is truly an unprecedented achievement and an enormous triumph, and we wish our AIDPSC team well as they go on to represent our nation at the 2024 World Championships!

A wonderful reflection of the Huntingtower spirit

Many thanks are due to the huge array of volunteers who were involved in this competition. There were literally dozens of staff, parents, students and past members of our community who volunteered and made this competition possible. It took the combined efforts of dozens of people helping with organising, judging, room managing, tabulation, catering, and helping out with every aspect of the competition. It was wonderful to see so many people come together to offer such a wonderful, enriching and rewarding experience not just for our own students, but for so many who had come from across the country: from Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, and from all across Victoria. The running of this competition was a huge effort by the school community, and ultimately serves as a wonderful reflection of the Huntingtower spirit and our desire to be a beneficial presence in the world. 

 

Mr Matthew McDonald

Director of Student Communication and Engagement